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RAOC Gazette - page 261

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Corps RAOC
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Publication date 1978
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Transcription was the most successful and or comfortable. Being the author I
will have the last word and assure those interested parties that
the Divisional Dump Exercise of 3rd Armoured Division was
the most successful and uncomfortable; prune-like skin and
owl-like eyes are a prerequisite for any Divisional Dump
exercise soldier. Our 4th Armoured Division contingent are
away until next week. Come on weather, deteriorate even more.
Sergeant Dennis Thynne is busy preparing to leave us next
month for CAD Kbeton, the depths to which some people
will sink to get promoted. However, he assures us all that
he really is looking forward to going there if he can get all his
belongings and wife's catalogues across the Channel His other
problem is to redistribute his Bielefeld responsibilities to their
original owners—'Corps Troops what? Never heard of them/
is the reply,
That gladiator of the crooked stick and bobbing white ball,
Staff Sergeant George Ferguson, leaves for his Operation Banner
stint and we wish him a safe and speedy return. As if fair
exchange was no robbery, we welcome back from Operation
Banner Corporal David Cotterill. Not many people saw him
though because as soon as he arrived so he left on exercise; I
believe the expression used is character training.
When normality returns to the Inspectorate, if it was ever
here in the first place, more will be written. Heard from the
bottom of slit trench—the muddy bottom of a slit trench,
ATs are like bananas, green when young, yellow when old,
hang around in bunches and there is not a straight one amongst
them!
WALSRODE. Past and present members of the Corps who are
familiar with the Detachment at Walsrode will undoubtedly
know Hauptfelwebel Ede Krenze. After serving in the
Wehrmacht during the war and losing an arm in an argument
with a T34, he then re-enlisted on the formation of the Bun-
deswehr and served a further twenty four years. On his retire-
ment from the German Army his presence will be sadly missed
not only in the Unit bar but also for the practical assistance he
frequently gave the Unit in the past. Past members of Walsrode
can rest assured that his send off was in traditional fashion and
we wish him a long and happy retirement.
Ordnance Depot Antwerp
MANY readers will be aware that Headquarters British
Forces Antwerp is one of the more notable tenants on the
Ord Depot patch and that in the Headquarters we (the RAOC)
have two Class 1 quill sharpeners. In fact, only the senior of
the two does the sharpening; the junior has the task of
chasing the ducks around Fort Broechem and obtaining the
quills. The posting out of Corporal Ken Ellis-Rijs has meant
that Lance Corporal Paddy Killeen has been promoted to
Sharpener and a new arrival Lance Corporal Tom Orrock has
the enviable task of chasing the local birds. Tom's arrival was
also the occasion of a repainting of the building—there were
mutterings of ' yet another whitewash job * and * things will be
all white now!* Corporal Ellis-Rijs is off to Cyprus on pro-
motion—these Staff Clerks get everywhere!
With the return of the rugby season many of the old
warriors have been persuaded to dig out their boots which their
wives had optimistically buried in the cellars. Team Captain,
Sergeant Taff Evans, has been chasing his team up and down
between the posts in an effort to slim them down a little but it
was not quite enough for the first round of the Rhine Area
Minor Units Cup when the team lost to Viersen who were led
by the redoubtable RSM Black. Viersen took the match at
seventeen to seven,
The golfers report greater success with Captain Pete Fellows
winning the Chapman Cup at the RAOC (BAOR) Autumn
meeting in Sennelager. W02 Jim Bowen did not do quite
so well and had to be content with being runner up. In the
Bogey Competition however, the positions were reversed so fair
do's! (The note I received did not say how many entrants there
were, but there must have been at least three because Sergeant
Dave Hogg came third in the Bogey Competition).
Postings in: Private Hymus from Ashchureh and Captain
Humphreys from Ordnance Depot Northern Ireland.
Marriages: Private Jones 838 to Miss Lillian Sandra
Miller and Private Bailey to Miss Aileen Flett Carle,
Births: Lance Corporal and Mrs Bennett a daughter
Penny Lorraine and Private and Mrs Lamb a daughter Sarah
Anne.
