RAOC Gazette - page 226
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 |
Brigadier Whalley talks to members of the Sergeants Mess. Medal to WOl Les Fagg and Sergeant Tom Hodgson and the GSM for Northern Ireland to Corporals Alex Brownlie and Brummie Voice. A new arrival in the Unit is Lieutenant Mike (Bruce) Come RAAOC. He has spent an amount of time complaining about the rain and referring to things like 'The Bush* and 'Abbos,' but we are assured he is ' fair dinkum ' in other respects. Lieutenant Come arriyed in time to say farewell (temporarily) to Second Lieutenant Gary Saunders who is off on a trip to the School of Ordnance via a marriage ceremony. A company trip to the Serengetti Wildlife Park went down well with the wives and children despite a rain shower at the start of the day. Our thanks go to Corporal Tim Graham who organised the trip and to Corporal Rockett who provided an excellent buffet. While on the subject of Corporal Graham it has been noted that he has spent all his last months LOA on suntan oil in anticipation of his posting to Cyprus. It's look- ing as though his car might go with him despite his efforts to sell it to all those who visited the Orderly Room. The month ended with Exercise Full Circle in which the Unit practised its convoy and harbouring drills. The simulated air attack went well save for Lance Corporal Jack Falconers packet who missed it by deciding to go by our alternative and more scenic route, Congratulations to Sergeants Alan Frampton and Mike Rooke and Staff Sergeant Frank Mines on their promotion. 79 SUPPLY DEPOT SERGEANT TAYLOR our Master Butcher has mounted guard on the newly built butchers rest room and can be heard mutter- ing strange words about people and priorities. With the enormous increase in the off-take of chips and frozen vegetables it seems we need greater cold storage capacity; the walls won't stretch outward anymore. The less fit in the Unit, who shall be nameless, are persistent in their attempts to reach the required standard to pass the BFT. Dazed and aching soldiers stagger round the Unit mouthing obscenities such as " multi-gym, assault course " and " circuit training." On the sporting front W02 Dave Timms the Master Baker discovered he had been entered in the 1 Division Cross Country League, he came a creditable seventy seventh in a field of about one hundred and thirty in his first race in many years. Captain Ron Crawford, our second in command, qualified for the 1st Division golf championships and was last seen battling round the course in foul weather. A very good performance as he had just returned tired from a leave in UK spent trudging round looking for an ungazsumped house to buy. He did in fact find one, but can't bring himself to mention the price as it still frightens him. STORES PLATOON 7 ARMOURED WORKSHOP THE month started with Exercise Lost Weekend on the Mosel. The aim of the weekend was to get the Platoon away to a more informal environment to carry out some adventure training. The camp was based at Graach which is two kilometres south of Bemkastel-Kues. The Platoon visited the same area last year and quite a few of last years acquaintances soon made the Platoon feel most welcome. Each day usually ended with a swim in the local pool, Private 'Dirk* Wilson particularly en- joyed the swimming or perhaps it was the scenery™he had quite a fan club by the end of the weekend! Purely by coincidence the Platoon tent was next to the Graach Wine Festival Marquee where the majority of the Platoon indulged themselves, everyone now considers himself a connoisseur of Mosel Wine. Sergeant Duncan Learmonth con- sidered himself the father of the Platoon and insisted the only reason he stayed up all night in the marquee was to ensure that everyone got safely to bed. On the Sunday the locals laid on a barbecue at the shooting club which was up in the hills. A small shooting match was organised before lunch and Private Roger Payne proved to be a worthy champion. The barbecue was a great success and many a war story was exchanged with the local Germans. All too soon the weekend finished, and the Platoon returned to Falling, bostel, but everyone felt revived and ready to face the arduous next few months. Sergeant George Cairns defeated all opposition at the \ Division Angling Competition at Hohne. He came first in the individual and section competitions and his team came third. Despite gale force winds he succeeded in landing a fourteen kilogramme fish. Congratulations to Lance Corporal Geoff Adams on pro- motion. The Platoon would also like to wish Private Tom Silcock and Fran alt the best at Kineton, and it is hoped they find what they want. STORES SECTION, 45 FIELD REGIMENT WORKSHOP THIS month has been somewhat hectic with PSA workmen popping in and out modernising the Stores Section, they seem to take long tea (beer) breaks usually about two weeks! With the summer holidays over, we are nearly back to full strength; during this period Corporal Hale's wife gave birth to a boy, we wish them both well. We congratulate Private Jeff Ranee on passing his driving test at the fifth attempt. Corporal Harry Jeanne, a long stand- ing member of the Stores Section is about to leave us; we wish him and his family all the best in their new posting. STORES SECTION ENGINEER REGIMENT WORKSHOP THE 31 st August was a memorable day for Corporal Stey& Oxley and his wife Karen when she presented him with a second son. Congratulations Steve and well done Karen! Q Godwin has been seen making a * few' issues which proves how short of staff we are and has decided to take a couple of weeks leave to recover. We now have Private Paul Higgins back with us after seeing his sister well and truly hooked, (a top and tail do, of course); maybe now he has seen how easy it is that he might take the plunge himself shortly! After a shakey start Private Jed Usher has settled in quite well (between involuntary guards during Exercise Keen Wind). He is managing to cope quite well with the usual office duties as well as answering the telephone. A short distance away from the office but within * shouting* distance (yes, you guessed it, where the workers hang out) we, or should I say I, am managing to cope while Private Tom Wright continues his marathon leave period and Sergeant Dave Holmes counts the days in Northern Ireland. How I found time to do all the work and re-arrange the storehouse Til never know but the satisfaction of confusing the rest of the stores section will be mine for months to come. After all that self praise I had better introduce myself, Corporal Jim Nesbitt is my name and next month's newsletter will include such titbits as our part on Exercise Red Dragon. 2nd Armoured Division ^•HMHMB HPt^^^Hy^H ^ ^ Jt^^A. ^M ^^^fco^^JH ^P^H^^^^^^H V^T^^^^^^Q L^B^^BflP M ^L^^^^5ifl HEADQUARTERS RAOC COMINGS and goings have dominated the past month, not with postings but with leave ' CRAOC and S02 Combat Supplies have just returned from their two week migration to South of France. Judges by their tans there was obviously no shortage of sunshine, and they were I H ^ ^ I B ^ H pleased to discover that had they spent their two weeks in Lubbecke the only brown they would have seen would have been rust! However, those of us who stayed behind have not been idle. Privates Phil Hamott and Roy Bullough competed in the Head- quarters and Signal Regiment Inter Squadron boxing tournament Phil won in the Light Heavyweight division; and as this was his first appearance in the ring, he is to be congratulated on his win. Though Roy lost his first bout, his performance was also commendable* and the spectators were treated to a thoroughly enjoyable evenings boxing. Meanwhile, Private Paul Chandler decided to enter a folk singing contest run by 184 — |
| Book number | R0247 |