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RAOC Gazette - page 83

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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
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Transcription more of \StallV His enthusiasm and experience will be missed.
We welcome his replacement W02 Curtis, who moves a short
distance from 5 Held Ordnance Company.
Apart from the socialising, work continues in earnest. In
preparation for a forthcoming exercise the platoon deployed
to practise convoy drills and tactical procedures.
By the
smiling faces everyone seemed to enjoy the exercise. It certainly
was a success. The main thing was that Corporal Pelting the
O C s driver managed to negotiate the gearbox.
The platoon has had the usual high pass rate on Courses.
Lance Corporal Tonks, Privates Jnnes and Foye are all con-
gratulated in passing their RPC2. Lance Corporal McArler at
present is in serious training for his pre-advanced PTl course.
We wish him the best of Luck.
3rd Armoured Division
HEADQUARTERS
RAOC
AT the time of writing, we are well into
the * silly season." It kicked off with the
Annual Sergeants Mess Christmas Draw
held in a superb German School Hall in
Soest. A good night was had by all with
the DOWO, WO I George Hendley and
Sergeant Mac Lindley managing to win
prizes.
Before we managed to catch our breath the day dawned all
too quickly for the Arduous Training in the Arnsburger Wald
for Division Headquarters staff, which involved a seven and a
half mile march in the snow with full kit, building a Basher,
cooking a meal with the intention of doing a four mile night
navigation march, but due to adverse weather conditions had
to be cancelled. Instead we had our march back to the
transport cut to five miles in some of the most appalling weather
conditions—more akin to Norway.
Yet another party was organised, this time by Headquarters
REME. for the annual ORD/EME Christmas drinks with some
of the participants extending the party to a local hostelry.
Finally we extend a warm welcome to W02 Dai Green
and bid bon voyage to Lance Corporal Simon England and Mrs
Doreen Foster who has decided to put her feet up for a
couple of months before departing for the flesh pots of London
with her husband.
always on or going on recce at every NBC Red Alert, it j s
believed that the local cafe owner in the area knew the trio
very well!
Most nights were spent in large German barns and hot and
cold water was obtained at most locations. The OC. Major
Stephen Roberts, was particularly pleased by the efforts of
Corporal Roger Ball in finding and organising baths for him
they were mainly found by frequenting the local Gasthouses—!
with official permission of course.
During the exercice the Company attempted to make friends
with the locals. Non more so than Lance Corporal 'Choggy*
Pearce who insisted upon feeding the local dogs — the only
problem was, he fed himself to them. After going through
the course of injections he may now have to undergo six months
quarantine when returning to the UK.
During November the storehouse, MT and QM started a
reorganisation programme.
The storehouse is now being
organised into packets and each packet will become responsible
for its own vehicles and the stores on those vehicles. The MT
carried out a respray programme and Sergeant Eric Cork,
Corporal Pete Keast. and Private Kevin Potts were the main
paint sprayers. Unfortunately they got carried away and now
to get off Company runs they merge in with the trees around
Company Headquarters.
Staff Sergeant Douggie Elsworth,
v
carried out a Met s tidy up the CQMS Department 1 campaign'
and now everything is clean, neat and tidy and firmly fixed to the
shelves,
We also started the rebuilding of the unit club but more
news of this next month.
During the past month we have said goodbye to Staff
Sergeant Stan Conners. Sergeant Pete Owen, Lance Corporal
Jock Buchanan and Private Paddy Canavan. On the other hand
we have welcomed to our happy throng Sergeant Norman
Doody, Lance Corporal Topper Brown, Privates Terry Guy,
Tony Bentley, Kevin Potts, Steve Williams and Mike Donnelly.
Promotions have also come to several fellow unit mem-
bers and we now have Staff Sergeant Ray Northcott, Sergeant
Harry Jones, Corporal Alban Kelly. Lance Corporal Andy
Packham. and Lance Corporal Pete Bennett, a member of our
REME. LAD.
The youngest arrival in the Company is Antonia Adams who
is the latest daughter of Corporal Tony and Mrs Pat Adams,
who have our heartiest congratulations.
ORDNANCE
COMPANY
IT has been a long time since our last notes appeared in the
Corps GAZETTE and it is hoped that these will bring everyone
up to date with the units activities.
During September the Company participated in Exercise
Prop Forward IV the CRAOCs exercise for 1981. As with all
these exercises there were lots of quick moves and little chance
to sleep. The rest of September was used for preparing the
Company for the Divisional FTX,
October was taken up almost entirely by Exercise Red
Claymore the Div FTX for 1981. It was a long exercise but
the Recce party of Captain Gerd Inlow, Lieutenant Ray Tindle,
and Lance Corporal Nobby Clark found a plentiful supply of
' soft resting places/ The recce party zealous as ever were
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Sergeant Hart and Private Taffy Jones ponder over a unit indent.
— 344 —
Book number R0250a