RAOC Gazette - page 125
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 |
and flexibility over the use of ammunition stocks held by units and District depots. Whilst the Commanding Officer has managed further USA trips, we welcome Staff Sergeant Jim Smiley, Royal Signals, and say farewell to Staff Sergeant Brian Mumford, Royal Signals and Corporal Glen Stott on promotion and posting to BAOR. 521 COMPANY. Typist Mrs Chris Dyson has just been forgiven after leaving water containing plant food next to the kettle. This did not however stop the Company Adventure Training weekend, where everyone enjoyed themselves rock climbing, canoeing etc, and of course the inevitable war stories around the bar in the evening. As the author did not attend, will some- one please tell him why W02 Jim Howe is now known as the ' Whispering Grass.' The OC Major Alan Swindley is upset; someone told him Mrs Margaret Thatcher deliberately called the Election in the middle of his licensing exercise, Saton JO. Staff from Catterick enjoyed a recent liaison visit to West Yorkshire Police Training Academy, where clerical officer, Mrs Pat Cooper, was some- what surprised that when you pull the trigger, the gun fires real bullets. Liverpool is keeping pace with its hectic life; welcom- ing Sergeant Gavin Dunhill, and sadly saying farewell to Staff Sergeant John Bassett and Sergeant Phil Salter on postings; also to Lance Corporal Campbell who is joining Merseyside Police. Edinburgh is quiet (is that a change), and welcomes Sergeant Ron Dean, with farewells to Sergeant Ken Cross; also be- cause she never gets a mention, happy birthday Margaret, twenty one again! Catterick celebrates and congratulates clerical assistant Miss Anne Macdonald on her marriage to Corporal Mike Terry from CAD Kineton. Corporal Mike Terry was originally loaned as a favour to the Catterick Detachment from Battalion Headquarters Tidworth, iet this be a reminder about doing favours! May we welcome Sergeant Charlie Welbourne from Hong Kong and say farewell to Sergeant Dave Walker to Stirling. 621 COMPANY. The Company exercise hosted by Colchester has opened the ' Silly Season.' Much time was spent in the swim- ming pool playing a new blood sport called water polo. A new version of the game specifically designed for the exercise, the only confusion was distinguishing between the ball and bald heads surfacing to gulp hair, sorry air! Many members were also able to display their other skills: Captain Paul Beerling and Corporal Bill Sutton at Pool; Staff Sergeant Ben Bienkowski at Fly Fishing; the Aldershot Detachment at biting and of course WOl Dave Greig at walking a straight line after being presented with a set of crystal to mark his completion of twenty two years service. We welcome W 2 Nick Nice from Zimbabwe, Staff Sergeant Jim Fleming from the AS of A, Sergeant Nick Thomsen from Belize and Sergeant Mac Macdonald from 721 Company. Fare- wells and best wishes go to Captain Paul Beerling to 321 Com- pany, WOl Dave Greig on commissioning to Kineton, Staff Sergeant Dennis Thynne and Sergeant Graham Pritchard to the Falklands and Lance Corporal Bod Eddleston, Royal Signals to 321 Company. Not forgetting congratulations to Lance Corporal Bod Eddleston and his wife Christiane on the birth of their second son. 721 COMPANY. We dropped everything to go away on exercise too, W02 Alan Procter changing 3622s and 1771s for exercise instructions. Excuses, of course, followed. Sergeant Grahame Chubb away on his GM course, Staff Sergeant Paul Myring objecting to the early mornings, never mind the rock climbs, and Sergeant Bob Charlton trying always to get out of the in- evitable cliff hanger, halfway up the rockface with a length of rope and nowhere to go. The loyal however assembled at HMS Raleigh in Cornwall and a great time was had by all, even though after visits to the Naval EOD team and various messes about HMS Battleaxe a second walk along the South Coast cliff tops was required to replace the earlier wobbly one. Welcomes are extended to Private Dave Rutter back after his two months in hospital, Staff Sergeant Paul Myring after his Northern Ireland tour, and for the first time to Sergeant Bob Charlton from the Hebrides. Farewell to Staff Sergeant John Anderson and Lance Corporal Kevin Meadows both to Germany. And hot off the press, W02 Joe Lundy went Whirly Birding down to the South Coast, well it is quicker than using a transit. 