RAOC Gazette - page 158
Image details
| Corps | RAOC |
|---|---|
| Material type | Journals |
| Book page | |
| Chapter head | |
| Chapter key | |
| Chapter number | |
| Full title | RAOC Gazette |
| Page number | |
| Publication date | 1981 |
| Real page | |
| Colour | Yes |
| Grey | No |
| Early date | 1981 |
| Late date | 1981 |
| Transcription |
where the GOC saw a platoon being briefed by the Adjutant. Captain King, before moving up to the ' front.' The GOC then spoke to the troops, compromising a tactical position as the woods rang with laughter! Sergeant Byrne, upon telling the GOC that he had served twenty one years, was rendered silent upon being asked " D'you think you'll like it?!" At a later stage in the morning the GOC saw the same platoon responding to an ambush mounted by the RPC Detach- ment. His only comment?—"Nobody does it that well!" Following the ambush, the same platoon executed a number of initiative tests, one of which involved carrying an assault boat over an obstacle. Judging by the number of pleas to the heavens, COD Chilwell is a stronghold of bom again Christians. From the initiative tests, the GOC moved to the Garrison Sergeants Mess to present W02 Dwight Gumbs with the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. The medal was truly ' christened' as may be seen below. Finally, the GOC attended a lunch in the Officers Mess hosted by the Commandant COD Chilwell and the Regimental Officers. The GOC expressed his satisfaction with the visit, at which point the Adjutant was seen to smile for the first time since arriving in the unit! The CAO's department spent a busy few days operating a Kit Issue Centre for reservists for the second time—the penalty for doing it so well the first time—but the response and at- tendance from the reservists was very disappointing. Never- theless. our ever-smiling QM's department (the unsung heroes of any organisation) just packed up all the un-issued clothing and returned it from whence it came and got on with their normal work. The hockey team suffered its first cup defeat of the season losing three nil to old rivals 8 Field Workshop REME in the District semi-final. Our congratulations to them and thanks for an enjoyable game—their Army player Captain Doshi Marwaha proving too good for our special marking plan. With the rundown of the Depot now in full swing, and the decision to move the majority of military personnel early rather than later, postings out will soon become too numerous to men- tion by name. As postings are shown at the back of THE GAZETTE anyway, we will not be naming our departures, but this does not detract from wishing them all every success in their new stations. However, we welcome Private Brook on transfer from the Duke of Wellington's Regiment and Private O'Mara and congratulate Staff Sergeant Brooks RAPC on his recent marriage. Vehicle Depot Ludgershall A MILESTONE in the life of this depot was the day the first Khalid tank rolled in on a transporter from ROF Leeds recently. Corporal Smith had the pleasure of driving it onto Ludgershall soil but he was strangely silent about such an experience, since the vehicle seemed to go wrong thereafter? Seriously though, we have looked forward to handling Khalid because the Depot has been very quiet (soundwise) lately, with the few Chieftain and Shir tanks within the perimeter. Another notable date was when Mr Terry Davies, SOG C-in-Charge of Storage, clocked up forty years in the Civil Service. There was a small party in a local hostelry since all Terry can remember of that first day he joined was that his OC bought him a beer. He decided to reciprocate forty years' late: of course it was not the same OC! The OC, Major John Rose, is hobbling around with a hole in his foot or so he claims. Others believe it's a ploy to avoid all those ' interesting' Tuesday and Thursday runs he instituted to get us fit. Captain Malcomn Miller has therefore taken on the mantle of the oldest runner urged on by our man of iron W02 Paddy Quinn. Private Nuttall having qualified as an AIPT is enjoying putting the under thirties through fiendish exercises designed to punish them for past excesses. We congratulate our Orderly Room Clerk, Lance Corporal Andy Thompson, and his wife Carol on the birth of their daughter Helen Joanne. We say farewell to Staff Sergeant Chris Keelor (as W02), Corporals Jimmy Littlejohn and Danny Riding and Lance Corporals Derek Cowell (who goes on promotion to Corporal) and Ian