RAOC Gazette - page 102
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 |
Since 1981 he has been Honorary Colonel TA Sponsored Units, an appointment that has allowed him to maintain his close interest in the TA developed during his tour as COO. Charles leaves to take up a post with BMRC in Grantham, where his entrepreneurial prowess (he always had an eye for a bargain) will stand him in good stead. We wish Sonia and Charles every success. BRIGADIER R. S. GROVES PADDY GROVES could be described as " Mr Provision " as he was without doubt the most experienced officer in the Corps in this discipline. He had a way of making EOQs, FQDs and CBQs come alive by his sheer enthusiasm for his work and he read Provision Review Forms like the Financial Times. He took the Moratorium and the period of severe financial restraint, both blunt instruments, in his stride and adopted Brigadier Barrart. Possibly, one of Brian's most memorable duties was as local host to HM The Queen when she visited the Corps at Donnington last year, a task accomplished with typical efficiency and style. He has now joined Barclays Bank and if your bank statements show some confusion over EOQ or FQD, you will hopefully be understanding and perhaps grateful that you personally didn't have to face the problem of converting from inventory to financial data. We wish Brian and Barbara all the best in their future career. \V. L. W. Brigadier Groves. ' run on ' and ' detersion ' as his key words. He left no one in any doubt that supply and equipment management and all the complex functions related to them, were the most important activities in the Corps. He was not averse to taking manufacturers, at Main Board level, to task over late deliveries of stores and often persuaded them to adopt new systems to fall in line with our own. Whilst carrying out this process of castigation he was, of course, happily accepting their generous hospitality! His widely dispersed organisation and many contacts with suppliers left little or no time to be spent in his Andover office but with his wide cuffs and considerable experience in supply management he was rarely put on the spot. A man of style and a good sense of humour and above all a fine example of a professional Corps officer. Paddy is now very happy in his new job with De La Rue Systems, and he and Daphne are enjoying rural life in the depths of Southern Hampshire. BRIGADIER B. A. B A R R A T T OBE THERE is little doubt that Brian Barrett's main forte and first love has been the field of ADP and computer technology. From being involved in the introduction of Systems 1 at Chil- well in the period 1958-63, he progressed through System 2 to become the Chief Systems Analyst for System 3, and even had time to dabble with ADP on the Staff. We were indeed fortunate to have officers of Brian's calibre at such a crucial time in the development of the Corps computer systems. His shrewd brain and eye for detail stood us in good stead during this period. Promotion to Brigadier in 1981 was arguably a mixed bless- ing, for in line with W. ,S. Gilbert's advice to let the punishment fit the crime, he was appointed commandant of COD Donning- ton, where he was at the mercy of all the systems he had helped to create. Even so, the system and COD Donnington gave com- plete proof of their mettle in their splendid support of the Falk- lands campaign. QUEEN'S COMMENDATION FOR AT'S TWO ATs have been awarded The Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct for removing hundreds of sticks of dangerous explosives from a disused lead mine in Cumbria. W02 (SQMS) David Michael Couling QGM and Sergeant John Robert Howard, spent three days last December moving more than two hundred sticks of unstable gelignite, detonators and fuse from nearly half a mile inside Haggs mine, Nenthead. They had to carry the explosives in sandbags strapped to their chests so they could climb over rock falls and flooded areas without jarring. Gelignite is usually a stable explosive but if left for a long time it can start to ' sweat' droplets of highly unstable nitro- glycerine. This is what had happened to the explosives in Haggs Mine. SQMS Couling and Sergeant Howard were sent to give assistance after Carlisle Police were told that a quantity of explosives had been found. The two ammunition technicians were told the mine could not be sealed as it was an escape shaft for another mine; neither could the explosive be destroyed by demolition where it lay because there was an occupied houss immediately above the mineshaft. They made a reconnaissance of the mine and found the gelignite, beyond three major roof falls and flooding to a depth of three feet, in a side shaft about seven hundred yards from the mine entrance. It seemed in fair condition but had beads of clear liquid on the sticks. SQMS Couling, on his own initiative, took a sample of the liquid which was found by forensic scientists to be very unstable nitro-glycerine requiring to be absorbed by sawdust before movement. The next day the two men started clearance. They allowed twenty minutes for sawdust to absorb the nitro-glycerine and then packed the sticks forty to fifty at a time into polythene bags and then sandbags. Among the lower layers were six sticks which actually had detonators inserted and these had to be removed carefully before packing. To get safely through the restricted areas and rock falls, each man had to hang a full sandbag from his neck and strap |
| Book number | R0406 |