Back to Library Journals

RAOC Gazette - page 151

Image details

Corps RAOC
Material type Journals
Book page
Chapter head
Chapter key
Chapter number
Full title RAOC Gazette
Page number
Publication date 1978
Real page
Colour No
Grey No
Early date 1978
Late date 1978
Transcription •na'-- Ward with Sergeant Evans to help them around, broke
\c -nip record by over, one hour with a time of four hours
iin w^ minutes. Previous to the summer camp Corps Vehicle
- orr p L iny, as we were known then, was involved in Exercise
-lash Harry, part of a new film (RAOC supplies the Army).
fhe Unit was deployed in the field for the day and the camera
•rews moved in. After a few shouts of ' action * and * cut * the
timing people went away highly satisfied,
Our Annual Open Day was held at Preston Barracks. With
i variety of stalls and rides for the children, of which the
jtalwarts were a great success. The fete was opened by the
3C. Major Jeffrey and the Oberbergemeister of Recklinghausen,
f4err Wulfram, A great time was had by both the military,
rheir families and the local civilian population.
Congratulations to Captain Taylor on his Mention in
Despatches for work in Northern Ireland whilst with 321 EOD
a nd to Staff Sergeant Cooper on his Long Service and Good
Conduct Medal.
We say farewell to WO I Yates on discharge and wish htm
well in civilian life, and welcome Sergeant Williams.
1st British Corps
*
BY the time that these notes are published the
J|SL
major event in our branch social calendar will have
jar ^ ^
taken place—I refer, of course, to the marriage of
^f ^ ^
Lance Corporal Bill Laight to W/ Corporal Kathy
^E^^k
Earlie. I know that all members of our branch,
^ • | ^ r
together with all their many friends in Bielefeld,
^ B ^m
offer Bill and Kathy the warmest of congratulations
^^^
and wish them both many years of happy married
^r
life together. (I'm sure that Bill will agree that it
was well worth getting baptised for!)
For those who scan these columns searching for long lost
friends and acquaintances, or possibly even with a view to lining
ip a potential posting, our branch currently consists of the
following personnel: WOl Frank Linnane is the G Training
Staff Assistant; Staff Sergeant Paul Blaber is the Chief Clerk;
on the EPS side we have Corporal Alan Morris and Lance
Corporal Mick Ford, whilst the Training side comprises Corporal
Charlie Bowden, Lance Corporal Bill Laight and Private Brian
Marsden. (Any of these lads are quite open to bribes!),
GSD 1/2. At long last W02 Ian Reid has received his posting
order. He is leaving in January to Log Exec and it is now
smiles all round There are two new faces in GSD1, notably,
Corporal Colin Stephens and Private Tony Mackey who have
joined us from the cellars of R and D. Colin was heard to
remark when he saw daylight, " Where am T?".
Sergeant Alan Buckwell told his boss that he enjoyed camp-
ing—his boss took him at his word since when Alan returned
from leave he was sent on a week's exercise! Corporal Scouse
Hayes was so keen to get to work one day, he jumped on any
old bus and when the bus reached its terminus our Scouse was
lost! After a lot of signs and Scouse dialect he eventually found
his way to barracks. Lance Corporal Jim Shanks captained
the victorious G Branch swimming team which won the Com-
mander's cup swimming competition for the second year run-
ning—it's surprising what Canadian Popcorn can do!
G AIR, Corporal John Lehmann is now firmly settled in and
getting used to the unfamiliar phrases the * Blue Boys' frequently
use. During the last few weeks the Commander's Cup com-
petition has virtually taken first priority, since John has, to date,
helped the G Branch team to win the tennis and swimming
competitions and reach the quarter finals of the cricket com-
petition. Rumour has it that he is thinking of entering the next
'Superstars' competition.
Corporal ' Paddy' Moore, with fifty four days to do at the
time of writing, is frantically filling MFO boxes in readiness for
his posting to SHAPE. Paddy also helped the G Branch team
in the Commander's cup competitions and will be sadly missed
by them.
Congratulations to Will and Barbara McBumey on the birth
of a daughter, Jane. Congratulations also to Lance Corporals
Ned Kelly and Sam Mcleod on promotion.
Finally, we have said farewell to W02 Sam Johnston on
Posting to the MOD.
ORDNANCE BRANCH
A VERY hectic month, with personnel coming and going, being
Promoted etc. On the promotions front congratulations in
