RAOC Gazette - page 126
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 |
Fourteen days later, again under canvas but the surroundings are much different and much more enjoyable. Gone are those dreadful model aircraft, gone are the blisters and gone has the Aintree Ankle. In their place we have sunshine, blue calm seas, sand in the sandals and the familiar smell of sun tan lotion. Yes! You've guessed it! I'm at the Isle-of-Man for Summer Camp. It really is all happening here—not at all like it was in the old days when we used to have to get up in the mornings. Ah, please excuse me a tick, here comes the RSM with my morning cup of tea. Ugh, some things never change. As I peep out from under my tent flap, I will attempt to describe events as I see them. My word! We appear to have booked the holiday camp at the same time as some other lot from Ordnance Depot Kinnegar. What a funny crew they seem to be. They're always on parade! Well that's the funniest thing—they've just had a parade to tell them what time the next parade is! There goes Major Gerry Page away on a horse, riding John Wayne style off into the sunset. And there goes a fine body of men, off for a three mile run headed by Major Ron Lillington setting the pace, or are they chasing him? The cooks seem rather busy preparing for another Bar-B-Q. The last one was quite eventful finishing with SSI Dave McCracken being hoisted into the sea by a couple of girls from the WRAC Company. Much the same fate befell Captain Willy Hurst who was hoisted by only one girl from the WRAC Company but who also lost his pullover during the altercation. He's got it back now all nicely washed and pressed but I've noticed there are a couple of bumps in it that weren't there before. The DGOS Major General Whalley and The Rt Hon J. W i g g i n M P being shown around the ' Bomb Disposal ' museum by Major Gunson. Well, here I am again, back in my own office in Kineton, with some news which will be of significance to the readers of THE GAZETTE. By the time these notes are read we will have experienced a change in Commandants with Colonel Higgins going to Donnington and Lieutenant Colonel Sharland taking over the reins here at Kineton. Our congratulations go to both on their promotions to Brigadier and Colonel respectively. Petroleum Centre JUNE was the month that we were too busy to have visitors and the depot filled jerricans three days per week despite our claim that we can only fill twice weekly. We also inloaded stock and issued it as quickly as if POL had no tomorrow. June was the month that the School of Petroleum with five courses running simultaneously discovered that only having three classrooms makes life difficult. June was the month that the Depot RAOC team won the interdepartmental volleyball league by winning all five matches, that the unit athletics team surprised itself by coming second in the South West District Minor Units championship. (There was an even bigger surprise but that's another story.) (See page 88.) The RAOC members—Major Wood, Lance Corporals Fulton and Hinks and Privates Hames and Phipps together with their ACC and RPC colleagues are to be congratulated. For a unit as small as ours this was a great achievement. Press deadlines prevent a report on the RAOC Regatta at Netley but as we write half way through we are lying second. Army School of Ammunition SINCE our last newsletter the School has undergone changes in Staff and Students. Lieutenant Colonel Chris Hendy has handed over the reigns to Lieutenant Colonel Hugh Heap and has gone on promotion to DSM Bicester with the best wishes from all the School Staff. The new ' boss' has settled in well and his finger is firmly on the pulse. WOl (Conductor) Roger Crisp has left CLA to be an officer, with congratulations and best wishes for the future from all at the School. Congratulations are also in order to Captain Phil and Maggie Freegard on the birth of their first born, Nathan James. Mother and son are both fine. The school also came out well in the annual ' lottery' with seven being provisionally selected for promotion, well done in advance to WOs2 Fluff Roberts. Paul Wharton, Staff Sergeants Mick Stripe, Jim Fleming, Phil Jones and Sergeants Barry Morgan and Mick Newsome. Enough of the Staff—what has been happening at the School? We have entertained, and hopefully educated to our normal high standards, several VIP's. They include His Excel- lency Lieutenant General Mohammed Al Mani'a Al Bela'a of Saudi Arabia. The Rt Hon J. Wiggin MP, Under Secretary of State (Army), several dozen Defence Correspondents for a briefing on RAOC Bomb Disposal and last but certainly not least, Major General Whalley. The 82B AT Course finished and the Graduation ceremony was conducted, for the last time, by DLSA, Brigadier Smith, who presented Private Moffatt with the ' G u y ' Cup for the best practical student on the 82B Course and the ' McArthur' Cup to Private Martin, the best all round AT student for the 82/83 training year. Both prizes were earned and well deserved. The 83A CFAT Course is nearly completed and Captain Ray Lane from the Irish Army will have to fail all his remaining exams if he is not to finish top of the course. Who said Irish- men are thick? Indeed, in this case, who dares? Shrivenham has just ended for the new ATs and ATOs courses and they are now getting down to the ' knitty gritty' of ammunition here at the School. There appear to be a few characters on both courses but more about those in later letters. Captain Andy Williams and Staff Sergeant Barry Taylor have returned from three months in Bahrain where a hard and difficult task was successfully completed and Staff Sergeant Willy Hunt has just left oh detachment to 321 EOD Company in Northern Ireland, take care Willy, keep programming. — Photo G. K. Gillberry. Putting the S h o t — M a j o r L. N . W o o d at the South West District Athletics Meeting at T i d w c r t h . 105 — |
| Book number | R0406 |