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RAOC Gazette - page 71

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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 J5tto3 from &broab
Headquarters BAOR
LIEUTENANT COLONEL JOHN SHIRCL1FF
has now vacated the AQMG S Man chair and
has moved up the road to ICP Viersen. On the
afternoon of his departure the whole of the
Directorate was given the afternoon off to
make way for a Rentokil squad. Lieutenant
Colonel Shircliff wishes it to be known that the
fumigation was a routine one to keep down
cockroaches and that it was pure coincidence
that it took place that day! Lieutenant Colonel
Mike Mathams is now in charge of our S Man Branch.
During the month we have dined out Colonel Mike
Cosgrove, Captain Malcolm Ingram, Captain Chris Graham,
WOl Roger Crisp and Staff Sergeant Lever. We wish them
well in their new jobs. Colonel Harry Brown has taken over
Organisation and Plans Branch right in the middle of our pre-
Christmas social whirl—a good time to single out the clowns
among us!
Major John Deane, our RO financial adviser in food and
fuel, has returned to work after three weeks in hospital in
Woolwich, after having a new hip installed.
All his old
friends will be glad to know that his bionic replacement is a
great success.
The agile Ordnance minds and bodies available to the
Rhinos Rugby Club disprove the suggestion that one needs to
be slow-witted or cumbersome to be a pachyderm. Also un-
worthy are thoughts that the Chairman of the Club, Brigadier
Peter Crawley, motivates these efforts. Staff Sergeant Keith
Fowler is Match Secretary and still makes occasional appear-
ances on the field. The First XV includes Sergeant Paul Arnold,
Staff Sergeant Bob Bate, Corporal Monty Montgomery and
Corporal Mick Brown. The photo shows the team before their
win against RAF Wildenrath. Standing, from left, are Corporals
Pete Hughes, Ron Mansfield and fifth from left is Major Derek
Lance; kneeling, second and third from left are Staff Sergeant
Mick Hughes and Corporal Roger King. Extreme right is
Corporal Alan Fitzpatrick.
As I write, Ord Directorate Christmas activities are in
full swing. An All Ranks dance, superbly organised by SSM
Ron Thornton, was held in the Rheindahlen rooms and the
traditional exchange entertainments between Messes have taken
place. Your reporter must get these notes in the post before
the next party which is imminent t
Ammunition Inspectorate BAOR
THIS month saw the departure of WOl Pete Dandy to the UK
and sunny Didcot, his final posting before leaving the Service.
He was duly wined-out in the Duck and Shovel and presented
with an engraved pair of goblets to remind him of his happy
tour in BAOR. We hope his ailing Hiliman made it to the
ferry!
Courses occupied the majority of the Unit with Corporals
Craig, Coventry and Scullion doing brass monkey impersonations
on an RAC SOAP AT course at Hohne Ranges.
Captain Harry Vaughan and Staff Sergeant Jim Howe
returned triumphant from separate courses at the Institute of
Naval Medicine to become the Unit Radiation Safety Officer
and Competent Person respectively, although bemused by Naval
terminology. Apparently 'heads' is something you put 'tails' on.
We welcome in this festive season WOl Dave Williams on
promotion from Fargo Compound, Larkhill, to replace SAT
Coord. We are now on our way to a complete set of Williams,
with a Major, Captain, WOl and Private.
All that remains to be said is a Happy New Year to all
our readers.
The Rhinos Rugby Club 1st XV.
Ordnance Depot Antwerp
OUR receipls work-load, which is one of our major activities
and which is very much governed by the frequency with which
LSLs arrive from Marchwood, has recently been spasmodic.
Engine troubles caused the cancellation of several sailings,
but things happened with a rush in the few days before
Christmas so that at the time of writing Olen resembles one of
those car parking areas at Dagenham or Cowley.
Our monthly winter training afternoons have continued.
December's topic was Road Safety; we had lecturers from
Rhine Area's Master Driver and visiting RMP staff. Un-
fortunately Sergeant Steve Smith could not attend—and shortly
afterwards learned the hard way about giving way to the right
in Belgium.
On the sporting front, the rugby team was drawn against
14 Topographical Squadron RE in the BAOR Minor Units Cup.
Having narrowly lost to them in the Rhine Area cup final, we
hoped for better things this time. Alas! it was not to be,
though as a spectator I'm sure we would do better if some
of the younger members of the team tackled with the deter-
mination of ' oldies' Staff Sergeant Trevor Smith and QMSI
Gordon Young. The Unit soccer team has had little luck:
in their most recent game they were leading three nil with
twenty minutes to go, only to lose five three. The hockey
team beat SHAPE in a friendly match, two one, even though
(because?) we gave them Corporal Jim Kilby as they had
arrived a player short.
The inevitable and various Christmas parties have been
a feature of the month. The wives club started things off
with their annual dinner. The Committee member's husbands,
in appropriate rig, acted as waiters to one hundred and thirty
ladies (over ninety per cent of the Station's wives), in what
was a really successful occasion. Similarly enjoyable for those
who attended was the Sergeants Mess draw. Among the winners
of the more glamourous prizes were WOl Jim Shea, Staff
Sergeant Paul Fyzool, Sergeant Ram Ramlu and
the CO.
The living-in junior ranks were next in line. Each was
able to invite as a guest a married ' pad,' and all enjoyed an-
other of Staff Sergeant Terry Stewart's splendid meals. Waiter
service was provided by, among others, the Commander of BFA
Colonel Thursby-Pelham, Father D'Hoine, and RSM Taylor.
This month we have said goodbye to W02 Eddie Wilson
on posting to ACIO Glasgow, and to Privates Nevison and
Woodroffe on discharge. We welcome Sergeant Mel Sherry
from Blackdown, Sergeant Bob Hood from Belize and Corporal
John Justin (welcome back) from Ashchurch.
— 290 —
Book number R0403a