RAOC Gazette - page 123
Image details
| Corps | RAOC |
|---|---|
| Material type | Journals |
| Book page | |
| Chapter head | |
| Chapter key | |
| Chapter number | |
| Full title | RAOC Gazette |
| Page number | |
| Publication date | 1969 |
| Real page | |
| Colour | No |
| Grey | No |
| Early date | 1969 |
| Late date | 1969 |
| Transcription |
GOC IN C's COMMENDATION ARMY CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONS THE General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Army Strategic Command has commended Major Henry Newton MofTitt, Cap- tain Peter Desmond Cheesmore and Staff Quartermaster Sergeant George Gordon Perry, all of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, for their courage and determination whilst on duty in British Honduras. CROSS COUNTRY is a sport for dedicated enthusiasts. We began this season's cross country with two of these, two poten- tially good runners, two interested runners and three press- Hanged chaps. We set our sights at the Army championships and started training in September of 1968. THE CITATION reads: — In November 1968 it became known that a store of Public Works Department blasting explosive had been left by the users at a town called Cayo in British Honduras. On 1th November 1968, Major MoffitU Captain Cheesmore and Stuff Quartermaster Sergeant Perry inspected the explosive, which they found to be Hercules sixty per cent dynamite, in an advanced stage of deterioration, being heavily contaminated with nitro-glycerine exudation, as was the floor of the storeroom. This was located in a densely populated area on the outskirts of Cayo, and was badly ventilated with an inside temperature of approximately 90° F. It was decided to move the dynamite to a site about a quarter of a mile away, where it could be exploded in safety. First the liquid nitro-giycerine had to be soaked up with cotton wool and sawdust, and then two hundred and thirty two pounds of dynamite in a dangerous state had to be packed in sawdust, and carried to the demolition site. In a\U this most hazardous operation took six hours. MAfcTA COMMANDERS COMMENDATION FOR SECTION LEADER W. WILLIE AFS SECTION LEADER W, WILLIE was awarded the Commenda- tion of the Commander British Troops Malta for the assistance he gave to the proprietor of a shop which caught fire. The citation concludes: H although off-duty at the time, Section Leader Willie's action was in the best traditions of the Army Fire Service'* The photograph shows the Section Leader receiving the congratulations of Brigadier R. E. C. Price. Photo L/CpL 5. F. Edwards* RAOC Lieutenant K, J. Darlow, 16 Parachute Heavy Drop Company, receiving the Army minor unit trophy from Major General R. H. Whitworth. The dedicated ones were Lieutenant Keith Darlow, a run- ner for Combined Services and Lance Corporal Ward, a young soldier who was soon running in the Army team. The potential runners were Private Martin Burgess and Private Jock McKay. The interested were Private Alan Hughes and Private Jimmy Owen, both ex-Junior Leaders, Those press- ganged were Staff Sergeant Ken Jerfery. Corporal Paul Ladley and Lance Corporal Ian Balsdon. A late arrival was Corporal * Tex' Roberts who volunteered to try when Corporal Ladley strained his knee. Training was done in spare time from September 1968 r until January 1969, then when work allowed, training w as done in the hour before lunch, each day. Our run of fortune started at Colchester on 15th January— the date of the Eastern District meeting. We are the only Para Brigade unit in the District and the honour of the Brigade was at stake. But, we had no need for worry. Our last man came in before the first man in the second minor unit team. We ran eight with six to count in a field of eighty runners. Five of our team were home in the first ten and our score was forty one. Lieutenant Darlow was first, Lance Corporal Ward was second and the team was minor unit cham- pion. At Bulford on 29th January we competed in the 3rd Division competition. Once again Darlow and Ward were first and second and the team won the minor unit trophy. Photo Army Public Relations CONGRATULATIONS OF THE DOS FOR MR G. F. H. MITCHELL AFS IN the February 1969 issue of THE GAZETTE was reported the award to Mr G, F, H. Mitchell, Fire Service Officer Grade I serving at Her Majesty's Dockyard, Gibraltar, of the Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct. For the Southern Command championships on 5th r February there w as a very hard hilly course at Pirbright and there were one hundred and fifty runners.—twice as many as we had encountered before. Major and minor units ran and scored together. Once again Lieutenant Darlow was the first individual. Lance Corporal Ward, in spite of a * pulled' muscle was sixth. However, our team won the minor units trophy, sixty three points ahead of the second minor unit team—the Parachute Signal Squadron. The Director of Ordnance Services has now congratulated Mr Mitchell on a further highly commendable act also in Gibraltar when, in company with others of the Dockyard Fire Brigade and Police, he was instrumental in rescuing a member pf the ship's company of HMS Rooke, from a cable car. 384 T — |
| Book number | R0238a |