RAOC Gazette - page 24
Image details
| Corps | RAOC |
|---|---|
| Material type | Journals |
| Book page | |
| Chapter head | |
| Chapter key | |
| Chapter number | |
| Full title | RAOC Gazette |
| Page number | |
| Publication date | 1983 |
| Real page | |
| Colour | Yes |
| Grey | No |
| Early date | 1983 |
| Late date | 1983 |
| Transcription |
Private Ian Sidebottom (Man Friday G1/G4) is now aiding in the preparations for the visit of HM The Queen. Congratulations are in order of Corporal Dave Wilde on his recent promotion. Major Ivor Thomas receives his farewell present in the W y v e r n Officers Mess. SUPPLY DEPOT BULFORD THE depletion of the military strength of the Depot continues as Private Paul Betsworth departs for the South Atlantic. WOl George Hendley has popped up to Blackdown on a three weeks management course, taking along with him Corporal Savage our butchery all arms drill expert, (who intends to prove it on his RPCI course), and Private Jock Cairney our one remaining Private Butcher who is seeking a little victualling advice. Mean- while Sergeant Taffy Humphreys is wandering around in a daze, singing " where have all my butchers gone!". Our OC Major Michael Cutchey let out a bellow which could be heard all along the Camp Road, when his horse ' Rob Roy' accidentally stood on his foot, and the OC is now hobbling around in some discomfort. We say farewell to Private Jimmy Strang who has departed to the Rhineland where he gets a well deserved promotion to Lance Corporal—we have heard a rumour that he is on the same flight as Private Paul Betsworth to the Falklands! Headquarters North East District and 2 Infantry Division \ :_^^—j ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^v ^ ^ ^ ^ \. I I v=J\. I J7»+^L\I\. • Jy\2y5-& \. NVZ/^' N. ^^^ \ SUPPLY BRANCH. Where are the I of E at times like these we ask? What a very busy year 1983 has been so far. Com- mander Supply heads the business mileage list this month. Major Andrew Byles who represents 2 Infantry Division in the Branch uses the nautical variation, being metaphori- cally at sea in two spheres this month. Welcome aboard Andrew. Our new DOWO WOl Derek Harrison has arrived and immediately introduced to his vast parish by WOl Stan Johnson. A reet hearty welcome Derek. To Stan leaving on commission- ing and Viersen our sincere thanks and best wishes. No doubt you will visit us occasionally when returning to home base. \. RAOC 2 INFANTRY DIVISION. With months of planning and frustration finally over the old die hards of Headquarters 2 Armoured Division have arrived in York to take up their appointment within the newly integrated Headquarters. Corporal Mark Bunn was our front runner and appears to know what is happening and where everyone is located. W02 Danny Martell leads the G1/G4 ' e m p i r e ' insisting that his undoubted orienteering skills lend themselves to find- ing his way around the Headquarters? The same logic hope- fully does not apply to the Headquarters Superintending Clerk WOl Bill Rule who is displaying his usual enthusiasm at jump- ing out of perfectly serviceable aircraft. W02 Keith Newman carries the burden of G2/G3 and now only smokes one hundred and twenty each day! While Staff Sergeant Mel Kingston is satisfying his lust for adventure in Port Stanley, Sergeant Dave Lovick is holding the fort admirably. — 21 ORDNANCE COMPANY THE advance party for the embryo 21 Ordnance Company arrived in Catterick Garrison in February. Seven military personnel, two portakabins, no vehicles, no telephone, no stores, ' no nothing.' There were seven inches of snow, one portakabin leaked, the borrowed shed had a large hole in the roof, and it was cold! Those early days seem a long time ago, longer than seven weeks. Since then life has been busy, even hectic. The gang of seven has grown to thirteen; and the snow has melted. Corporal Brown who will run the MT section until the arrival of a Sergeant later this year, has done commendable work collecting vehicles and trailers, and organising the basis of our MT. The CQMS, Staff Sergeant Fogg has been scurrying around most of Yorkshire trying to find bits and pieces that match our G1098, and his progress of late has been good. SQMS Kilgour has been doing business with Bicester about some stores: very little has materialised just yet, but there's an awful lot of paper going to and fro, and we expect great things to happen soon. Not too soon, however, because Staff Sergeant Williams who presides over the empty store shed has no binned vehicles to put the stores in! The intervening period is useful for him, though, to plan his organisation, location and systems and be prepared for the great day when the scaling arrives. Mean- while in the Orderly Room, Staff Sergeant Langman is working. and has evidence of success. From nothing, his empire has grown to three type-writers, a filing system, lots of paper, a roomful of unamended Army publications and a beautiful young typist called Paula. Our clerical base is firm and well rounded. But not all the credit goes to middle management. Lance Corporals Broadbent and Noonan have been active, and very useful in the PC and A. Lance Corporal Noonan is still pluck- ing up the courage to play squash against the OC, and Lance Corporal Broadbent is steeling himself against the day when he builds up the courage to start the training for the Great North Run. For the CQMS, Private Atkinson has been most valuable. He has, almost single handed, organised the planning and preparation for the move into our ultimate destination in Gaza Barracks: as an AIPT, he is also qualified to train Broad- bent to steel himself for the day Atkinson is helped by Private Hemmings without whom, it is said, the CQMS could not control Atkinson! And others have appeared recently, but too recent to have changed our way of life, or brought us back to sanity—Sergeant Measures RAPC, Private Haley, Sergeant Arnold and the Welsh wizard Private Jones. What of the officers—there are three here. Captain Hewitt, the 2IC, has arrived from the Falklands, finds Catterick colder than Port Stanley, and is burying himself energetically in train- ing plans to keep warm. Captain Robinson, the Administrative Officer, dashes from barracks to barracks trying, hoping, to organise our three locations into some semblance of good order and military discipline. The OC, Major Aitken, can be seen relaxing between bright ideas, walking around the barracks looking for his errant dog Tarka! STORES SECTION 49 FIELD REGIMENT WORKSHOP A hectic time here in Topcliffe, situation normal. A major exercise with the Regiment in Sennybridge, with some unusual unit collections, which took Corporal Paul Ranger and Private Taff Weaving to London Airport for two days, the unit store section Land Rover had to have a major service on their return, due to the extra mileage they put in, but both swore they never got lost. Maybe it is because Corporal Paul Rangers home is in London. Magnificent weather held for the whole exercise, and only on our return via Manchester did the heavens open to provide normal Topcliffe weather. We now come to the postings, congratulations and a warm welcome go out to Corporal and Mrs Smith who join us on promotion from Bicester. Finally, we have said farewell to Corporal Dick Sargent, after two years with the section, we wish him well for his tour in Munster and congratulations on his promotion to Sergeant. STORES PLATOON 12 AD REGIMENT WORKSHOP A fairly busy month, a lot of the Platoon has been away on courses and ' Q ' Hadfield has actually taken some leave for the first time in living memory! 19 — |
| Book number | R0406 |