RAOC Gazette - page 270
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 |
ol these is that a total of twelve different nationalities are being fed by the depot; this must be a record. They comprise British, American, Danish, Canadian, Swedish, Austrian, Nepalese, Nigerian, French, Norwegian, Togoan and Senegalese troops. The Unit club, *The Suppliers Arms,' suitably camouflaged as an onion store, has just been made official after some ten (fifteen?) years. Perhaps a reader remembers its founding and would let us know? RAOC AKROTIRI. The Unit cricketers inspired by the leadership of Staff Sergeant Taff Davies and the runs from Sergeant Ian Beedham and Captain John Vickers finished the season on a high note by winning the RAF Akrotiri Station Commander's Cup and the league final. Sergeant Don Pearson arranged an excellent social evening for the night after the Cyprus Walkabout so confident was he of success. Guests of honour were the 3rd Royal Anglian win- ning team but, and despite the results not turning out quite as he expected, spirits were not diminished in any way and everyone enjoyed it immensely. The occasion was used to inform Staff Sergeant Dave London and Acting W02 Taff Collins of their substantive promotion to W02, and few will forget the look on their faces when their good fortune was announced during the disco! HEADQUARTERS RAOC CYPRUS. For most sports RAOC Dhekelia, RAOC Akrotiri and Headquarters RAOC, at Episkopi combine to produce teams because of our lack of numbers. These are entered in competitions as Headquarters RAOC. The RAOC Cyprus football team. Football team manager, Corporal Keith Cammack, has pro- duced a team capable of challenging the major Units in the Western Sovereign Base Areas. One of our stars, Sergeant Tom Goodwin, has just been admitted to hospital with a broken ankle but not before helping us to victory over the 9/12 Lancers, E Battery 1 RHA, 12 Signals Unit RAF and 1 QLR. The opening Cross Country league race produced a con- vincing win for RAOC. Staff Sergeant Bill O'Flaherty snowed the way by coming second and was well supported by Corporal Dave Franklin, Sergeants Don Pearson and Trevor Edge, who came fifth, ninth and tenth respectively. The team was second overall last season and hopes to better that this time. The Dhekelia Dash, a relay for teams of fifteen with each runner covering approximately one mile, runs from Ayios Nikolaos to Dhekelia, It was organised once again by the Supply Depot with a field of twenty nine teams. Major Tony Swift and his staff gave every assistance to the teams and were praised by the Air Onicer Commanding Cyprus, who was him- self a competitor, for their excellent administration. Our own team finished sixth thanks to the efforts of our cross country stars including Corporal Dave Davies who ran a very strong first leg and Sergeant Ken Allen who flew over the anchor leg. The final word on running in Cyprus must concern this year's Walkabout competition. Three RAOC Cyprus teams competed and as already men- tioned, earned distinction. Only the B team finished as a team and they achieved a very creditable seventh place which put them well up amongst the infantry. Two of them, Sergeant Tony O'Connor and Private Bill Black have since returned to UK on posting but hope to be back to compete next year. The third member, Staff Sergeant Dave Holvey, should still be around to combine with Sergeant Ken Allen who completed the course as a member of a composite team. Another RAOC officer competing for the Hash House Harriers, was Major David Berridge whose team set out to complete the Walkabout, as the name suggests, by walking. They did so with panache and managed to come in twentieth and all credit is due to him for his determination. Lack of numbers precludes putting out our own rugby team so it was particularly gratifying to see so much RAOC participation in the Episkopi fifteen a side knockout tournament at the beginning of the season. W02 Taff Collins helped organise this event in which teams played for ten minutes each way. We had representation in three out of eight teams; Cap- tain Mike Murphy played for Episkopi ' B/ Corporal Tom Mayoh for Akrotiri ' B * and Staff Sergeant Taff Davies, Staff Sergeant Jack Leek, Corporal Ian Zycinski and Lance Corporal Alan Woodruff helped the currently invincible Akrotiri ^V team, the Flamingoes, to a hard won victory. Although not exactly a member of RAOC Cyprus, Briony Mathams, daughter of the CRAOC riding for Episkopi in the All Island Horse Show, achieved success and honours for her club by winning the Senior Novice Cross Country event, second prize in Show Jumping and carried off the Combined Event Winners Cup with a creditable forty three penalty points in the three events which included the Prix Caprilli. In an excellent production of HMS Pinafore at the Epis- kopi Theatre Club, Mary Haden took the part of Josephine the Captain's daughter and Phillipa Perry, little Buttercup. These two talented ladies are wives of Major Peter Haden and Corporal Perry respectively. Both were lead singers and gave faultless performances. The production team included Corporal Graham Toze and June Ridout who although having very strong RAP affiliations works in Headquarters RAOC. A combined RAOC Cyprus and RAOC TAVR exercise was held in the most remote training area on the island. Akamas is so isolated that no buildings have been installed there by the military to avoid theft and all stores have to be taken in by the Unit on exercise. Our exercise was called Ord Win gate. Private Paul Tunski was the camp chef assisted by sous-chefs Sergeant Mick Sharkey and Corporal Graham Toze. The food was so good that they had to spoil it a little whenever visitors were present so as not to jeopardise the field conditions claims. Staff Sergeant Smudge Smith had a narrow escape, and vastly modified career prospects, while taking sentries out prior to field firing. His Land Rover which had been ' borrowed' for the exercise was in fact Major General Taylor, Commander British Forces Cyprus* s, command vehicle and he managed to arrange for it to hang over a cliff when the dirt road on which he was travelling collapsed. WOl Keith Adams, the exercise safety officer, helped him to tie it down with ropes until RE ME recovery arrived. At the end of the exercise CRAOC, Lieutenant Colonel Mike Mathams, presented a Territorial Efficiency Medal to Sergeant John Doherty. The co-operation between regulars and volunteers was universally acclaimed and all in Cyprus will welcome future camps. A very well attended officers dinner dined out Major Roger Thomas, Major Ray Vincent, Captain Geoff Atherton and Cap- tain Brian Smith at the Bunch of Grapes, Pissouri. The meal of ten courses including wine worked out at less than two pounds sterling per head! Arrivals: Major Tony Swift, Captain Les Jordan, WOl Keith Adams, Sergeants Ton Cradleton and Ron Markley, Corporals Mitch Mitchell and Paddy Sweeney, Lance Corporal Jed Stone and Private Ken Daniels, Headquarters Land Forces Cyprus THE main news this month, must of course, be the Cyprus Walkabout 78. The Walkabout which is an annual event at- tracting teams from Cyprus and overseas, follows the general pattern of a senior cross country orienteering competition for a team of three. The aim is to provide a very good test of team work and physical endurance combined with map reading skills of a high standard. The course covers a distance of sixty miles —from Episkopi to Troodos on day one which must be com- pleted within a time of twelve hours and the return journey to Episkopi on day two again within a time of twelve hours. On both stages competitors must pass through five check- points. This year there were over eighty teams started but the exceptional heat on the first day soon took its toll and at the end of the day only some forty five teams succeeded in getting to Troodos, After a nights rest at Troodos the remaining 222 — T |
| Book number | R0247 |