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RAOC Gazette - page 189

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Corps RAOC
Material type Journals
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Chapter key
Chapter number
Full title RAOC Gazette
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Publication date 1980
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Colour Yes
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Early date 1980
Late date 1980
Transcription the Unit were. It was proposed that an internal ' Knock
Out' contest be held, consisting of pool, snooker, darts and
table tennis. After two weeks the competitions were com-
pleted and trophies presented to the winners.
Keeping with the sporting scene, our football team put up
a good fight against the local RUC. Although we lost six
nil it was a very good match and proved to be useful practice
for the game against Headquarters 321 the following week,
where we emerged as victors by eight goals to nil. Good
relations were resumed after the match when light refreshments
were served in the Felix Club.
NO. 2 SECTION.
W02 Tex Thompson returns to England
where he hopes to play more golf than was possible in London-
derry during his four month stay. His replacement is WOl
Dave Young.
The section is very fragmented due to the re-establishment
of a team at Magherafelt and the continuing deployment of
the City Team at Ford George. It looks as if the main base
for the section will have to be at Fort George and therefore it
is' our sad duty to notify all users past and present of the
Felix Inn at Benbow Block, Ebringtrn Barracks, that the Inn
will be closing in the near future.
MAGHERAFELT
DETACHMENT.
To the sound of cheers
(or were they groans) Charlie Team arrived at Magherafelt and
promptly threw the place into total confusion.
With only
forty eight hours notice accommodation proved to be scarce,
but with the help of Mortar Platoon 2nd Battalion Grenadier
Guards and 5 UDR the problem was soon solved. The cook
was evicted from his room and Lance Corporal Derek Cowell,
Signalman Chris Swain, Driver Smudge Smith and Private
Ian Johnson moved in. Sergeant Tony Thorogood decided
conditions were a little overcrowded so he chose a bunk
in the Mess instead.
Due to the short notice of the move there was no time to
install an intercom, telephone or an alarm system.
But
Sergeant Thorogood saved the day by designing a three in
one system with an uncomplicated code: A piece of string from
the Operation Room through the accommodation window,
into a metal locker with two tin cans tied to the end of the
string proved very effective (Nice one Tony!).
Our news would not be complete without mentioning the
detachment of Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders, whose
presence is only known by the sound of bagpipe practice on
the helipad during sunny weather—thank goodness it's raining
now!
NO. 3 SECTION. ' Le Skipper est mort—Vive le Skipper' in
other words Captain Pete O'Brien has departed for Bracht
and visions of LOA, while our new leader is Captain Mark
Wickham.
The next building modification will need to be an en-
largement of the bar, as the corridors are currently stacked
high with our ' beat the budget' liqueur buy.
Staff Sergeant Mick Warden has taken over the Omagh
Detachment and has been keeping a very low profile behind
his moustache on the grounds that the SF base is safe!
W02 Kevan Callaghan on the other hand has been suffer-
ing the trauma's of a Unit change and is believed to have
' days to do.'
Staff Sergeant Brian Wicks breathes a sigh of relief since
last going to print as we hear that he is posted to Berlin for
his sins. There is not that much difference between the night
life here in Cambcrlcy and Berlin so all he will have to do is
get used to working once again. His replacement, wait for it,
Staff Sergeant Orszewski docs not come from Berlin, surprisingly,
but hails from 1 (BR) Corps. With the amount of Overseas
Cadets here he will probably fit in well.
Both old and new Colleges are keeping very quiet this
month, may be that they do not wish to be replaced by Regi-
mental Clerks!
The I of E confirmation is awaited with abated breath—the
question is now, when they have cut us down to the numbers
wc have, how many are they going to take away to make up
other establishments? The answer to this question may be
reported in next months newsletter.
South W e s t District
HEADQUARTERS
(L
/[
CAPTAIN MIKE LEWINGTON who served
jj\.
//I
with the Rhodesian Monitoring Force has
n o w rclurnc
r^XvTi
d looking very fit and bronzed.
K^MyTX
T h e Commander of the Force was our GOC,
* f . l tfy£/\ > .
Major General John Acland (late Scots
R\^y.A*~—^oP 1, Guards); he is also back at work and we are
"C-^jKytj^r^Y
preparing for his Study Period in April.