To Staff Sergeant and Mrs Rowlands we offer our deepest
sympathy on the sad loss of their young son Dean, who died
in hospital in London on 6th October*
3 Base Ammunition and Petroleum Depot
3 BAPD was recently in the news via the BFBS Radio Pro-
gramme * It's Good 'Ere." The programme featured ten menv
bers of the Unit, who gave listeners an insight into the rote
of the Unit, and as a consequence had their choice of music
played,
The Bracht Youth Club recently held a sponsored cycle
ride over one hundred kilometres.
In perfect weather, the
riders lined up and were away at 0930 houfs. The field soon
strung out and it was after only 1 four kilometres that the first
casualty literally ' bit the dust.
Poor Colin Jenkinson was
brought back to the pavilion in a Land Rover, After nursing
his grazed^ swollen face for a few hours he tried a couple of
laps later on in the day. First to finish was Mike Emerton,
with the first girl being Liz Wase. The sum raised was in
excess of DM2,300, which will go a long way towards the
Youth Club's ski-ing trip in the New Year.
Golf now plays an important part in the Unit sporting
activities and with the help and tuition of the * Maestro * Lance
Corporal Ian Gray (Army champion, BAOR match play
champion and BAOR stroke play champion), we have all en-
joyed considerable success during the season. Handicaps have
plumetted and there are now three single-figure handicap players
in the Unit. Ian Gray plus one, WOl John Kearney four, and
recently posted in Sergeant Paul Ladley five. The Juniors in golf-
ing ability Bryan Dawson, Pete Bmerton and Bob Davies have
now
committed themselves to reaching the heights achieved by our
1
Big Three/
Although the Rhine Area soccer league isn't in full swing
yet, the Bracht team have already played three friendly matches,
winning two and losing one. We have just won through the
preliminary round of the Army Cup by beating 13 Signal Regi-
ment six to one t and have now been drawn in the first round
at home to SSD Dulmen. We have said goodbye to our 'goalie*
Corporal Thomo Thompson, who has returned to UK on
posting, and welcome into the team Lance Corporal ' Daggy *
Dagnall and Private Don Francis. Being the DOS (BAOR)
Cup holders, we are looking forward to defending the trophy
against Wulfen in the first round next month.
The Bracht Barbarians rugby club's tour this year was
based on COD Chilwell, The 1st XV, perhaps embarrassed by
their highly successful start to the season, declined to win
three of their four games, losing to quite strong teams from
Nottingham Casuals, Nottingham Police and Tunbridge Wells,
whilst beating Long Eaton. It is fair to say that like the last
British Lions our forwards are entitled to ask, "what went
wrong," Meanwhile the 2nd XV had no qualms about winning
both of their games with makeshift teams. In between playing,
training and travelling was the social side of the tour. We
won!
The Unit have two squash teams in the Rhine Area League
this season. They started the season with two friendly fixtures
against civilian clubs, namely Diisseldorf and the Common
Market squash club of Antwerp. In both fixtures mens' and
ladies' teams competed.
We congratulate the following on recent births: Corporal
and Mrs McKinnon (a daughter) and Private and Mrs Crouch
and Private and Mrs Seymour (sons).
Congratulations also on the following promotions: Sub-
stantive WOs2 Ban* and Regan, Sub Staff Sergeants Green and
Pender, Acting Corporals Bisson, Low and Robertson, and Act-
ing Lance Corporal Harvey.
Postings in: RSM Chandler, W02 Burns, Sergeants Ladley
and Scott, Lance Corporals Amankira, Gibson, Lister, Oag and
Ravenscroft, Privates Iwanciw, Noble and Rothwell.
15 Composite Ordnance Depot
VEHICLE SUB-DEPOT
MOENCHENGLADBACH
THOSE of us who cycle to work along the boundary of the
former Luftwaffe Airfield which for the past thirty years has
been used for vehicle storage are noticing dramatic changes al-
most every day. Huge spaces are appearing as the ruthless
clearance of stock gains urgency and an atmosphere of empti-
ness and desolation creeps over the landscape. Even our proud
Centurion Depot Monument has been towed away and in little
more than a week's time the Corps flag will be lowered for the
last time in front of our Depot Headquarters. For our remain-
ing peried we will be moving into the rustic and mellowing (and
crumbling) old Administration Area of Ayrshire Barracks where
among other things we will celebrate a last, and we hope
memorable, VSD Christmas.
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Book number R0247