order of priority go to Private Kelly to Lance Corporal, Major
MacColl to Lieutenant Colonel, Captain Cottington to Major.
We welcome Captain David Griffiths and his wife Caroline to
the branch, Major Joe Hastings (and his dog Penny) and Corporal
Brown and his wife Christine—we hope their stay will be a
pleasant one.
A party of thirty seven attended the farewell for the DDOS,
Majors Mills, MacCoil and Cottington at a local hostelry. Roast
suckling pig was the main course, with Major Stewart Rowsell
being presented with the head, it was taken away from him
before he could get it between two slices of bread, and all in all
it was a very pleasant and enjoyable evening.
On the sporting front, we are still in there pitching away
for the Commander's Cup, narrowly beaten at cricket by the
local MAFIOSO and soundly thrashed in the swimming pool;
this event was more akin to an Arctic Trial than a mid-summer
gala. It was said that we lost the event by the skin of of our
teeth.
BLUE.
2nd Armoured Division
• • • ^ • • • 1
AS the exercise season progresses, so the
^^^^^^^^^H
Headquarters is becoming more in time
^ ^ J^^^^
^ J
with operations in the field generally.
H^^k^^^jH
Exercise Queens Crown III passed by
^I^^^^^^^^H
gently, and one member of the staff was
^^2«^k?^^^
overheard to say that exercises constituted
I H ^ V J A J
a welcome break from the office. Per-
^ ^ 5 ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
haps Exercise Summer Sales will bring us
Hfc^B^^^^H
down to earth again,
The PT staff have recently attempted
to measure the success they fondly think they have achieved by
taking us up hill and down dale each week for the last few
months. Surprisingly, many of us passed first go, and Lance
Corporal * Piggy * Davis celebrated his personal triumph over
the course by purchasing a * Lubbecke Layabouts' tracksuit.
He's now a fitness fanatic, or so he says.
In pursuit of greater personal fitness, Privates Phil Harriott
and Roy Bullough have started boxing training for the regi-
mental team. We watch progress with interest, especially after
it was learnt that Roy fell over twice during his pre-boxing
medical.
Congratulations this month go to Private Dick Chisholm
on passing his B2 trade test, and we welcome Corporal Steve
Evans* wife Irmgard after their wedding briefly mentioned last
month. Other arrivals have been Private Don McCutcheon
and our long awaited fire adviser, Mr G. B. Rogers, Finally
we say farewell to WOl Dave Cochrane, who will have left
us on his posting to Headquarters BAOR by the time these
notes are printed.
STORES PLATOON 12 ARMOURED
WORKSHOP
WHAT a month, nearly everyone has been away from the
Unit at one stage or another. The OC Captain Roycroft was
seen working in the office and W02 Down in the receipts area.
I suppose the pressure was too great for the OC, he is now
going off on a fire officers course for a rest
On the sporting scene our warriors namely Sergeant Norman
Davison, Privates Dave Tressler and H. Harris have been assist-
ing the Workshop cricket team- Private Terry Lord has been
swimming and it is believed that Staff Sergeant Ray Barnard
and Sergeant Dave Reece have been playing marbles I well that's
where they tell us they go to on Wednesday afternoons.
To get back to introducing our warriors I'll carry on with
our Supply Specialists* At the fountain head we have Staff
Sergeant Ray Barnard, ably assisted by Sergeant Norman
Davison, Corporal Mick Moore, Lance Corporals Taff Walsh.
and Mick Bland, Privates Bob Cochrane, MofI Moffat, Keith
Brennan, Dave Taaffe, Robin Tracy, Billy Williamson and last
but by no means least, Privates H, (PVR) Harris and Crannan.
Having completed this list, I must admit I didn't know we had
so many. I think I will have to find out where they all hide.
We welcome to the fold Lance Corporal Taff Walsh.
STORES PLATOON 7 ARMOURED
WORKSHOP
EXERCISE ODIN SPANNER, our annual training exercise
was held at Sogaard in Denmark during June. The emphasis
was on military skills and fitness. A competitive exercise being
run on an inter-section basis. As the programme was extensive,
the working day was a long one, but even so not without its
lighter moments. During the Escape and Evasion Exercise when,
lashed with rain and hail stones, we had to jump into the sea to
rescue our (notional) rations, a vivid imagination and sense of
humour was called for. Live rabbits and chickens served up as
dinner on the Escape and Evasion Exercise baulked even our
hardiest members, but Corporals Dick Sykes and Nobby
Book number R0247