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RAOC Gazette - page 26

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Full title RAOC Gazette
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Publication date 1980
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Early date 1980
Late date 1980
Transcription Corporal Pat Mullen was leading with Major Sid Pincher in
second place and W02 Julian Thompson hot on his heels.
These were the final placings from the military element, al-
though two civilian runners—Mr Dawes and Mr Evans—
finished first and second. It is also worth mentioning that
Captain Duggie McKay at forty seven years old, and Major
Norman Pendlebury at fifty, finished fourteenth and twenty
second respectively, a case of the old and the bold showing the
youngsters a clean pair of heels—again!
The Adjutant, Captain Robin Sider—a wily old fox at the
best of times—hedged his bets accordingly and laid handsome
odds for the OC to beat the up and coming Commando, Major
Ian Coppock. The OC, having duly obliged, will now share six
large beers—if and when Ian delivers the goods!
Brigadier Ray Thornton sportingly offered a bottle of
champagne to any military male who could beat his own time
by ten minutes. Pat Mullen very narrowly failed by twenty
three seconds to take the prize. The team results: —
Men: Morgan's Marauders, Dalton's Desperadoes, The Hash.
Ladies: Quinlan's Quickies, Brown's Bunnies, Gill's Goodies.
Mrs Jules Thornton presented the prizes and a special
prize was given to Lieutenant Colonel Maurice Young who won
the over-43 Section at the recent Army Night Orienteering
Championships held recently on Bagshot Heath. Very well
done indeed, Colonel Maurice.
Finally, congratulations on promotion to Privates Blake,
Carroll, Greenway and Whittall.
Welcome to WOsl Collyer and Hudson and Private Bird.
Farewell to Sergeant Swales and Private Blyth to Germany,
WOl Powell to Hong Kong.
Congratulations to Corporal Mallard and Geraldine Walsh
on their marriage and Corporal and Mrs Taylor on the birth of
their daughter Lucy.
Central A m m u n i t i o n D e p o t Kineton
AT the time of writing the Unit is
recovering from an Inter Company Cross
Country Competition in which all—well
nearly all—of Headquarters, A and B
Companies participated plus a ' token
force' from 522 Company RPC.
On a wet and windy Friday after-
noon the field was set off by the Com-
mandant and proceeded to wind their
tortuous way around a measured four
and a half mile course that everyone
swore was twice as long. The individual winner was Lance
Corporal Croft of 'A' Company with Staff Sergeant Orchard the
best ' over forty,' and 'A' Company being the winning Company.
Everyone said they enjoyed it but a suggestion by someone that
' we should have one every month ' went down like the proverbial
lead balloon.
The Annual Remembrance Weekend, in which contingents
from Kineton Station went to Warwick, Leamington Spa,
Kineton and Gaydon for Services and Parades, in all instances
acquitted themselves extremely well. The RSM can be seen
with a smile on his face for the next few weeks as he remembers
the occasion of having all his soldiers on parade doing ' things
military' again.
From a work viewpoint the Depot has been very busy over
the past few weeks but time can still be found for the many
sporting activities that we carry out.
The Rugby Ironsides are through to the third round of the
Army Cup, the animal behaviour being instilled by ' Q ' Randall
into the side seems to be working!
The soccer team are now winning matches after a shaky
start to the season, and the Inter Company Soccer League is in
full swing.
We now have a golf course within the administrative area—
well to be more precise nine hole pitch and putt—but judging
by the number of players out there at any one time, it is going
to be very successful, always providing the A41 main road
which runs adjacent to the first fairway doesn't claim too
many balls. At the moment my ' tally' alone is four after only
five games and I'm one of the luckier ones! Those stalwarts of
the links—namely Captains John Connelly and Tom Armstrong
can be seen on the course, supposedly playing, but most probably
looking for the formers one and only tee!
I was rapped over the knuckles for referring to our golf
course as a ' pitch and putt' area. It is in fact a Par 3 Course
and is not an easy one at that. We have had a couple of
competitions to date and the winners have had to work hard
for their success.
Pride of place in the WRAC Company this month goes to
Lance Corporal Blackburn for winning the South West District
Squash Championships—well done.
In conclusion welcome to all of our new arrivals and a fond
farewell to those recently departed.
Central V e h i c l e D e p o t UK
HEADQUARTERS
THE I of E cometh. In preparation Major John Rose and
Conductor Gordon Webster have been cossetted behind closed
doors and are producing an establishment justification which
will cause all open-minded men to wonder how we have
survived this long on such a paucity of manpower. Like the
man in the condemned cell the process sharpens the mind
wonderfully and it is amazing how dark corners of the job
descriptions are illuminated.
As last years Minor Units District hockey champions it
was somewhat salutory to lose to LE(A) in the first round of
this years contest.
We smartly redeemed ourselves by a
convincing five nil win against 2 Postal and Courier Regiment
RE in the first round of the District squash competition without,
it should be noted, the assistance of J. Woodliffe. The latter
is already initiating our new CVPO into that well established
pre-Christmas replenishment expedition, euphenisticaJly known
as the Technical Inspection: we hope Recklinghausen survives
the experience.
We extend a warm welcome to Mrs Beryl Edwards-May-
cock who has joined our office staff. She confesses that she has
never worked anywhere like this before: no inference is drawn.
Finally, and belatedly by about two and a half years, Mrs Betty
Crooks has pleasure in announcing that she is also here, alive
and well and working in Registry. A case of the bibilical
ladies who did not keep their lamps burning, perhaps. She,
too, is most welcome.
VEHICLE DEPOT ASHCHURCH
THIS Autumn the Depot went down to Fremington Camp near
Barnstaple for two weeks with the idea that thirty or so soldiers
would spend a week following military and adventurous pursuits
and then change mid-way. Each party travelled down by train
and much to their horror were met by the CSMs permanent
staff party who, carrying Schmieser and looking like members
of the Wermacht, herded everyone onto vehicles to the Con-
centration Camp. It was all in fun but some dignitaries from
Barnstaple British Rail objected to Corporals Gaughan and
Stott standing on the passenger carriages shouting ' Raus Raus.'
Just to set the scene each party were required to participate
in one of Corporal Canales short runs—' Only a mile' he said
— 253 —
WHY
NOT
THE
WRITE
FOR
GAZETTE ?
THE EDITOR welcomes new contributors, it is your
Journal so why not contribute to it?
Articles on any subject will be welcomed: sport,
adventure, work, experience, humour, fiction—even
fantasy. While articles of any length will be considered,
the ideal is in the region of 2,000 words. Scripts should
be double-spaced type written, though manuscript will
be accepted. Pictures should preferably, be black and
white but colour prints will do—some slight loss of
quality occurs.
A reasonable level of controversy is the life-blood
of any Journal—it promotes thought and discussion.
Security however, is always a consideration and, though
the ultimate responsibility rests with the Editor, it should
be bome in mind when touching upon possible sensitive
subjects. As THE GAZETTE is principally a magazine
the purely technical article should be avoided, though
no hard and fast boundary exists.
Why not use THE GAZETTE if you have previously
written for publication, why not try your hand if you
have not
Book number R0403a