RAOC Gazette - page 70
Image details
| Corps | RAOC |
|---|---|
| Material type | Journals |
| Book page | |
| Chapter head | |
| Chapter key | |
| Chapter number | |
| Full title | RAOC Gazette |
| Page number | |
| Publication date | 1980 |
| Real page | |
| Colour | Yes |
| Grey | No |
| Early date | 1980 |
| Late date | 1980 |
| Transcription |
On the sporting side, Major Jackman has been selected for the Army 50 Small Bore prone squad and Army 3 positional squad. 1 knew some of his shooting was mcntionable. Socially, the ' military' wives recently held a coffee morn- ing and had the company of our near neighbours of 14 MU RAF, Carlisle. A raffle was held and a substantial sum was donated to the Cambodian Refugees Appeal. The Officers Mess v Sergeants Mess annual games evening was held in the Sergeants Mess following a Regimental Dinner Night and the result hinged on the last event. The Sergeants Mess has recently been redecorated and refurnished so the Officers Mess agreed to look after the Wooden Spoon—which did not blend with the new decor. Finally, Captain Print says that Private Print at 154 FAD is NOT his son. Management Services U n i t THIS month we say cheerio to SSM George MaWson. After a mere twenty eight and a half years he has reluctantly decided to retire after receiving an offer ' he could not refuse.' An excel- lent salary, a firm's car, generous allowances' and a ten year contract, plus the opportunity to be the gaffer of a new store- house, was just too much. Whilst we are delighted for George and Freda we are personally very sad to see them go. Retire- ment comes to us all but when an excellent man leaves prematurely it is a tragic loss to the Forces.:". Maybe the Armed Forces Pay Review Board will take note..-' Information required as of yesterday if not sooner for Headquarters UKLF has meant an instant tour of Britain for Captain Ken Lawton and Conductor John Wood (the latter's last 1771 before commissioning!) Unfortunately, the grand tour coincided with the worst gales of the winter and like fisher- mens' tales their heroic deeds continue to grow in the telling. However the Second-in-Command is now known as Evil Knievel, or even Eddie Kidd, after his intrepid joumey between Stirling and Catterick. As the rain lashed down and wagons and vans were blown over and off the road Evil roared on and finally made the haven of Catterick. The latest story recants how he leapt over ' eight or ten ' dead pantechnicons! Meanwhile on earth SSMs Dick Cheesman and Eddie Bullock have at last returned from Plymouth and Taunton. The revamping of Ordnance Services in the West of England is now well in hand and after days of measuring and discussing it is a literal case of back to the drawing board to produce the inevitable report. Finally we welcome our new sponsor, Lieutenant Colonel Freddie Grant, and trust he enjoys his tenure in the appoint- ment. ASSOCIATION SHROPSHIRE NEWS BRANCH HAVING enjoyed a very successful St Leger Draw and Dance and the Remembrance Sunday Service with accompanying re- unions we plunged into making our Christmas Draw and Dance at the TA Centre our best ever. If this means having no complaints and plenty of bouquets—then we succeeded! It was the jolliest party yet and Brian Tinsley's Mirage Group kept everyone active on the floor. (I think this perpetual PT is showing here!) The fifty two draw prizes were charmingly drawn by Mrs Jules Thornton, wife of our President. Brigadier Thornton, whilst wishing all the seasons greetings remarked how nice it was to have an American Officer, an Australian Officer and members of the attached Corps of RAMC, RAPC, REME and WRAC all joining us in our festive mood not forgetting our faithful friends and members who had travelled all the way from Birmingham, Derby and Chester. The happy laughter and jollity certainly made the effort all worthwhile. We mustn't forget to add our thanks to Captain Ron Miller and his Catering Staff headed by Staff Sergeant Jones for again, a most excellent buffet. This correspondent never fails to wonder why more Units in the RAOC fail to realise that an RAOC Association function is the only neutral social gathering where all ranks can meet and enjoy themselves! Think about it! We immediately start planning for our Annual Dinner in March which is our rehearsal for the big do at Chilwell in April where we hope to meet all our old friends and reminisce. Until then we wish you all a most healthy, prosperous and happy I9S0. HIMALAYAN HIGHBALL (Continued from page 280) After we had found the location we relumed to the camp site to collect blue karrimats which would form a large cross for the helicopter pilot to sec. Lieutenant Molyncux and I went to wait for the aircraft. We thought it would arrive in the early hours of the following morning but. as wc finished pitching the tent, we heard the sound of a helicopter coming from over the mountains above us. Within fifteen minutes he was aboard and off to Dharan Military Hospital. After a good night's sleep, and a few of the local brew called " Roxy," we started out again on our journey north to the snow. The walk for the next few days was peaceful, across hills and valleys. We did notice the weather was getting colder at night; there was even frost on some mornings. After walking three days from the sick camp we arrived on top of a mountain which gave us a very good view of the snow-covered peaks ahead. It was a great relief to know we were so near (within four days march) to Lukla. On top of this mountain was a small village with a good tea-house. One of the team asked if the tea house sold ' Yak ' cigarettes, but was told they only had Benson and Hedges! Here in the middle of nowhere was a place which sold British cigarettes. It turned out that the head man of the village was an ex-CSM of 10 Gurkha Rifles. We noticed over the next two days of the trek that the terrain was changing. Now more rugged with the mountains coming up above us, clouds moving faster and temperatures down below zero degrees at night. The local people were dressed more warmly, either in Western style pullovers and woollen hat, or in Tibetan mountain clothes. We were on the edge of the greatest range of mountains in the world—the Himalayas. The guide made his way to a village named Khatikola where we found a hotel to sleep the night. Looking like a run-down shack the hotel advertized " Good Food and Drink, Free Sleep." The propietor was a Sherpa, for this was Sherpa country. Wc ate well; a meal of rice and vegetables with hot tea. After pay- ing only sixty pence each for breakfast as well as the evening meal we moved off the next day to go up to Lukla. Over rocks and rough ground we moved, always up into the clouds. Then from a mass of boulders we saw them,—the Himalayas. Towering thousands of feet above us, magnificent with their white coats of snow. Dangerous, impassable yet to a mountaineer always beckoning. Within an hour we were on a small flat area nine thousand two hundred feet above sea level, a large grass strip running up the centre, houses on each side; this was Lukla. This is the major starting place for all Everest expeditions. Having an airstrip it is the perfect location for the walk-in to Everest Base-camp. We were going to have two days rest here before moving off to Namche Bazaar up in the Himalayan High Range. Tourists have hit Lukla and this spells trouble for the mountaineer. When you can buy a good meal for £1 and then pay £1.30 for a bottle of beer you realize the locals are using their newly acquired Western ideas. It is said that the Himalaya is dying, not from nature but from the way man is using it. One of the problems is pollution. Wherever you have the Western World in tourist form you will find rubbish, high prices and con artists. In the next twenty years the Himalaya will be no more; only a set of high price mountains that only the rich can afford to visit. I was glad to leave Lukla and with the Boss, Dave Murrey and Phillip Lo, made my way up the valley to Namche. We had gone just over half the joumey when Dave fell and pulled the muscles behind his left knee. Though in great pain he refused to give in and go back to Base. So with a new, much slower pace we carried on to the bridge and the start of a one thousand three hundred feet steep climb to Namche. The weather had been pretty good until we started to climb, but now the wind was getting up and it was raining. Cold, bitter rain bashing down, driving us to keep going just to stay warm. We were also beginning to feel the altitude—over ten thousand feet. It was at around eleven thousand feet that the rain changed to snow and I noticed young Phillip Lo holding out — 289 — (Continued on page 298) |
| Book number | R0403a |