Carey, Staff Sergeant Jimmy McNee to COD Donning- ton for his last six months of service. We welcome back Lance Corporal (Scouse) Woodruff from his attachment in Northern Ireland and he is being replaced from this unit by Corporal John Stone. We also welcome the following from Ord Depot Antwerp: Staff Sergeant Kennard, Corporal Parrott, Staff Sergeant Hogg, Private Shore, and Corporal Softley from FVD Recklinghausen. Central Ammunition Depot Kineton A very quiet period at the moment with ' Offerings ' from Departments and Sport 1 ; representatives being few. It could of course be due to the pressure of work—a word not very often used in this column but one that has strong meaning here in Kineton! One wrong I can right straight away is to say an Official Welcome to our new Chief Planning Officer — Major Roger Mendham GM who came muttering to mc the other day that he had not yet seen his name in print, sorry Roger—ok now I hope! On the sporting front it has been a frustrating month for Kineton Ironsides Rugby Team with two of our four matches cancelled by our opponents, so the team is very short of match practice. The two games that were played resulted in a win over Ashchurch thirty two to twelve and a defeat by a Birming- ham University XV seven to four. The Ashchurch game was notable for the try scored by the skipper, Staff Sergeant ' Curly ' Thynne. He caught the ball from a kick-off, got past the advancing pack, beat two defenders—and it was suggested that he did it with a sidestep—to score in the corner. A referendum held after the game established that the ' sidestep' was in fact a ' stumble.' Full credit to Ashchurch for their spirited revival in the last quarter when they scored all their points and had the Ironsides defence under considerable pressure. A single penalty separated the teams in our game against a Birmingham University XV. A good open game where we failed to take advantage of our forward dominance. On the soccer scene Kineton Cavaliers are top of their Ban- bury Sunday League by two points. With only four games remaining we have high hopes of winning the league and receiving our medals from Bobby Moore, now manager of Oxford City. We are at present bidding for a place in the quarter finals of the Sunday League Cup. Wednesday soccer in the West Midland League sees us about midway. This may improve now that we have combined with 522 Company RPC to side a mixed team. This is now the same as our Sunday team and gives us valuable practice against Military sides to help us on Sundays. The team is now under new management with the arrival of Captain Nigel Rees and Sergeant Douglas APTC—the latter being a qualified FA Coach. So great things are anticipated for the future. Pride of place in the WRAC mentions this month must go to Lance Corporal McLane from the Orderly Room who recently attained an 'A' Grading on a Class 2 to 1 Clerical Course at Deepcut. She is in hospital at present and we wish her a speedy recovery in addition to our congrats on a first class course result. Another congrat goes to Lance Corporal Goldsborough WRAC on attaining ' top slot' on her course—this time a Class 2 to 1 HGV Course held in London. In WRAC sports the West Area Inter Unit Badminton results show that the Kineton girls finished as follows—the Singles runner-up — Private Thomas, Plate Winner — Lance Corporal Bowden and the same two teamed up to become the Doubles runners-up. Well done to both of them. 'A' COMPANY. The end of January saw 'A' Company on parade, this time to meet our new SATO, Major A. J. Taylor. The ' Boss,' suitably impressed by our high standard of drill and turnout was then introduced to the majority of the Company at a slightly more informal function. The Company Smoker, held in the JRC, proved to be a great success if the number of hangovers the next morning is anything to go by. Other than this life progresses uneventfully with nothing more to report other than the following: — Congratulations to Staff Sergeant ' Curly' Thynne and Irene, Sergeant Mel Lack and Sally on the birth of their sons and to Sergeant John Grant and Debbie on the birth of their daughter Lance Corporal Steve Jupp and W/Private Tina Campbell on their recent marriage to one another. Best wishes go with Sergeant Brian Regester and Corporal Alan Buckley who have both left for Cyprus. Finally, we have some new arrivals to welcome: Corporal Burt Heath, Lance Corporal Steve Gibbons and Private Bill Hill. — 373 — |
| Book number | R0404a |