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RAOC Gazette - page 20

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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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Early date 1981
Late date 1981
Transcription •e doing sterling work with the rest of the team ensuring that
x expertise is passed on. Control Section is currently without
iajor John Hortop who is assisting with the competitors in
:i L > Lombard RAC Rally. Also from this section comes the
news that Corporal Joe Peacock was married on 3(Hh October
10 Jean and we wish them the best of luck in the future.
Finally, a thought in the musical theme. It was heard said
recently that Lieutenant Colonel Dai Davies has done for guitar
playing what CyriJ Smith did for hang-gliding. Personally, sir,
I don't agree.
Training Centre
HEADQUARTERS
DING, DONG
' And so another Monday dawns in G
branch of Headquarters RAOC Training Centre, Sergeant Kevin
Mills, sleep-ringed eyes and shaking lingers, staggers in after a
hectic weekend of sorting and preparing orders from what has
been a mammoth delivery by that famous firm of cosmetic
con-men.
* Grunge' eyeliner, * Slobbo ' wrinkle-remover,
'Poofter' powder and * Slimo * face-pack; piles upon pile of
cosmetic wizardry expressly designed to beautify the ladies
of Blackdown. Will he sell it all? Will he transform our female
population into walking Miss Worlds or will he have to offload
•he lot onto v Barney, 1 the GSOZ's dog? Will work interfere with
lis God-given tack of dispensing beauty and light throughout this
iost corner of the world? Phone him—Blackdown 540—' Ding,
T
Dong
Posting Orders have arrived (bless you Major Anderson)!
Corporal John Hanley, an expert on possums and badgers,
joined us in November on probation from I R Hamps. He
replaces Sergeant Dave French who will now be getting his
knees and his crown brown in South Africa. W02 George
Leiper will now be making the best of his last few days of
LOA at NORTHAG before arriving next month to replace WOl
Bob Le Vaillant who has already been down to the Thrift Shop
to buy a suit in preparation for becoming (again) a * White-
hall Warrior* Corporal Steve Geary, selected for Sergeant,
expects to be off to Plymouth and Commando Training by Spring
and Corporal John Legg will now be in Fallingbostel trying to
remember what a Sup Spec does—thanks for all your hard
work John and best wishes for a successful tour.
SCHOOL OF
ORDNANCE
THE mists of Autumn beset the gleaming
rff^—^ZXT"—^tTh
spires of Blackdown and the Michaelmas
^TZZ
Term is in full spate at the School. Tn
ta ^*^
^_ - ^ ^ ^
this term dons' minds turn to matters
^^—«. —^ BMB »
social. We said goodbye to our Vice
l_^—„^—^-Jl
Chancellor, Brigadier Ray Thornton, with
>-• •
A
1 the now traditional Regimental Breakfast.
The Officers Club Dinner heard the choir
of the Senior Common Room perform their art. Their be-
gowned appearance was immaculate. Their singing, it has been
suggested, needs the attention of our neighbouring music faculty.
Our beloved bursar Brigadier Bob Persson leaves and we
welcome Colonel Dick Kelsey to take his place. Meanwhile the
Master moves from the old Master's Lodge to more palatial
surrounds.
And our world is somehow turned upside down. Manage-
ment Wing provides logistic back-up for theatricals managed by
Logistic Wing. Logistic Wing provides management for Manage-
ment Wing's logistic support. Our professor of Logistics Lieu-
tenant Colonel Ian Bradley is now teaching Applied Drama,
while Lieutenant Colonel Bob Cannons applies his manage-
ment skill to hammer and paint brush. And Turner still can't get
his lines right. So much for Academe.
Congratulations are due to Major Henry Lucas, Staff
Sergeant Bob Hughes and their boys for their efforts in making
;he QMGs Conference, at Blackdown, a success. Congratulations.
also to Sergeant John Watton and Captain Peter Claughton
who represented the Corps in the recent Rugby Tour of BAOR.
Welcome to the School and to England Corporal John
Aldridge and his new bride Josefhina. John has come from
Hong Kong and Josefhina from the Philippines. Welcome also
Tracey Tree the typist.
There is honey still for the tea
TRAINING
BATTALION
AND DEPOT
ADMINISTRATION
COMPANY.
This is the first ' offering'
n a new format and it coincides with my arrival after spending
iwo and a half years scribing in my previous unit and just when
I thought I was going to have a rest from it—never mind.
The timing of this particular letter also coincides with the
change in stature of the WRAC Company into a WRAC
Platoon—the result of an I of E visit! and that platoon becoming
W 2 Ron Chapman from the Corps Mobile Display Team receiving
his Long Service and Good Conduct Medal From Brigadier J* A .
Turner ar Deepcur.
an integral part of Admin Company—so its ladies first in the
mentions.
The South East District WRAC Netball League has started
again. b 'Oh No!", come the shouts, " N o t more sport!",
But this time, the WRAC Platoon have strung together a
team from the very few girls we have here. Mind you, with *
most of the girls having illnesses eg; strained ankles and
knees* ingrown toenails being taken off and numerous other
things, we are very lucky to have scraped a team together.
The first game, which was against Beaconsfield, really gave
them confidence and boosted their morale because they won
sixteen goals to ten. Spirits were high that night but not so
the next week because they played that oh! so formidable team—
Guildford. Team spirits were low as they nibbled at the op-
positions kneecaps trying desperately to catch sight of the ball
being flung from one end of the gym to the other.
Finally they managed to get the ball and low and behold
a goal! The supporters went wild and so did the team. Two
more goals were scored but it was no match against the forty five
goals of the other side!
^ Never mind girls," said our coach/PTI/ umpire /player
Lance Corporal Gray, " We'll do better next time—hopefully."
Pride of place for the male mentions must go to the Lord
Mayors Show contingent who did so splendidly in this annual
event held in London. Congratulations are offered here to those
members of Admin Company who took part. It was a great
pity, that the BBC—who televised the procession—couldn't have
delayed screening the weather forecast for a couple of minutes
more to enable the RAOC contingent to be seen nationwide.
The same party also formed part of the Remembrance
Day Parade and at the time of writing are busy rehearsing for
the Closure of Chilwell Parade.
Golf is a topic of conversation among the male officers in
the Company and the leading L bandit * at the present time is
Captain Wally Hampton who over the past couple of weeks, has
managed to incur the wrath of the other two by emerging
victorious, not so much by his good play but more by the bad
play of the opposition!
The CSM—W02 Gerry Greenaway can be seen religiously
attending the twice weekly ' compulsory' PT sessions but alas
the supporting cast gets less and less; at the last count it was him
and Corporal Ken Thornhill!
Arrivals and departures for this month are confined to
WRAC with a hail to Lance Corporal Wendy Jones from MOD
and farewell to Private Maxine Hewitt to 29 Company WRAC
and to Private Lynn Cook who has taken discharge prior to
marriage,
TRAINING COMPANY.
The onset of winter has witnessed the
departure of the higher echelons of Training Company amongst
both the officers and the NCOs.
These departures were ceremoniously dealt with at a
— 291 —
Book number R0250a