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RAOC Gazette - page 157

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Full title RAOC Gazette
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Publication date 1983
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Early date 1983
Late date 1983
Transcription RAOC (BAOR) ATHLETICS
MEETING
THE RAOC (BAOR) Athletics Meeting took place this year at
the BAOR Sports Stadium, Scnnclagcr Training Centre. Eleven
teams entered, comprising all RAOC units in BAOR some as
far away as Celle, Rheindahlen and even Antwerp.
Most of the morning was taken up with track event heals
and the tug-of-war, admirably run by W02 Dardis and Staff
Sergeant Gill. The five thousand metres was won convincingly
by W02 Marsh who managed to lap all the other runners.
Over the lunch period we were entertained by the Rhine
Staff Band, conducted by the Director of Music, Captain Briggs,
3 RTR.
At 1400 hours precisely, our free fall parachute display team
' The Cannonballs' under the leadership of Captain Hawthorne,
dropped in to the Stadium. The display team were then intro-
duced to Major General Whalley and Mrs Whalley who were
our guests for the day.
Second Lieutenant Hoddcr receives his prize from Mrs Whalley
for the winning javelin throw.
The afternoon saw some really fine athletics, the highlight
being the new RAOC and BAOR javelin throw of 66.48 metres
by Second Lieutenant Hodder of 6 Ordnance Battalion. Second
Lieutenant Hodder also holds the Army record with a throw
of over seventy metres.
The overall winners of the meeting were 3 Ordnance
Battalion with 6 Ordnance Battalion a close second. 3 Ord-
nance Battalion also took the Field Force Trophy, while RAOC
Viersen took the Team Track Trophy and 6 Ordnance Battalion
the Team Field Cup. The new event, the Individual three
thousand metres Steeplechase was won by Private Scott of
7 Armoured Workshop Stores Platoon, while once again the
Old Soldiers Race was won by WOl Cheetham of Headquarters
BAOR.
Mrs Whalley, kindly presented all the prizes at the end of the
meeting, and was then presented with a bouquet of flowers by the
three year old daughter of Corporal Watson of 6 Ordnance
Battalion.
Special mention must be given to the Physical Training
Corps Staff, our own officials and of course the Announcer
Major Gibson, who all, with their expertise helped to make the
meeting a great success.
THE
INS
AND
OUTS
YOU have two sides, one out in the field and one in. Each
man that's in the side that's in, goes out and when he's out,
he comes in and the next man goes in until he's out. When
they're all out the side that's out comes in and the side that's
been in, comes out and tries to get those coming in, out.
Sometimes you get men still in and not out. When both sides
have been in and out, including the not out, that's the end of
the game.
R/VOC B A O R FULL, B O R E
SIIOOOTING
COMPETITION.
THIS year's competition was held again on Scnnclagcr Ranges.
The overall organisation, administration and range staff were
provided by 4 Ordnance Battalion. Twenty three different unit
teams entered for the various competitions.
SLR, SMG, Pistol and LMG were the four weapons used
during the competition. In the individual competitions, Corporal
Arrowsmith of 4 Ordnance Battalion was supreme on the SLR
and high scoring on the other weapons ensured that he became
Champion Shot of the Meeting. WOl (SSM) Myers of Dulmcn
was a most worthy runner-up in the SLR competition forcing
two re-shoots of the Roberts Cup before Corporal Arrowsmith
emerged the winner. 6 Ordnance Battalion provided the winner
of the Young Soldiers SLR competition in Private Sanders.
Corporal King of 3 BAD won the individual SMG match
whilst Staff Sergeant Watson of 4 Ordnance Battalion won the
individual Pistol competition (again!).
The team events were very closely contested. Dulmen 'B'
won the team SLR and SMG competitions but not by a
sufficiently high margin to prevent 4 Ordnance Battalion 'A'
who won the team Pistol competition from becoming the overall
Challenge Match Winners.
The LMG Pairs winners were
provided by Headquarters BAOR (Sup) in the form of Major
Glasby and Sergeant Cattcrall.
As usual the Falling Plate Competition provided a very
exciting finale to the meeting, Headquarters BAOR (Sup) ' pip-
ping' Recklinghausen by half a second only in the final.
Brigadier Paviour kindly presented the prizes.
For the record, the results of the competitions fired were as
follows: Individual SLR, Corporal Arrowsmith; Young Soldier
SLR, Private Sanders; Rank and File SLR, Corporal Arrowsmith ;
Unit Team SLR, Dulmen (B); Stores PI/Sect SLR, 2 AC Sp
Unit; and Falling Plate, Headquarters BAOR (Sup).
Individual SMG, Corporal King; Unit Team SMG, Dulmen
(B); Individual Pistol, Staff Sergeant Watson; Unit Team
Pistol, 4 Ordnance Battalion (A); LMG Pairs, Headquarters
BAOR (Sup); Champion Shot, Corporal Arrowsmith; Challenge
Match—Runners-up, Dulmen (B); Challenge Match—Winners,
4 Ordnance Battalion (A). (See photograph on page 152.)
CORPS
HOCKEY
IT has been some time since Corps Hockey was last reported
in these pages. Keen followers of the sport will recall that
our heroes' herculean efforts failed to win them either of their
first two matches. This was followed by a plea that some of
the ' silent majority' should come forward to drag us up out
of the mire.
BAOR ' Tour.' In early October, we provided a 'Touring'
side for a long weekend in Rheindahlen.
Spdly we were
forced to borrow three players from other sources to make up
a squad of twelve for the trip. We played four military sides
based around the Garrison area and consistently managed to
come second, despite the occasional promising flurry of play.
Morale boost of the tour came when the Rheindahlen Exiles
Goalkeeper came forward before full time to put away a
penalty stroke and make the final score ten nil.
Army Tournament. We returned to UK feeling sore but
having learned some useful lessons. Our opening games in
the indoor tournament were, as usual, rather slow to start and
we failed to progress beyond the preliminary rounds, despite
having given the Infantry a shock by having a five all draw
at half time, before they went on to become eventual runners-up
in the competition. The outdoor competition was played in a
similar vein and our performance fluctuated from a disastrous
four one defeat at the hands of the RAMC to a very fine
performance in a hard fought match against the RAPC, the
current inter-service champions.
The Remaining Fixtures. The remainder of the season was
predictably inconsistent and despite a promising upswing at the
end of the year, which was marked by victories of two one
against REME, six nil against the RAMC (it serves them right)
and the end-of-season giggle came when the RE travelled to
Blackdown and between us we could only raise sixteen players,
so they borrowed one of our players and we played an
amusing eight-a-side match, which we won three one. Sadly,
these victories were offset by disappointing performances at
Sandhurst and at Bordon, where we lost the Greenford Urn
for the first time in seven years.
(Continued on page 159.)
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Book number R0406