Back to Library Journals

RAOC Gazette - page 18

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 No
Grey No
Early date 1981
Late date 1981
Transcription tation J^eto£
sat Homt
Ministry of Defence
MILITARY
OPERATIONS
NOW that BFTs are behind most of
us for another year you can almost
hear the sigh of relief throughout the
corridor. Our Supt Clk, WOl Sam
Johnston, was on leave again during
the testing period. However, he did
come in especially and passed.
He
^aid he was taking leave because it was school half term, but
we are more inclined to believe that he needed the time to
recuperate afterwards.
We say farewell this month to Lance Corporal Lynne
Grundie and offer her our sincere congratulations on her forth-
coming marriage and wish her all good fortune in the future.
Staff Sergeant Tony Townsend, Chief Clerk M04. has been
walking up and down the corridor smiling for the past week,
after being informed that he is posted to IMS Brussels in March
J am not surprised. Naturally his relief, Staff Sergeant Paul
Payne, will now be wondering is he really smiling because of
where he is going or because he is leaving Military Operations?
John Gregan from CVHQ. It should be noted that he had
already been firmly ensconsed in his office for three weeks when
the Telegraph's Service Appointments announced his assumption
of the job on 23rd November 1981. We have also said fare-
well to Captain Colin Fuller who, with his posting to Don-
ningtort, now attacks Cheltenham at weekends from the North
instead of the South West. In his place we welcome Captain
Tom Palin who arrived from RD Stirling.
Lieutenant Colonel John Dyer recently had a week bobbing
around at sea on Exercise Channel Chop. From our inshore
impressions of the weather available to him he would have
been more comfortable riding a square wheeled bike—still it
takes all sorts. Anglo-French relations have been put under
considerable strain and the whole concept of the Channel Tunnel
reviewed after Paris was subjected to a recent weekend visit by
our girls from the Registry Debbie Snape and Sue Vickery. By
their account it was a fun trip—M. Mitterand was not available
for comment.
It is generally accepted that all the civilian staff of Ord 4
play a full part in the sporting and social activities of LE(A)
but when a large green baize lined trophy cabinet appeared in
the entrance way the other week eyebrows were raised to an
all time high. Alas it was merely there for urgent repairs by
our man of ail parts Mr Doug Baker, Never mind Doug—
keep playing.
May we close by wishing everyone a Very Happy and
Prosperous New Year.
Headquarters Director General of Ordnance Services
ORD 1. We extend a belated welcome to Major Rodger Davy—
He has been with us now for some two months, and un-
mentioned—Sorry Rodger! After all that, he will be leaving us
again in May, on posting, whilst in the meanwhile keeping the
'Special Projects* workload down to a reasonable level We
welcome also to Ord la, Captain David Caldwell who has
relieved Captain Richard Rook en route to the Staff College.
Lieutenant Colonel Derek Yeats and Private Kathy Collier
WRAC have also left us, to retirement and the WRAC Depot
Guildford respectively.
SSM Colin Bawd en, our Superintending Clerk, has recently
returned from the Middle Management Development Course
only to discover, he tells me, that no-one had even noticed he
had been away i Private John Brown enjoyed the very successful
Corps Rugby Team Winter Tour of BAOR after which he also
played in the Army ' Under Twenty one ' team which defeated
Sandhurst by thirteen points to twelve; Kineton please note,
he is heading your way in April.
Directorate of Land Service Ammunition
APOLOGIES for the lack of notes last month, which is entirely
due to the fact that the usual author was away on a Sums course
at Beaconsfield (Maths and English—must be an Officer with a
future!) Having recovered from the remarkably perpendicular
(fifteen floors high) Officers Mess, he returned to the rigours
of DLSA and the worlds press. Many will have seen over
recent months the result of our press day at DLSA. Representa-
tives of the BBC. ITV and all the major newspapers descended an
us and were given a comprehensive briefing by the Director with
a small EOD display by WOl Harper. It is surprising how
journalists live up to the image of their papers. The Times
wore a Tweed suit. Deerstalker and cane. The Telegraph wore
a pinstripe and an extra two stone. The BBC wore a suit and
RAOC tie and the ITV man wore jeans and three days growth of
ORD 3. In October five stalwarts from Ord 3 went to war
with log sheets, biros, planning documents and a variety of
home comforts to man the DBD desk in the Supply Manage-
ment Operations Centre during Exercise Live Log 1—a major
UK logistic exercise involving the movement of stores, vehicles
and ammunition by road, rail, air and sea.
Two retired officers, Colonel Jack Hanion and Major
Randolph Jones, Major Philip Lawson and Major Tony Rowe,
and Captain Tony Bridges, shared this arduous duty on a
shift system fighting their way between Andover and the Opera-
tions Centre past convoys of heavily laden sixteen tenners and
with Chinooks beating the air overhead; progressing the out-
loading of the Central Depots and answering queries from
visitors and staff branches.
It was all too much for one officer who collapsed exhausted
into an armchair at Andover only to be roused by the MOD
Police in the early hours of the morning to be told that he
should be on duty sixty miles away—he thought he was on duty
tomorrow, and it was tomorrow.
ORD 4. Without wishing to offend anyone, either in particular
or in general, I reckon someone who slips down the league
table from Colonel Ord 3, to Colonel Ord 4 to Colonel Ord 5
(currently Inspector RAOC) should be looking for a new
manager! Seriously though, we wish all the best to Colonel
Tony Futrell in his new appointment and to welcome Colonel

Part of our Parachute EOD Section w i t h Staff Sergeant Keith
Praetor and Staff Sergeant Mulgrew talking to M r Peter Blake,
Minister of State for the Armed Forces at the Q M G Study Period.
W O l Harper looks on as Staff Sergeant Proctor speaks while Staff
Sergeant Hugh Mutgrew wonders what the knot in his handker-
chief is for.
289

Book number R0250a