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RAOC Gazette - page 189

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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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Early date 1983
Late date 1983
Transcription SUPPLY
COMPANY
PETROLEUM PLATOON. There has been too many arrivals
and departures to name them all and a few transfers within the
theatre as well. We have finally managed to prise Corporal
Neil Willis off our coastal tanker and he is now settled at one of
the outstations. Corporal Brian Poole spent a week on the
tanker and has now changed his name to Hughie. A special
welcome to Corporal Scouse MacDonald as he is our first TA
Pet Op to join the platoon. Our congratulations also go to
Lance Corporal John McGrath on getting his promotion on
his last day here.
AMMUNITION PLATOON. The main happening since the last
report was the overnight transformation of one of our am-
munition stacks into a tractor park. Unfortunately the driver
decided to park on top of the ammunition instead of moving it
first. Once it was realised the unknown driver was not coming
back to claim the vehicle we moved it off the site and handed
it over to Faircloughs who, after changing a wheel, took it
away.
GeH-ing on fop of the job!
The comings and goings looks more like a who's who in
the platoon with farewells to: WOl Mitchell, Sergeants Trent,
McGrath, Stewart, Corporals Tressler, Mansell (on promotion),
Dart, Wise, Lance Corporals Brown, Daly, Privates Dunhill,
Beswick, Causer, Peake and Haggart.
Welcomes to WOl
Ferguson, W02 Thynne, Staff Sergeant Honeysett, Sergeants
Pritchard, France, Hurry, Corporals Hawkswell, Besley, Clark,
Heddon, Thomas, Lance Corporal Davidson and Privates
Puckrin and McCheeney, quite a few turkeys for slagging on.
Oh yes, Major Carey is still here with no replacement nominated
—any takers? Finally Lance Corporal Gabriel has given up
looking for W02 Thynne's belt which the latter insists was on
the bar when he started drinking. Never mind Denis now you
know that Falklands brew eats belts!
RATION PLATOON.
W02 Brian Scott and Sergeant Bruce
Watson were part of the Company team in the Inter Unit Quiz
Competition. They put up a creditable performance although
there was an embarrassing moment when Sergeant Bruce, after
listening to Saturday Night Fever Music and being asked who
played it, answered 'John Travolta!'
Members of the Ration Platoon are beginning to get away
on adventure training. Privates Douglas Murton, Scouse Lowe,
Tarn Collins and Paul Hargate have all recently spent a week hill
walking in the Hill Cove/Mt Adam area.
Those who weren't able to manage a whole week took a
Saturday off and made a twenty five kilometre round trip to
Port Stanley — Sapper Hill — Mount William — Tumbledown —
Goat Ridge—Two Sisters—Moody Brook—Port Stanley. Most
of the area around Two Sisters had only just been cleared by
the Sappers and caused some concern amongst the walkers.
The order of march went Captain Paul Arnold, W02 Brian
Scott, Corporal Peter Hockaday, Privates Cabbage Needham
and Jock Brown. The final two were Sergeant Vic Bennett and
Corporal Ian Balfour who were both catching the ship home
the next day and were leaving nothing to chance. The walk
was quite pleasant taking in the Royal Engineers and Welsh
Guards monuments as well as Argentinian positions and a few
roped off minefields. All the walkers managed to get back
in time for Major David Clare's farewell drinks in the Cathedral
Hall bar.
Sergeant Paddy Steele is the original member of the South
Atlantic Swimmers Club and has been joined by Private Michael
Pilgrim both qualified after taking a dip after visiting ships of ill
repute but excellent entertainment. Major Ray Carey appeared
to be about to join but held, or was held, back.
In the recent Falkland Islands inter unit volleyball com-
petition Supply Company entered three teams all managed by
Lance Corporal Briddon. A Ration Platoon team made the final
against RAF Stanley on board the recently commissioned Coastol
Safe Espiria. It was a close final with the Ration Platoon being
narrowly beaten. The team, all of whom won a set of darts,
was WOs2 Jimmy Utterson, Brian Scott, Sergeants John Fleck,
Chris Dunning, Paddy Steele and Private Doug Murton.
W02 Brian Scott, Lance Corporal Jim Strang, Privates
Douglas Murton and Alex Phillips are currently enjoying an
eight day cruise to South Georgia and back on LSL Sir
Lancelot.
ASU. After a twenty four hour delay due to a technical fault in
the Hercules the last of the old crew of the ASU departed the
islands for the UK, Captain John Ore and Sergeant Brian
Jenkins, we wish them well and ask for their forgiveness for
laughing when informed of the delay.
We welcome W02 Steen, Sergeant Gudgeon, Privates Haden
and Campbell and yours sincerely, who is missing his fishing
in Scotland.
The ASU continues to function out of ISO containers, we
count them regularly because there is a tendency for them to sink
in the mud, the weather has deteriorated considerably to the
extent that Christmas Day was celebrated on the 25th of June.
To all our friends within the Corps who have yet to visit
these sunny shores we send greetings and a most sincere " Wish
you were here."
HEADQUARTERS
BRITISH FORCES FALKLAND
ISLANDS
OUR Superintending Clerk, WOl (Cdr) Ged Mead and the new
Chief Clerk G1/G4 W02 Steve Sambles arrived to the sheer
delight of WOl Mick Charlesworth and W 2 Ralph Gothard.
The smiles on their faces told the whole story. We wish Ged
and Steve all the best in their tours with us and also our best
wishes go with Mick and Ralph on their respective postings to
Rheindahlen and Wulfen.
Other members of the staff in
G1/G4 are Staff Sergeant Mel Kingston, Corporal Geoff Tue,
Lance Corporals Graham McKay, Mark Keymer and Private
Jim Galloway. Mel, Mark and Jim can be heard crying, ' Days
to do etc' North East District, Maastricht and Bicester beware.
Over in G3 we have Sergeant Pete Dawson, .Lance Corporals
Ray Bailie, Ronnie Russell and Private Wayne Allingham.
Hidden, but not forgotten in Command Secretary's office is
Private Richard Hicks.
On 10th July we all moved from our respective accom-
modations to the new Lookout Camp and all in all it is a world
apart from our previous kipping joints.
Of course, morale will boost when the WRAC arrive at the
end of the month, but unfortunately they will not be in the
Camp.
Mention must be made in this note of a new NATO
Branch to be established especially for BFFI and that is G9.
This branch covers ANY disasters, chaos and anything that
everyone else does not want. Staff Officers contribute regularly
to this branch!
TERRITORIAL
ARMY
55 Ordnance Company(V)
AND so to camp. A quick summary of the first week might
read:—"A good week on the Ranges and only three hospital
— 158 —
Book number R0406