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RAOC Gazette - page 216

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Full title RAOC Gazette
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Publication date 1981
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Early date 1981
Late date 1981
Transcription very grateful. Now, have you got anything planned for next
Thursday morning? I can run you down to Soo Kun Poo
and
An addition to a family. What better way of starting off
this month's input to the magazine. Despite being quote—
always shattered when I get home unquote, Corporal Mick
Shepherd from the Anti Illegal Immigrant Control Centre must
have had access to hidden reserves of energy as his wife Ruth
presented him with a baby boy at the BMH Hong Kong. There
was talk, I believe, of naming their addition after the last two
male immigants who reached Hong Kong before the ' touch
base' policy ended, but after Mick had sobered up, they named
their son Emlyn Ian (after Hughes and Callaghan respectively).
Congratulations to you both from all in HQBF. I knew that
Mick's new contact lenses would make a difference!
Now for a departure and an arrival. The A branch clerk
WRAC Sergeant Jeannie Hoggan left last month to join MVEE
Chertsey. We wish you all the best Jeannie, Lang may yer lum
reek (or words to that effect). To occupy the vacant chair
WRAC (Wo) Manning and Records have sent us an equally at-
tractive young lady, Sergeant Pauline Power. Unfortunately,
for Pauline, her RAOC Driver husband is still in UK, but un-
welcome attention is being diverted with the rumour that he is
approximately six feet twelve inches tall! Welcome to Hong
Kong Pauline, we hope you enjoy (as much as you can) your
stay with us.
If I may, I would like to close these notes with a little
story.
Once upon a time, not a million miles from HMS Tamar,
a man who shall remain nameless bought a pack of five audio
cassettes. As a special offer, he was also given a free package,
identical with the cassettes he had purchased, except that it was
slightly smaller. Despite being a technical man, he was slightly
non-plussed over this and decided to seek further technical ad-
vice in the form of CREME. Unfortunately, CREME was not
in his office but the puzzled purchaser noticed that the author
of these notes was in conversation with CREME's Chief Clerk.
Working on the principle that he had nothing to lose, he ap-
proached the two of us and presented his question, to whit, why
was the free cassette smaller than the five he had purchased?
Receiving blank stares, he decided to put his Sandhurst and
Blackdown training into practice and ripped off the cellophane
covering his free gift, to discover that his free ' cassette' was
a pack of playing cards promoting the firm that makes the
cassettes! Far be it from me to divulge the name of the puzzled
purchaser (I did mention above that he shall remain nameless),
but the CRAOC insists that he knew all the time it was a pack
of cards and just wanted to know if we could figure it out too.
I believe him. If you were in my position, wouldn't you?
M r Charm Cheung receives his testimonial for long and meritorious
service in Hong Kong.
Composite Ordnance Depot Hong Kong
AMMO SUB-DEPOT. A relatively quiet month for the ASD
with the local Du Pont factory not producing explosives for a
period over Chinese New Year.
Captain Don Mayne has gone off to New Zealand for six
weeks on exercise Kauri Pine as Administration Officer for a
group of QO' Hldrs. W02 John Knight escaped to Singa-
pore and Penang but had to give himself up after two weeks .
of leave scheme.
Corporal MacDonagh returned after successfully completing
his upgrading course and on the sporting side, WOl Frank
Lawrence and Sergeant Willie Morton continue to represent
British Forces Hong Kong in their respective sports of rugby and
soccer.
STORES GROUP.
Staff Sergeant Charlie Orr writes—This
months Notes from the Stores Group starts with a big con-
gratulation to two of our civilian workers employed within the
group on accommodation stores, both of whom received the
Commander British Forces Testimonial, for Long and Meri-
torious Services. They are Mr Au Shui Hoi Storekeeper I and
Mr Charm Cheung SKII, between them they have worked for
the British Forces for fifty seven years. Well done boys!
Our next congratulation goes to Sergeant Pete Ingham who
successfully completed the Hong Kong Marathon accompanied
by W02 Lex Mootoo from the ICP, both ably assisted by W02
Paul Hughes (on a bicycle) and Staff Sergeant Keith ' New
Zealand RAOC' who was always around with sponge and
drinks; the course covered twenty six miles. Both Pete and Lex
are still hard at training to compete in the Coast of China
Marathon over hilly terrain. As if the above is not enough
exercise Pete is planning to use his dis-embarkation leave walk-
ing from Lands End to John O Groats, best of luck Pete.
The Group's Little Walk on the ' Mack' trail ' Exercise

421
Happy Hike' covered a distance of sixty two miles over rugged
hilly terrain has now been completed. There were a few com-
ments from the lads on completion like: " That was great
Let's do it again sometime in about ten years " and " Oh! my
sore feet, anyone got a bandage?" but the success rate was quite
good approximately ninety two per cent of those who started
finished the whole distance.
A special mention to Sergeant Zak Fazackerley who has
invented a novel way of erecting the Aussy lightweight tent,
upside down, after the first night sleeping out. Zack decided
he would erect the tent like everyone else for the second/last
night sleep out. Certificates will be presented to all those who
completed the hike.
Certain members of the Unit (several from this group)
are flying out on an adventure training exercise called ' Jungle
Heights' taking place in the Jungle and Mountain areas of
Brunei (more walking and camping out). The exercise will be
over two weeks; more about this when it's over and those taking
part are safely back in unit.
DEPOT PLANNING.
WOl Les Porter having just completed
a study of the ASD has now found himself carrying out a study
of all personnel as Unit Census Officer for the Hong Kong
Census.
WOl Ian Powell found time to run the Combined Services
Annual Golf Championships in which he won the scratch com-
petition. (Last year's organiser also won the ' scratch' so
perhaps ' perks for the organiser' has some truth in it)
Captain Mick Priestley must be congratulated on his plan-
ning for his daughter's wedding in the UK. He sent his wife to
UK in advance to organise everything and then arrived just in
time for the wedding. Our best wishes to Debbie and her
husband.
THE REST. Achievements in sport were shadowed by the Unit'
Hockey Team's tremendous. success as Minor Units Cham-
pions 1981 and winners of the Ben Line Trophy. A treble is in
the offering with the team currently heading the league table.
Our congratulations to Major Ahearne, WOl Roberts, W02
Rogers, Sergeants Baxter and Blake, Corporal Gaughan and the
AD Police members on their outstanding achievement.
The annual soccer match betwen the unit and the visit-
ing QE2 side was a hard fought match with the QE2 side win-
ning by one goal to nil.
Congratulations this month go to: Staff Sergeant Mick
Paling on his substantive promotion, Staff Sergeant Stu Veazey
and Corporal John Chapman on their new family additions.
Mothers and children are fine.
Arrivals: Captain Duff, Staff Sergeant Standen and family,
Staff Sergeant Smith and family. Departures: Captain Wilcox
and family and bon voyage.
Book number R0404a