-y<[&)
Lieutenant Tom Hendy, OC Stores
Q^ri
*-^
Platoon 10 Field Workshop REME, has also
returned from sunnier shores, in his case two
weeks in Guyana. CRAOC has still not discovered the purpose
of his visit which wc are told, cryptically, was official!
Our number of transferees continues. CRAOC interviewed
Lieutenant Simon Parry (son of Major Harry Parry (Retd)) two
days after he made it known to Major Tom Greenwood that he
would like to come to the Corps. Within two weeks Major
Mike Roberts in AG9 had cleared his transfer and he was re-
badged from Army Air Corps to RAOC by CRAOC in the
presence of his parents. We will include a photograph next
month but believe this must be something of a record for
swift action.
Lieutenant Parry now joins the Apprentices
College as a Platoon Commander.
We have now said farewell to the Chief Ordnance Officer
UKLF, Brigadier Charles Smith together with Captain Alan
Steene, Major John Copscy and Captain Fred Moughton. We
wish all of them good fortune in the future and in particular
much success to Brigadier Charles in his new appointment
as DLSA.
We have managed to tempt our Chief Clerk W02 Read
into carrying out a parachute descent sponsored by our Deputy
Commander, Brigadier Joe Starling late Para.
The only
qualification necessary was ' that all parts are in working order.'
We ' believe' ' Q ' Read qualifies—anyway with the Deputy
Commander and Colonel GS both members of the Parachute
Regiment and our R 3 many years an old airborne man, the
Chief Clerk really didn't stand a chance. The CRAOC has
made it known that the only jumping he will do is on ROs3 who
suggest he joins the Chief Clerk!
y
SUPPLY DEPOT RAOC BULFORD
CAPTAIN FRED MOUGHTON, the Depot Officer exchanged
his parachute for a pair of skis and set off for Nethybridge
to command the RAOC Ski Hut. Having already come to
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
grief while training on the dry ski slope, we wish him better
_
OUR Welsh hero from Rhodesia, Staff Sergeant
luck if he eventually finds some snow.
#*»3|
Dave Beynon has returned slightly tanned and
Sergeant Jim Sharrock has continued to represent the
ISaSar
well versed in Rhodesian night life—he will
Corps at squash and congratulations are due on his successfully
i*gl
persist in singing " That old Black Magic has
completing the basic Amateur Squash Racquets' Association
/§?—-^^
me in its spell" — at least he is still drinking
Coaches' Course.
PTKlDn
alcohol! The AQ clerks will certainly welcome
Our Chief Clerk, Sergeant Bob Roadnight spent a short
««U_/ £\Mlf. him back, they are tired of running upstairs to see
time with us in between courses, awaiting the result of his
^W^JTTrf@%\ yours truly to get the answers to their problems!
EPC(A), prior to attending a provision course at the School of
^&iri^j^
Fight the good fight with five out of eight
Ordnance.
•*J2»-^
seems to be the war cry of WOl Glen Davies but
The only departure during the period was Corporal Mick
don't fret too much, reliefs are on their way in
Gilbert who carries all our best wishes on his posting to
the mode of 1 x Irish Guard (and this is no joke) to replace the
Northern Ireland.
departing Staff Sergeant Ron Carr to 1 (BR) Corps. Seems
Mrs Joan Blakemore was recently presented with the
rather a fast posting but we are assured there are no clouds
C-in-Cs Certificate of Commendation by Major General M.
overhead—only promotion on the horizon—had he accepted his
Callan.
posting to Jordan one could have said "Well done my boy!"
1 AIRCRAFT SUPPORT UNIT
Congratulations and best wishes Ron to you and yours. I did
CLERICAL OFFICER Miss Mary Gardner helped the stores
say reliefs in the plural and Corporal Patch Sked has joined the
organisation in the Aircraft Support Unit RAOC at Middle
ranks together with his wife Ann from BAOR—welcome (you
Wallop grow from a small manual account to a computerised
too will soon be whistling Men of Harlech and all other good
accounting operation covering all Army Air Corps aircraft
Regimental Marches).
in Britain and overseas exercises. Mary left recently after twelve
— 382 —
Book number R0403a