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RAOC Gazette - page 193

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Publication date 1980
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Transcription ' Stella.'
'A' Company also welcomes back W02 Roger
Hubbard and Staff Sergeant Ron Strafford from Northern Ire-
land, Corporal 'Ginger' Carrahar from Waltham Abbey and
Corporal Andy Warriss in a Parka from Zimbabwe/Rhodesia.
W02 Hubbard has taken up a new appointment as WOIC
Depot Support and is affectionately known to all as the Unit
' Truss.' Our congratulations go to Corporals Islam, Kettle,
Sanson and Rupert (the well known typing error) Trude on
successfully passing their upgrading course. Farewells this month
go to W02, or is it Lieutenant Mick Watkins, Sergeant Pete
Snell, Corporals Pete Hurry, Tony Britt and Shamus O'Brien,
Privates Crook, Tomlinson and Riley on postings/detachment.
Our band of Small Bore Shooters continue to prosper even
though the OIC Captain Lou Bean seems to be going thro' a
bad patch. Corporal Geoff Palir won the Macrea Handicap
competition as the most improved shooter and is looking for
even more time off for shooting now that his SATO Major
McDermott and both ATOs Captains Brown and Moules have
taken up the art! Most competitions are drawing to a close and
there is some nailbiting going on as we await the results of
final rounds.
Our girls in the WRAC have been doing things this month
that warrant mentions: W/Privates Brown, Edgcombc, Brown-
sword, Dineen and Pickard ran for the District in the Interzone
Cross Country Championships at Aldershot where they finished
third.
A ' First' for WRAC occurred when W/Private Crawshaw
passed the trade test to gain the additional qualification of Rail
Car Driver! Another first is about to be achieved with the
acceptance by and the attendance of three WRAC namely
Staff Sergeant Mullany, Lance Corporal Joyce and W/Private
Nicholls on a Storeman Ammunition Course at the AS of A
this month—When will all this encroachment cease?
Stop Press 1 . We lost to Bicester in the Richards Cup semi-
final by two goals to one. Never mind there's always next
year'.
Central Vehicle Depot
FIRST and foremost we welcome Mrs Betty Crooks back to
Registry after some three months sick leave. Curiously she
entered hospital only days after I had reported her as ' alive
and well' in this column. Due to the requests for anonymity
received over the past weeks, quite clearly, the two events are
not unconnected in some minds.
Major John Woodliffe kindly agreed to break his inter-
national squash tour and return from Washington to Germany
via Ashchurch in order to be dined out. Never a man to shirk
his duty. John leaves us after three years (or thirty two working
days) depending upon how you measure it. Had we had longer
to get to know him we would have been sorry to lose him. How-
ever, he has thoughtfully left his wife and family behind to
remind us that he actually was here. More seriously, we thank
both Terry and John for their contribution to life at Ashchurch
in so many ways over the past three years and wish them well
at Blackdown.
VEHICLE DEPOT HILTON
THE Friday morning sounds which arc similar to a jet engine
being run in the corridor and which arc, in fact, produced by
our cleaning ladies' vacuum cleaners have intensified in volume
indicating that Sally Smith is now back in the fold and teamed
up with Enid. Nice to see you back, Sally.
Welcome back also, to Gillian Monk, her injured foot has
now recovered sufficiently to permit her to resume her duties
as messenger thus allowing Norman to return to his beloved
gardens. Not a moment too soon if they are to be nurtured
through the blossoming season of Spring.
The ladies arc forming the nctball team in readiness for
MODRA Sports in July. Our girls may not be strongest—we
have not entered for the ladies tug-of-war—but we reckon
they arc the prettiest, a photo will be offered to prove our
point some time in the future.
(We look forward to it.—
Editor).
Farewell and good luck to Mrs Jackie Hackett who has
retired for the time being at least, to the local area. We still
see her from time to time.
Management Services Unit
THIS has been the period of inspections and visits and thus
things that move have been dusted and things that stand still
have been painted! Leading our list of VIPs was Brigadier
Cowdry; two days later we received Lieutenant General Sir
George Cooper, GOC South East District then it was the turn
of Major General Hellier, Major General Administration Head-
quarters UKLF, to visit our portals. We now look forward
to hosting Brigadiers Smith and Berresford, COO and COO
designate, during their handover.
However visits are not just one way traffic. Our versatile
Sccond-in-Command, Captain Ken Lawton, spent a week in
BAOR to assist in the planning of a new Petroleum Depot. The
drinks cabinet having been re-stocked he never-thc-less also
burnt the midnight oil (!) whilst studying how petroleum pro-
ducts should be stored.
Our man at UKLF, WOl Jack Redfern, having successfully
sorted out their problems is actually returning to Thatcham for
a spell prior to his posting to Berlin. Having been with us in
name for six months a route card was required to return him
safely to base.
VEHICLE DEPOT ASHCHURCH
SPORTING activities are in the ascendancy at the moment.
The small bore team are currently in first place in the District
and two of our members, Corporal Chris Hadley and W02
Woods, are now members of the SOWDIST Team. Congratu-
lations.
Sergeant Campbell is vigorously training the Unit
swimming team for the Corps gala in May and hopes to improve
on the teams placing in last years competition.
(We came
second).
Rugby is the sport that is currently doing so well. After
a somewhat depleted season we now find ourselves deservedly
in the SOWDIST final against the RAC Centre at Bovington.
Best of luck everyone, we might get a very special mention in
the next edition.
Ashchurch was able to host the Corps XV earlier in March
for a fixture against Tewkesbury Rugby Club. The Corps did
better than was expected, a fact not unconnected with the plant-
ing of Corporal ' Chalkie ' White in Tewkesburys front row!
Those followers of our ' naughty bit column ' will be pleased
to know that Ruby and a friend entertained us all in the Can-
non Club. We thought there must have been a mistake as
Ruby looked so young in her first act yet her friend managed
to look so old in both of hers. We all commiserate with
Ruby but hope she has learned from her errors—never invite
close ' contact' with a front row forward who has not shaved
for two days—even though the embrace was lubricated with
shaving cream. Quote from the OIC Regimental Wing—' that
was not shaving cream it was dream topping.'
— 386 —
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