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RAOC Gazette - page 136

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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 Private
Major C. E. McLaren.
man of the POL Section. His knowledge of his subject is
immense and he was widely known, not only in the Army, but
in the petroleum industry, where he was respected for the
breadth and depth of this knowledge and was constantly being
consulted.
To mark his retirement a farewell lunch held in the LE(A)
Mess at Andover was attended by thirty five of Mac's close
associates past and present; these included some twelve executives
from the major oil companies who had known and worked closely
with Mac over the years. PI Officers and associates world-wide
had contributed to a presentation, which was made by Colonel
A. J. Newnham. Colonel Ord 2, in recognition of Mac's total
service of forty six years with the Army. We wish Mac and his
wife all happiness and good fortune in his retirement.
PLAIN
Linda Jordan sitting p r e t t y — t h e
float
looks good too!
As for Carnival itself, the Unit entry was one of sixty
floats but there were also many groups on foot, and a large
number of bands. The procession lasted three hours and was
seen by no less than one hundred and twenty thousand cheering
spectators. The German Press estimated that the overall cost to
Moenchengladbach was about £1,000,000, and that eighty tons
of sweets were thrown to the crowd.
Was the aim achieved? Well we were given wide pictorial
coverage by the local and National Press and even appeared on
TV News. To quote a National Newspaper: The Public were
particularly delighted by the unusual appearance of the British
Army in the Procession
Fathers', Mothers' and
Children's hearts were warmed by the British girls with the
Scottish look\
The Rheinische Post showed a picture with the caption
The high spot of the procession: The British Float. Well done
Viersen.
ENGLISH
THIS months literary award presented by Combat Supplies
Battalion goes to a certain Headquarters (not RAOC) in BAOR
which, in a letter on courses of instruction, included the follow-
ing mind-boggling sentence: "Students who complete the course
will be returned to Units on completion of the course." Oh,
Milton thou shouldst be here, England hath need of thee.
CARNIVAL
TIME
IN
GERMANY
ANYONE who has ever been stationed in Rhineland will know
what happens in the period just before Lent.
Lieutenant Colonel Tony Rees, who commands Ordnance
Depot Viersen, said one day, In all the years we have been here,
we have never taken part in Carnival. The Germans must think
us very stand-offish.
We ought to join in, the Belgian and
Dutch Forces always do. Let's enter our own Unit Float, I am
sure it will be good for Anglo German relations.
The Second-in-Command, Major Andy Dunn, an aspiring
sculptor, was tasked with design and construction. The theme
this year was a serious one—Save Energy—but of course,
Carnival is far from serious so the idea was to have a model
of a man sitting in a bath holding a bottle of whisky, with a
slogan in German, reading // the water is cold—heat up the
inner man. Major Dunn took some local leave and started to
hunt around for an assortment of scrap materials. Using chicken
wire, canvas, woodwool polystyrene and plaster of pan's, he
built the model, which, mounted on a trailer, stood four metres
high. Major David Hatton was in charge of the overall organisa-
tion and of finding an escort of girls from his WRAC Staff to
ride on the trailer. Naturally, the girls asked What are we
going to wear"! A hybrid uniform was duly invented consisting
of home made tunics of scarlet material, embellished with gold
lines, borrowed from the RHA, regulation WRAC badminton
skirts, and topped off by Glengarry bonnets, lent by the Royal
Highland Fusiliers!

Lieutenant Colonel Tony Rees invites Colonel Edwards to review
the troops. W e l l worth a second look. Left to right: Corporal
Susan. M c H a l e , Private Linda Jordan, Private June Smart, Lance
Corporal Martine Smith, Private Jeannie Stewart.
NEW
CHAPLAIN
GENERAL
THE Reverend W. F. Johnston, MA, is to be appointed the new
Chaplain General to the Forces. He will assume the appointment
on 1st July, 1980, in succession to the Venerable Archdeacon
Peter Mallett who is to retire.
337

Book number R0403a