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RAOC Gazette - page 110

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Corps RAOC
Material type Journals
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Full title RAOC Gazette
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Publication date 1983
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Colour Yes
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Early date 1983
Late date 1983
Transcription APPRENTICES
SUMMER
BY
A hell of a place to lose a cow!
it. This smallness is good, it creates more of a family atmos-
phere and of necessity every soldier and officer becomes more
flexible, for instance I have been Company Commander on a
Battalion parade to welcome a senior visiting Officer and I have
already attended two Tactical Study weekends doing Battalion
and Brigade battle drills. Part of my day to day job is plan-
ning and training for all Band 2 soldiers (band 1 is basic
training and band 2 the first pay level for trade personnel). This
is six months on the job training in the Battalion plus a further
six months experience, after which a posting to a Supply Com-
pany is normal. Currently there are eight Band 2 trainees and
another ten are due in from basic training every two months.
SKRGEANT
COLLEGE
CAMP
.T. P .
SELF
OVER one hundred and twenty RAOC Apprentices and ninety
permanent staff departed Dettingen Barracks. Decpcut, near
Camberley. the home of RAOC Apprentices College, for annual
Summer Camp at Penally, Nr Tenby.
The camp, which is situated just on the western edge of the
village of Penally and approximately two miles from the
thirteenth-century walled town of Tenby, is only a few minutes
walk from the sea. Its situation offers numerous opportunities
for various activities.
During the two-week summer camp the apprentices took
part in all activities offered, which included rock climbing.
fishing, canoeing, sailing, windsurfing, mountain walking, para-
scending as well as swimming and beach games.
In off-duty hours some took the opportunity to play a round
of golf on the superb eighteen-hole championship links close to
Tenby beach, or attempted walking a part of the one hundred
and sixty seven mile Pembrokeshire coastal path, which stretches
from Amroth to Cardigan.
Others explored the old-world atmosphere of Tenby, where
one can visit the remains of its thirteenth century Norman
Castle. However, mostly they searched the narrow streets for
souvenirs, gifts and Tenby rock.
Rock climbing, abseiling and mountain rescue practise took
place on the limestone crags and one hundred foot high cliffs
less than half a mile from the camp. There they dangled on
ropes or clung to rocks accompanied by soaring Crows, Gulls and
Kittiwakes.
Canoeing, windsurfing, sailing, swimming and beach games
took place on the extreme western end of Tenby beach. Over
one mile long and some one hundred metres wide (when the tide
is out), this all-sandy beach also offers some fine sunbathing.
which nobody missed when the opportunity arose.
PT is for an hour every Tuesday and Thursday for all
ranks, normally a five or six mile run, Log training or sprints.
V\
1!
The New Zealand Army followed the British lead in most
things up to the seventies but now gets much of its doctrine from
Australia and the United States. Consequently all the abbrevia-
tions are different as is much of the equipment and philosophy.
I will try to highlight more of the differences in my next letter.
l!
ira l
J. D. ROSS, MAJOR RNZAOC.
SMALL BORE SHOOTING
T A R G E T RIFLE 1983
THE CORPS established its lead in Army Small Bore Shooting
by retaining for the second year The Duke of Edinburgh's Royal
Regiment Cup. The Inter-Corps Match was won for a number'
of years by the Royal Artillery until the Corps breakthrough
last year.
This years team average of almost ninety nine per card is
an outstanding performance.
Order of Merit first ten places
Score HPS 3200
3163
Royal Army Ordnance Corps
3154
2. Royal Artillery .
3137
3. The Queens Division
3130
4. Royal Army Pay Corps
3129
5. The Prince of Wales Division
3123
6. Royal Electrical and Mechanical Eng:
3112
7. Ulster Defence Regiment
3103
8. Royal Signals
3032
9. Womens Royal Army Corps ...
3015
10. Army Catering Corps
The Corps team was: —
Major A. V. Glasby GM HQ BAOR
WOl C. Krimpton Ord Services Berlin
WOl K. Watson MOD Stats (E)l
Lance Corporal J.Kirby Petroleum Centre RAOC
Major L. Bean CAD Kineton
Sergeant P. Mullen RAOC Trg Centre
Major S. Pincher (Team Captain) Petroleum Centre—
RAOC
Sergeant W. Boxall No. 1 Area QM Aldershot
398
398
397
397
395
394
392
392
— 91
T h e Apprentices College Corps of Drums playing in fhe streets
of Tenby.
The College Corps of Drums gave the residents and holiday-
makers of Tenby, a surprise treat when they played in the towns'
cliff-top streets one evening during the first week of camp.
On the following evening the Mayor and Mayoress of Tenby
along with a host of other local dignitaries, were invited to a
Beating of the Retreat on Penally Camp Parade Square. This
was followed by an informal cocktail party in the Sergeants
Mess where the senior permanent staff were able to thank the
townspeople for their cooperation.
There were occasions when bad weather prevented ad-
venturous training taking place. This gave the boys an oppor-
tunity to see a bit of Welsh history during organised visits to
various museums and the many interesting buildings in the area.
One such visit was to the Laughame Boathouse. home and
place of inspiration of the great Welsh poet, Dylan Thomas.
Fourteen days adventurous training and hard work came
to an end when the coaches arrived to take them all back to
Deepcut, where they would return to military normality.

Book number R0406