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RAOC Gazette - page 197

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Publication date 1979
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Early date 1979
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Transcription Corpora! 1 Harry Hay. Harry is leaving us for the * Streets of
London (MOD), Our own ex-Artilleryman Lance Corporal
Bob Bland has once again had an accident by dropping a One
Arm Bandit on his foot, but he is still on exercise. I can hear
you saying, what about Corporal Dave Latham? Well he is alive
and well, we hope, doing an RPCI Course in Dulmen. Once he
returns we will keep him locked up in the Ops Cell.
that be CC RAOC!) Brigadier Bill Whalley and his wife
Mary spent a few weeks in Johannesburg, South Africa with
their daughter and returned the weekend the exercise ended
looking very suntanned and healthy, (while the rest of us looked
tired, wet and mucky). Captain David Griffiths unfortunately
managed to break his leg whilst sledging down a hill, really \
It is thought he may be trying to work his ticket. Is Sergeant
Graham Orszewski an American because he always manages to
join the war later than the rest of us,
Points of interest during Exercise White x, Private Andy
(Blathers) Blatherwtck has a penchant for pickled eggs, which
he eats seven at a time, this habit apparently enables him to
defy gravity. This was proven when he managed to scale a
ladder into a hay loft carrying a tray of coffee in one hand with-
out spilling a drop. We leave you with a thought or two:
Major John Regan likes wet things. Will Fletches Dung ever
replace Fullers Earth? Who is going to organise the classified
library on the next exercise, and have you ever seen a tree pull
a medium recovery vehicle, a four ton bedford Rl and a
4 Bedford MK out of a swamp at three o'clock in the morn-
ing? Well we have.
THE g £ r s
4CE
ON / /
'/
1st Armoured Division
HEADQUARTERS RA OC
CANVASSING members of this illustrious
establishment for contributions is a waste
of time as they all want a mention by name
only. To satisfy the chief offenders one
must also mention that the winter hiber-
nation period is over and the bi weekly
branch runs are again in favour. Notice-
able absentees: S02 Mats Major Miles
Greenhalgh, DOWO WOl Conductor Fred
Maskery, ADOWO WOZ Pete Roberts (and nearly forgot), S02
Combat Supplies Major John Hammond. OK fellers!—you
got your mention. Vm still trying to convince our young
typists to join me on our runs through the woods but as yet
no takers.
We are now entering our fourth month of having the
painters in, much to the chagrin of Major Roger Forrest who
again finds his office is the corridor. However, he does manage
to get away from it all now that he's got a new assistant (not
Hugo).
It has been established that our new Adjutant Captain
Cross is going to stay after all. However, as he's already been
shipped off on exercise with an assistant (Sergeant Len Wright-
son), I'm living with the fear that on their eventual return they
both will PVR to manage Newcastle United.
We would like to welcome Major Jerry Baines as our new
2IC/S02 BKS, Been with us two whole days and caned for
his Lotto Totto money by PFC Arnold Mett already. We hope
you have an enjoyable non expensive tour in Headquarters
RAOC Sir. Also welcome to new typists Jackie Snaith and
Margaret Patterson (see you on the runs girls along with Jane
Cowe our third typist who also has yet to break her duck).
Advance farewells to Major Roger Forrest his wife Ruth
(and Hugo) who leave next week for Cyprus. Also to Private
Luigi Serbatoio who has gone to Soltau. Our best wishes on
your postings and here's hoping we meet again in the future.
Staff Sergeant Jim Robertson, our MS expert, has once
again returned from leave, in time to make out a new leave
pass for April, and is in situ in his little * cubby hole.' Private
OUie Edwards has departed this location to join the RDC. Note
for Records: A certain Staff Sergeant is waiting for a Posting
Order, somewhere like the Bahamas or failing that, only you
know where.
We send our fondest farewells to Corporal and Mrs Hay
and hope they have a good tour in UK.
G BRANCH
BY the time this article gets to the press we will have had a
number of changes within the Branch. Sergeant Dave Craze
will have left us for the wilds of Artillery Division at Bielefeld
and Lance Corporal Harry Leadbetter will be serving with the
* Green Mafia * at Sennelager. To them both we say farewell
and wish them all the best in their new appointments.
We welcome aboard the replacement Operations Sergeant
and Training Clerk, Sergeant Jim McGee and Lance Corporal
Steve Turner, respectively, and hope they enjoy their tour
with us.
Staff Sergeant Vic Greenwood is still directing operations
in G Branch and working on the Int/SD/Ops Desks in the
frequent absences 1 (leave, courses, football, rugby etc) of the
' Corporals Three, Kenny Campbell, John Ravenall and Martin
Meighan,
AQ BRANCH
PRIVATE BILL MUSSON has recently joined the Branch from
the RDC. He is currently employed in the Maint Cell of AQ
Branch. W02 Colin Longstaff is getting the AQ boat to move
in the direction that he wants. Private Nig Even den is now the
Divisional Headquarters Discipline King. Lance Corporal Trev
Savory has also moved to Maint and is taking over from
ORDNANCE COMPANY
WHEN your feet are like lead
(And so is your head)
And your temper is simply infernal
And you suffer the strife
To an inch of your life
Remarks on this fact are stated in this journal. This in
praise of our gallant Unit boxing team who although heavily
defeated and outclassed in the BAOR Minor Units boxing finals
by 10 Support Squadron RE showed that courage is a basic
requirement for a boxer.
This last month has seen a lot of snow falling and the In-
evitable snow clearance. The clearance came alas too late foT
our cross country runners who with one competition to go and
one point behind Hohne Garrison in the 1 Division Minor
Units Competition were champing at the bit but alas the run
was cancelled due to snow! Condolences lads there is always
next year, but take heart from our football team who have
reached the final of the BAOR Minor Units Competition with
an excellent win over 1 (BR) Corps Troops Workshop. This
match was not one for the faint hearted. Trailing by four goals
to one and twenty minutes left the tide was stemmed by
Corporal Ginge Ferrier whose goal rallied the team—" Gad Sir
'twas a close run thing." Congratulations are also in order for
Sergeant Hymers our ACC NCO, who won the 1 Armoured
Division senior individual cookery competition.
Another close run thing is the competition between our
driving instructors who under the evil eye of Staff Sergeant
Dennis Ahern are putting the Company through—dare I say it
—a crash course in driver upgrading,
So all in all it has been a busy month and one for fare-
wells, as Sergeant Hodgson has left us for Cyprus, Corporal
Henry and Private Falconer to Verden with Bam Bam Austin
to Benbecula and Private Fitzgibbon to civvy street.
We extend a hearty welcome to Sergeant Berry, Corporal
Meigh, Lance Corporals Litchfield and Patterson as well as
good luck to Private Edwards who arrived, left after a days
scrutiny of the Unit and got married—come back lad was it
something we said'?
378 —
Book number R0247a