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RAOC Gazette - page 229

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Corps RAOC
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Full title RAOC Gazette
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Publication date 1978
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Early date 1978
Late date 1978
Transcription quarters Company 15/I9H), but unfortunately losing six to two
to 633 Squadron AAC. Corporal Steve Barraclough and Privates
Robbo Robertson and Terry Hooper went to the RAOC Corps
trial and Robbo was selected to play for the Corps.
The rugby team also did well beating 5 Armoured Work-
shop twenty four to twenty in the first game of the season, un-
fortunately Lance Corporal Chogie Pearce broke his leg during
the game. The next day a combined team played the Head-
quarters and Signal Regiment and lost (The score was rather
embarrassing and will not be published, but for the record it
was over a ton against).
A patrol race has been instigated to take place every
month for the Ridsdale Cup, in memory of Lance Corporal
Ridsdale whose tragic death was recorded last month. It in-
volves groups of men (masochists), doing tasks (various and
devious), round a course (long and tiring), in the quickest time
(strongly disputed). The MT and the Storehouse were con-
tenders for first place, Corporal (which button do I press)
Haines (Storeman), the timekeeper, decided that the Store-
house won. PC and A and Headquarters also competed. Lance
Corporal Ridsdale's father came out to the Unit and presented
the cup to the first winners.
W02 Tony Raffan has come second in the Division golfing
competition, in both the handicap and scratch and is using the
excuse that he is playing in the BAOR competition to take even
more time off.
• The cricket team rounded off a good season by coming
runners up in the Minor Units knock out
Private Grenny Avison has gone with 3 RHF to Canada on
exercise, Lance Corporal Pearce was also meant to be going
but he was unable to do so because of the leg.
We also had a border patrol which proved most instructive
to those who had never actually seen the border and Major
Skinner, Second Lieutenant Perks and CSM Gumbs represented
the Unit at a ceremony at Unna to mark the changeover of OCs
at 200 Nachschubkompanie—our affiliated Bundesweher Unit
The DCC has gone 'live' under the expert touch of Staff
Sergeant Clive Evans and is happily chewing up DPPC cards.
The MT has emigrated ' en masse' under the expert leader-
ship of Sergeant Mark Hodgkiss to Antwerp, leaving only
Corporal Paul Luck in charge in sunny Soest. They say they
are going to collect vehicles- but refuse to answer questions on
why it is going to take three days.
Congratulations to Sergeant Tom Ellis REME, on his Long
Service and Good Conduct Medal and also to Lance Corporal
Michael Ward on his substantial, sorry, substantive promotion,
along with Lance Corporals Mick Williams and Egan. Lance
Corporals Alan Hughes and Neville Haines are now Corporals.
STORES SECTION
ENGINEER REGIMENT WORKSHOP
WITH our staff of six back from various holiday resorts we
can now power our way through to Christmas, re-binning and re-
painting MKs in our spare time—Saturday mornings is the
present trend.
At last Privates Collins* and Latham's families have finally
settled in Summern after temporary accommodation in Balve
and Hamm. Their wives now believe that they are posted to
Iserlohn. Not to be out-done Corporal Moore has opted for
a change from Summern to Hemer. Must be something to do
with rank. Even Corporal Martin ' Singly' Bauld has been
enquiring about AFs A10.
On the sporting scene the news is that Sergeant 'Alex'
Maxwell beat WOl Bob Forde at snooker; albeit on a flukey
black ball.
The remaining two of the Section, Lance Corporal Mick
Lowrie and Private 'Bomber' Edwards are not with us at
present They have grown long hair and emigrated to Northern
Ireland for a short spell on Op Banner. Good reports have come
our way as they keep Ordnance in the limelight
STORES PLATOON 5 ARMOURED WORKSHOP
THE absence of our notes for the past two months has not
been for the want of trying. Life in Soest has been more
hectic now that half the Platoon has gone to Northern Ireland.
The latest Platoon sport is water-ski-ing. Privates * Taff'
Phillips, Steve Godbold, Dave Marshall, ' Scouse' Hughes and
Dave Norrie are all accomplished skiers. It is not so much the
prospect of ski-ing that attracts them, but the parade of bikini
clad females. This audience tempts them to bare their bodies
and endeavour to impress with displays of wobble-slalom, flying
torpedo dives and even virtuoso mock drowning performances.
