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RAOC Gazette - page 126

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Corps RAOC
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Full title RAOC Gazette
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Publication date 1981
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Colour Yes
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Early date 1981
Late date 1981
Transcription 3rd Armoured Division
A
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Lance Corporals Rowland and Bolden w i t h Private Duffield and
assisted by Stephen M a r t i n , on the sponsored Earthquake Disaster
Fund run.
Welcome also to Corporal Eric Davies from Cyprus. Farewell
to Lieutenant Cable (on promotion despite everything), Staff
Sergeant and Mrs Mick Gannon, Sergeant and Mrs Alan Carter,
Sergeant and Mrs Stan Glover and Private Barry Dobson.
STORES PLATOON 15 FIELD WORKSHOP
OUR main event has been Exercise Cold Comfort. Despite the
Moratorium the OC Workshop managed to get permission for
the Workshop to venture out into the field. Needless to say
all members of the Stores Platoon were thrilled! The exercise
was part of the handover programme of the OC Workshop so
we had two big chiefs chasing us, where one is usually more than
enough.
Lance Corporal Steve Walker got us off to a bright start
by not being able to get his Bedford out of neutral on the move
from camp, Sid Rutter turned into a block of ice on the Eager
Beaver, Staff Sergeant Roger Blackwood didn't get a call on
the Active Edge which preceded the exercise and Private Mick
Callaghan was awarded a special booby prize for filling his
Land Rover tanks with kerosene! Luckily no harm was done.
All in all the exercise went well although we all envied
Corporal Joe Leatherbarrow and Lance Corporal Paul Cart-
wright who missed it through education courses. We welcome
Lance Corporal John Wilson who arrived at the end of January
from Northern Ireland via a somewhat roundabout route. We
also say farewell to Lance Corporal Pat Doherty who due to
Snow Queen, leave and courses we will hardly see again until
May. Was it something we said? Corporal Chippy Wood has
managed to wriggle off RPC1 again, he has a posting to Northern
Ireland instead, but we finally managed to get Private Scooter
Foye off to Antwerp for a driving course. Those proceeding
to Zeebrugge from BAOR are advised to bypass Antwerp for
their own safety.
We congratulate Corporal Tom Povey on the award of his
Long Service and Good Conduct Medal by Brigadier Helmsley
(Commander 5 Field Force) and we are all ready to congratulate
Lance Corporal Martin Stevens on passing HGV3. The un-
predictability of German bus drivers ruined Martin's first at-
tempt but we are all confident he will get it next time. We
must also congratulate Corporal Brian Low on completing a
week without getting caught by our OC Lieutenant Simon Hall
doing something wrong!
Staff Sergeant Benny Gorbould is off to Bracht and Lance
Corporal Stan Preston off to Cyprus, at least that's what they
keep hoping, no doubt Records will soon shatter their illusions
with posting orders; Private Paul Tonks is crossing off the days
to his wedding; Private Steve Richardson is ' bristling' with
enthusiasm over his new haircut and Private Mark Harvey has
at last won the RQMS sweepstake and got himself a new pair
of boots!
You will notice there is no mention of football this month,
after last weeks cup results it is a forbidden subject!
ORDNANCE
COMPANY
A VERY hectic festive season ushered the
company into the New Year, an un-
expected bonus being the addition of a
compulsory stand-down to enhance the
block leave period, with all company
personnel enjoying a well earned rest.
The traditional festive season activities
were accompanied by additional unit
functions including visits to Winterberg, a car rally and treasure
hunt and culminating in the junior ranks versus SNCOs and
Officers drag football match. A keenly disputed shambles, in
which Major Baz Dickson, Staff Sergeant Alan Schiller and
Lance Corporal Pat Fleming vied for ' loose lady of the year,'
resulting in a narrow victory by the troops.
A dearth of sport during the period, owing to the grim
weather conditions. PC and A Platoon are reportedly engaged
in furtive squash training sessions in readiness to avenge their
shock defeat at the hands of the Storehouse Platoon. Captain
Gerd Inlow, W02 Alan Carroll and Sergeant Ray Northcott
are meanwhile^still avoiding the subject! Exercise Snow Queen
saw a large proportion of the Company sampling the delights of
Bavaria during January, whilst Lieutenants Lovat Brownlee and
Ray Tindle have taken the unit ski team to the Divisional meet
after some arduous training in Norway.
A fairly stable period in which we now begin the build-up
to the winter inspections cycle and the re-commencement of
Company training in February. Reinforcements continue to pour
in and we welcome: Captain Gary Hawthorne, Staff Sergeant
Livesey, Sergeants Robinson RAPC, Sergeant Woolacott ACC,
Lance Corporals Hoare, Lavender, Privates Pierce, Bromlwey,
Whopples and Cooper.
Goodbyes and best wishes on departure to Lieutenant
Graeme Morrison, CSM Tandy, Staff Sergeants Lee and Povey,
Sergeant Houlette ACC, Sergeant McCarron RAPC, Corporal
Thompson, Lance Corporals Duffy, Gibbons, Hynd, Robertson,
Privates Kearney, Stevens, Rowan and Shearin. Best of luck to
Corporal Short and Lance Corporal Sneyd who have opted for
green berets.
Congratulations to Roy and Alice Carr and Mark and
Martina Bennett on the births of their son and daughter
respectively, Corporal Mellor on promotion and Lance Corporal
Turner home, upgraded from II to I.
86 SUPPLY DEPOT
STAFF SERGEANT MICK MULLARKEY returned to work
after the break with two broken toes, his explanation that he
fell down the stairs of his home is not entirely believed, as
Corporal Brian Bolton insists that he saw Mick drop a buffet
plate onto his foot during our OC's Christmas drinks party. If
readers have ever seen Mick having a ' snack' they will know
the weight involved.
Our CQMS, Staff Sergeant Brian Scribbins, so enjoyed
being Santa Claus at the Unit Childrens Christmas Party that
he did it again on Christmas Eve for children in the quarters at
Camp 7. Charging a nominal fee of DM1 per child, Brian
managed to raise the sum of £29.77 which he sent to the ' Blue
Peter Appeal.' A very praiseworthy effort which was entirely
of his own volition.
Finally, we have to say a sad farewell to WOl Alan Brant,
the AOWO Corps Troops. Alan is leaving Dortmund for UK
on commissioning. It would not be an overstatement to say that
Alan is one of the most respected and well liked persons in the
Army today. We sincerely wish him and his family all the best
for the future.
4 t h Armoured Division
1
HEADQUARTERS
RAOC
^^•|^^
A FEW farewells and welcomes are in
^ ^ H ^ ^ ^
order, to W 2 Tom Tait on his posting to
^^^f^^^L
7 Field Force (congratulations on your
^^^•^^^B
promotion), Sergeant Knight on his way to
WAVAVAVf
the Field Ambulance at Minden. We wel-
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ V
come to the fold W02 Tom Burke who
^ ^ t ^ r
joins us as assistant DOWO to WOl John
J Witter.
Private Wurzel Briddon has now left us
for a six month detachment with the front line soldiers of the
Ordnance Company
Keep on trucking!
Congratulations to Corporals Luke O'Neill and Don
Bennett on passing their EPC. We wish the S02 Sup (Coord)/
Adjutant, Captain John Campbell, success with his PQS 2
exams and hope he's not studying ' t o o ' much!
KEEP IN TOUCH W I T H THE CORPS
THROUGH THE RAOC ASSOCIATION
— 347
Book number R0404a