RAOC Gazette - page 171
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 |
aviation fuels for the Greenham Common International Air Tattoo. 2 and 3 Platoons have also gone away—canoeing and rock climbing. Of the few remaining most have been playing cricket successfully for the Army, Corps and Battalion. Even CSM Kelly has gone fishing. With any luck when I get back Lance Corporal McShanc will be there to type these notes and Private Spence will make some coffee. As an encore to all this activity we arc all going on block leave at the beginning of August. But I'll see them after that—Oh yes! Logistic Support Battalion A M F ( L ) BATTALION HEADQUARTERS. Since our last contribution the Battalion has completed Exercise Adventure Express in Eastern Turkey close to the Russian border, moved a sub-unit, held a Beating of Retreat and survived the ARU. A fairly normal two months! AMF(L) COMPANY. The major events of the last two months have been the completion of the move to Ludgershall from Devizes and the Turkish exercise. The Rear Party, ably led by Captain Bill Jay worked miracles in transforming the new barracks. Staff Sergeant Fletcher laid out the Storehouse just as he wanted it only to have it all spoilt by the return of the exercise equip- ment. The new unit club now is fully operational. Exercise Adventure Express proved an eye opener in more ways than one. Lieutenant Ben Blackwood rapidly became an expert on local purchase satisfying everyone's requests even the Americans! Private Sroka's laundry service was much in demand from the Class III boys who had an easy life under Staff Sergeant Hannah. This was probably Staff Sergeant Hannah's last AMF(L) exercise and he went out in style. Near the end of the exercise, the OC called a stand-to, announced that the camp had been destroyed by air attack and that the Company were to withdraw taking only what they carried at the time. A night march ensued, a cold bivvy and a long dawn march back to camp. Private Humphries chose to wear his slippers as the most appropriate footwear. Staff Sergeant Hannah who had been left to guard the POL site, spent a miserable night convinced the Company were going to attack him. Class V had a rough lime in their Turkish barracks and tented village. Following an interesting display of artillery, mortar and aircraft firings (helicopters landing one hundred metres in front of the mortars that had just stopped firing), Cap- tain Chris Storey and Sergeant Turner were called upon to destroy a large unexploded aircraft bomb. On finding the bomb, Sergeant Turner left his OC to carry on muttering "One man risk, Sir." A large crater now marks the spot! Special thanks to the CQMS dept who made enough profit in the first week of the exercise (cornered the only source of beer) to subsidise the entire endex party And to the cooks for their contributions. No account of the exercise would be complete without a mention of the sterling work of Class 1 (rations). The butchers toiled in the abbatoir, Lance Corporal Haywood and Privates Tait and Moore humped numerous sacks and counted thousands of eggs. Corporal Shefik was in his element and Lieutenant Wallwork ran everywhere particularly near the end of the exercise. The quote of the exercise goes to Private Burkitt who, having spent one hour as an NBC sentry in full NBC kit in a temperature of over one hundred degrees, was asked by an umpire, " Where is your map." " I haven't got one Sir, they are all Top Secret" (true incidentally). We say a welcome to the following new arrivals, W02 Ellis (officially), W02 Treveil (our new smart CSM), Staff Sergeant Welton (second time), Sergeant Inskip, Corporals Sedgwick, Wilson and Fleming, Privates Henry, Stradomsky and West. Congratulations on promotion to Staff Sergeant Sebburn, Sergeant Morgan, Lance Corporals Rowe and Weinand. We say farewell to the following, Staff Sergeant Hannah, Sergeant Pratt, Corporals Lawrence and Shefik, Privates Fen- some, Tegg and Thomas. To close on a sad note. We have said farewell to CSM Ray Scott and his wife Barbara who leave the Company and the Army. We wish them every good fortune. Commando Logistic Regiment ORDNANCE SQUADRON ON the athletics front we won the Regi- mental Athletics Meeting with several new records being set. Lance Corporal Scousc Dincley won the two hundred metres and the four hundred metres (new record) Private Skin Hcelcy won the fifteen hun- dred metres and the five thousand metres (new record), Corporal Laramie Clarke won the ten thousand metres, Corporal Gcordic Anderson won the eight hundred metres (new record) and we took all the relays in a very im- pressive track display. This sterling display was but a warm-up for the tri-scrviccs marathon at RAF Swinderby. The Squadron's now famous Cross Country team turned their hand to marathon running with excellent results. They won the Minor Units title and came third in the Major Units, brushing shoulders with 3 Para (first) and 1PWO (second). Corporal Laramie Clarke earns another mention by becoming Royal Marine Marathon Champion. (If you were called Laramie wouldn't you be a good runner?). With the Squadrons sporting fixtures completed we were launched into Exercise Wagon Train, a Regimental military skills exercise based in the comforts of Okehampton Camp. BFTs, night yomps, first aid, patrolling and a two day logistic phase ensured all ranks were switched on for the forthcoming 3 Commando Brigade exercise Rough Diamond. Exercise Double Diamond (as it became known) saw the Squadron embarked on LSL Percivale and steaming down the channel to Gosport. There we landed as part of the UK/NL Landing Force. The OC and Captain David Collins rushed into action to establish the Beach Head. Meanwhile, the Squadron main body split into three main parties. Captain Graham Wilson's FBMA party pushed forward to the ' B ' Echelons of the fighting units to provide ' on hand ' logistic support. Tech troop, under WOl Paul Hughes, deployed to Salisbury Plain along with Captain Nigel Smellie's Combat Supplies Troop, to support the Landing Force as a whole. During the course of the exercise the FBMA was attacked by 3 Para. Staff Sergeant Theodore Hladkij and Private Jap Norton were seen putting up a fierce fight at the DP, while Corporal Yorkie Bricheno locked himself in his cab! We welcome to the Squadron Sergeants Warden, Crook and Marine Pugh. Farewells are said to Sergeant Jones, Corporal Bonsall, Lance Corporal Dickie and Marine Banks. A special mention here for the infamous Captain Brian Patrick (Tug) Wilson" who leaves the Squadron for dull old Cyprus. Con- gratulations to Lance Corporals Whelpdale and Harrison on their promotion, and to Lance Corporal Heaton on becoming a father. Lieutenant Phillip and Lieutenant Argyle are back from Brunei to become Mess Secretary and OIC Washing Machines respectively! 1 Aircraft Support Unit THIS month has seen the progress of three schemes which should all help to improve the technical capability of the Unit and be of interest to past, present and future colleagues. Thanks to de- tailed storage and manpower studies com- pleted by WOl Arkle and W02 Webb of the RAOC Management Services Unit UKLF from Thatcham, there is now a good chance that new centralized storage and office accommodation will be provided at Middle Wallop, and with luck additional manpower authorised. Of special interest to FAACO NCOs is the news that VDUs will be introduced at first line in BAOR and UK in 1986 as authorised by US AS/ RAF Unit Supply ADP System. There will be a ' Standalone' facility which means that Support Units will be able to carry on with their own data base, even if the link with the central computer is down. Sergeant Turner and Private Preston currently on line at RAF Stanley will be pleased to hear Corporal McKaig and Private Wollaston have volunteered to move South—Corporal McKaig having already drawn his winter weather kit from South Cerney despite the present heatwave here. Headquarters RAOC TA has kindly provided manpower to prepare for the forthcoming move of the Historic Aircraft Spares to Liphook. The task was supervised by Sergeant Bing — 142 — |
| Book number | R0406 |