3 2 Ordnance Company THE past month has flown by in a haze of activity, with the entire company proving their worth and adaptability by tackling everything set with vigour and enthusiasm. It all started with the expected firemens strike. Thirty two HGV drivers and two full crews were involved in collecting, crewing and training on the famous green goddess fire engines. Real fire training with real fires to extinguish was the theme for the first part of the month. In addition a mountain of Home Office fire clothing descended on the Q deparment, and CQMS Corless now swears that counting wellies is better than counting sheep! He counted them in, out, back in and back out to the Home Office again before he could relax. The OC staged a deployment exercise to Hawley Lake for the benefit of various groups of visitors. The three day deploy- ment went well, the tone set by Private Woods who was seen deep in conversation with a horse at the North Circular Road (Nurses Home) halt en route! A faultless convoy drive, just for the benefit of Lieutenant Jones on detachment from 22 Ord- nance Company (V), who is still trying to find out which NCO earmarked him as a chain smoker for the non-smokers seat in the POD! The demonstration went well, and we were visited by a large number of potential officers, CRLO staff, two Platoons from the Depot and the Central Office of Information Photographic team under the management of Ord 5. Lance Corporal Jones made a lasting impression on all the visitors with his how not to cam stand, however not all of us are convinced that it was all an act. Perhaps the quote of the exercise must go to the soldier demonstrating urban cam, who when asked by a serious looking visitor examining a ten ton vehicle in urban cam ' Would you expect to find a house in a wood?' stated " Sir, haven't you read Little Red Riding Hood?"! The Central Office of Information team was present to take the RAOC photographs for the Army calendar—watch out for this field force worthy next year. A cast of thousands, three whole films, three hours and much athletic juggling took place before the final product was completed. Certain subalterns were heard to be offering all kinds of inducements just to appear —how vain can we get? ! Regans holiday tour department check list shows soldiers deployed in FI, NI, Belize, Canada (No Jones, you can't extend out there, Woods is waiting to go!), Cyprus (where Private Stephen fresh back from an exercise in the USA and five others are on exercise) and the Challenge Sales Team to the Middle East (Corporal Pinch always wanted somewhere exotic!). The subalterns took twenty seven lads away adventure training in Malaig, at Tom Maclean's outward bound place and first reports from Tom to the OC stated that all were working hard under the watchful eye of ' your CSM chappie.' CQMS Corless what have you been saying? All in all we really don't know how we survived the month, but it is a credit to all ranks that we did. To end we must recount a true story concerning the BOWO (who must remain nameless but resides in Colchester and is a keen runner). His lunchtime run took him past 1 Staffords when" a dog handler shouted Halt. When asked who he was he replied " I'm the BOWO." To which the handler, pointing to his guard dog, replied, "And that's the Crufts champion — In The Guard Room!" Central Ammunition Depot Kineton THIS is truly wonderful! At last, I have been promoted to ' roving reporter' and have been sent out on consignments to bring you the action as it happens! At the time of writing I am crouched over a battered typewriter, listening to the sounds of falling rain upon canvas and the drone of aircraft engines all about us. Who would think I was only fifteen miles from Leicester, camped on the edge of a golf course (and me without my clubs) which is under attack from model aircraft. I counted them out and I counted them in. All this because I volunteered to assist W02 John Brooks on a charity walk from London to Liverpool. Two other members of the unit tabbing it with John. They are Private Lorraine Connolly WRAC and Private Ray Powell RAOC. Both are doing sterling work collecting money and walking at the same time. Also along are W02 Pete McCoy who is providing some unusual things to eat and WOl Frank Morton from LE(A) Andover who is John's partner in the venture but at the moment suffering from 'Aintree Ankle.' All of this is in aid of the NSPCC and will soon be covered, in greater detail elsewhere in THE GAZETTE. For that reason, I shall now pack up my typewriter and bring it out again in my next location. — 104 — |
| Book number | R0406 |