With this sort of line up we request that an ambulance be
stood by ready for the coming season's Snow Queen; we're
going to need i t
r
Apart from sport, our other main activity seems to be
Forward spares support for the very many exercises going on.
To this end we have lost Privates Alan Cochrane, Trevor
Holland, Dave Norrie, Ian Sellars and Lance Corporal Frank
Mclntyre for long periods. All we know is that they were
last seen driving in an easterly direction,
Finally, our congratulations must go to Corporal Gransden
on the award of the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal,
Well done Dave.
4th Armoured Division
I
HEADQUARTERS RAOC
^ • ^ ^
THE months of August and September
^^H^^^L
have seen most members of Headquarters
^^^ft^^^L
RAOC scattered across Europe in search
^^^^^^^H
of the sun. The exception to the rule
^^^^^^^B
was Lance Corporal Taff Davies who
^^^^^^^F
managed to fit in a visit to Canada with
^ ^ • ^
1 DWR, courtesy of HMG.
I
The ranks of Headquarters RAOC
have swelled during the period, by the
addition of a Divisional Fire Advisor and his clerk. These
posts have been filled by FSOi Harry Petty and Mrs Christine
Allott. We also welcome Sergeant Burnett and Mrs Beate
Patrick to the Headquarters and bid farewell to Sergeant
' Smokey ' Attwood who leaves us for 2 Squadron RCT.
STORES PLATOON 4 ARMOURED WORKSHOP
SINCE our last contribution to THE GAZETTE in June we have
had Summer Camp followed by a relatively quiet period when
most of us had some leave. Now, however, we are very busy
once again and everyone is getting ready for the Divisional
FTX in October, the Technical Inspection in November and
the Workshop ARU in December.
Depending upon which way one thinks, Summer Camp was
a ' howling' success. Those members of the Stores Platoon
who had never been to Schleiswig before, found that the wind
never stops blowing and the rain never stops falling. How-
ever, quite a few people learnt how to sail and canoe (not in
the camp itself) on the Baltic, and military training was carried
out successfully.
On the sporting scene our gladiators have been making a
name for themselves. Private Law has been playing cricket
for RAOC (BAOR) and scored a century against Brussels CC.
Lance Corporals Mansfield and O'Shea have just returned from
UK with the RAOC (BAOR) rugby team.
The following have been posted in: Staff Sergeant Bunting
from Kineton, Lance Corporal Chadwick and Private Horan
from within the Division and Private Seddon from Depot and
Training Battalion.
Combat Supplies Battalion
^ ^ ^ M f M M ; ^ ^ ^ ^ H FOLLOWING the success of Exercise
^ ^ ^ ^ H § I I i | : ^ ^ ^ H Parashot the Battalion rested on its
^ ^ ^ ^ B M f i l i ^ H ^ H laurels during August.
Leave was
^ ^ ^ ^ H K ^ S f l Q | taken by those who had managed to
^ ^ ^ ^ B f f f § I H I K » a M D get s the paperwork
right and the new
a
^ ^ ^ ^ K l l f i f S J i B flfi °y had
chance to settle in. A
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ G ^ B ^ K a moment
of high drama was narrowly
verte(
^^^^HraBiiSH ^H
* when British Ley land made an
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ W w W i l i ^ ^ H B eleventh-hour delivery of the COs new

Rover (3500) just in time for his drive
to Athens—which must have been fun at * running in " speed,
September ushered in a spate of physical exertion as the
cut off date for BFT loomed ever nearer. The barracks was
alive with running bodies for days as people practised, took the
test, practised some more or just ran because everyone else
did. The exercise season is grinding its way up through the
gears and we flick into overdrive next month with involvement
in six major exercises—despite the plaintive cries of the ad-
ministrative staff in Battalion Headquarters Company—new*
varies. Forty three are as hard worked and underpaid as ever
(or so they tell me) although there is a vicious rumour that they
will be moving permanently to Nieheim, which probably accounts
for the smug expressions. Forty four on the other hand, since
returning from Camp, have been bitten by the running hug-
People who were previously sane and sensible have taken to
running as a form of relaxation and enjoyment It has even
got to the stage where these people, encouraged by a few
incurable fitness fanatics of many years standing, have given up
free time at weekends (!) to take part in various runs. Seven
men entered the forty two kilometre run at Mundau in South
— 186
Book number R0247