RAOC Gazette - page 319
Image details
| Corps | RAOC |
|---|---|
| Material type | Journals |
| Book page | |
| Chapter head | |
| Chapter key | |
| Chapter number | |
| Full title | RAOC Gazette |
| Page number | |
| Publication date | 1981 |
| Real page | |
| Colour | No |
| Grey | No |
| Early date | 1981 |
| Late date | 1981 |
| Transcription |
We have also had .a change on the officer scene. Our new >2. Major Dewar RGJ, is now in the hot scat and we have said odbye lo Major Cox RE who has gone off to build bridges. Our Chief Clerk, Staff Sergeant Gerry Trottier, who is again penning these notes anonymously, is still wondering when a replacement for Lance Corporal Whitehouse will arrive. He does not understand the delay as there is no problem with recruiting so come on RAOC Records send us a soldier. That's all from G3 (SD) so now over Lo G3 Avn (RAF). The news from G3 Avn (RAF) is mainly about movement. We have welcomed Flight Lieutenant Needham to the crew and also Corporal Dave Tydeman who came to us from AFCENT nd is settling in well. We have said goodbye to Lance Corporal any Baillie who has moved to the cellars and is beavering way in R and D. Sergeant Steve Kemp is to be congratulated on his recent promotion to that rank, Gl. 4. 5 {PLANS). W 2 John Thompson is Chief Clerk and in between organising Branch Weekly Draws, training for the Bielefeld Marathon (ambition versus capability?) and designing Board Games for Waddington Ltd, he still manages to keep the Branch output up (more exercise?). John is supported by the following stalwarts: Registry—Sergeant John Bissetu a recent • ransfer-in from the Army Air Corps and currently on an EPC \dv) Course—a pass with ' flying' colours is the target here. ohn is backed by Lance Corporal Chris Gilmore who is presently polishing his kit (and drill) for a forthcoming RPC2 course at Bracht G4 (Plans)—Sergeant Smith is IC this section and also Deputy Chief Clerk; he is assisted by Lance Corporal Jock Carrey, an author of some repute ('Haggis Ranching*— an authoritative thesis on the development of the Beastie). This cell contains the briefing experts who produce ultra-slick presenta- tions and edit films and tapes with such professional panache that an approach from MGM is expected any day now! Many congratulations to Lance Corporal Carrey on his recent, over- Jue and well-deserved promotion, we're all watching that ;pace, G I / 4 (Plans)—Corporal John Heath has left us. John gets married shortly and his fiancee, Sue, wins the ' draw' with such alarming regularity that the term coincidence is becoming a wee bit tired 1 Corporal Heath's relief is Corporal Jock Mc- Cartney who joins us in a few days time to strengthen the colonial contingent (seven staff clerks = four Scots, one Irish and even two English) to complete the picture we have, on exchange appoint- ment an Aussie—WOl Neal Harris RACT, The other member of this section is Private Eileen Supple WRAC who brightens up the office with her ever-ready smile. G4/5 (Plans)—Lance Corporal Bob Adams controls this cell when not winning high jump championships and is to be congratulated on his pro- visional selection for promotion to Corporal. A recent transfer from the Supply Specialist roll, Bob is another lost soul who finally ' saw the light/ C4 (EPS)—is run by Corporal Helen Hioms WRAC who joined us recently from Headquarters Regiment, their loss is our gain, speaking of which Helen gains a husband in December—some people will do anything to get out of the Christmas Party! Finally, the Branch bids a fond farewell to Major David Griffiths and his family who are on their way to the Staff College. We welcome, in his place. Major Charlie White and his family and hope their tour with the LOGSTARS is a happy one! Ted Walcroft. with Sergeant Dick Goodfield picking up the trophy for fastest over age thirty five. (In fact the only one over thirty five.) Well done'. Our social evening was a great success with Major Charles Bayley rolling a mean ball* and Sergeant Dick Goodfield proving that even the ancient can shake a leg. But back to the fighting. During the exercise, a patrol competition was held to test I ADOCs individual skills with Headquarters RAOC providing the umpires. The highlight of this was a river crossing by a single rope. This was controlled by Major Busby, who ensured that everybody crossed except him- self. Even our intrepid Comd Sup, Lieutenant Colonel Keith Mullins, completed the course and proved himself to be as fit as everyone else. And finally, our congratulations to Lance Corporals Cook and Ranger on the selection for promotion to Corporal, Lance Corporal Price on selection for substantive rank, and to our DOWO WOl Peter Osborne on his recent marriage. Sergeant Bob Maxwell was heard to mutter something about having more sense at his age. PS, W 2 John Sexton knows all about Fire SOPs. ORDNANCE COMPANY UP in the wilds of Soltau. the Ordnance Company has had another busy month with some more old faces disappearing and fresh ones coming to fill the gaps. We welcome Staff Sergeant Holt, Corporal Shaw and Private Smedley. and sadly say good- bye to Corporal Harley, Lance Corporal Hamilton and Private Wark. Staff Sergeant Mines returned from his six months holiday in Zimbabwe with tales of buxom girls and sun drenched swimming pools. We believe he also did a little work out there! As reported last month. Second Lieutenant Cousins returned safely from fourteen days adventure training in Corsica. To begin with, the guard wouldn't let them into camp as they were so brown he didn't recognise them. They had travelled the length of Sardinia from RAF Deci Momannu before reaching Corsica and had many stories to tell of playing sardines on buses, and negotiating with unintelligible Italian ticket collectors over what" they could do with ten rucksacks and eight kit bags. They didn't achieve their aim of walking across Corsica but saw a lot of sun, plenty of vino and in between did a bit of walking. The Company was very fortunate to be allocated an infantry company slot on Sennelager Ranges. This allowed realistic train- ing in all phases of battle to be carried out with live ammunition which has in itself led to many war stories that are already pass- ing into legend. The best story must concern Lance Corporal Roddy who was on the point of an arrowhead section formation when the targets came up. Adrenalin is a wonderful thing and the range personnel stated that they had never seen anyone get so far down a rabbit hole before, On the sporting side we said goodbye to the cricket season by losing to Viersen in the final of the RAOC (BAOR) Cricket 1st Armoured Division A HEADQUARTERS RAOC " HERE we are again, happy as could be, all good friends in jolly fine company," so the song goes, and the company in question is of course, that of our Ordnance Com- pany. Because the * fighting first 1 are again on exercise with the Comd Sup's very cold, _ but thankfully dry, Exercise First Race 81. tf?p7*5g>—~£p}&§? This was a chance to try out new ideas 1© ^<^Q^^\0 Sergeant John Pensom a n d test old ones. demonstrated how to bog down a three- quarter tonner, a stationary trailer jumped out and hit Lance Lance Corporal Pasola of \ Division Ordnance Company advances Corporal Dave Cook, Private Kev Davies tested the theory that carefully up a Close Quarter Baffle Range at Sennelager. f one fails in the ditch one gets wet, Captain Wilson Brewer md Lance Corporal John Price went on yet another recce some- where (hopefully in BAOR), and of course, Lance Corporal 267 — Paul Ranger won the Golden Blanket award. But with a lull in with the Major fighting the Ted Divisional Walcroft this month and RAOC sees you've us Cross with guessed Country a very it, full being race calendar won organised by starting Major by |
| Book number | R0250 |