Back to Library Journals

RAOC Gazette - page 197

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 Jfor tfje
<Eetort>
A
MEMORY
FROM
DOWN
UNDER
MANY readers will remember Captain Ron Mitchell who was
our Director of Music in the sixties. Ron left us in 1968 to
become leader of the RAAF Central Band and RAAF Director
of Music. He retired on the 6th September and our photo-
graph was taken at his farewell concert, with the band, in the
Dallas Brooks Hall in Melbourne.
Ron is now fifty seven, having served an extra two years to
allow a suitable replacement to be found to take over the band.
He is not about to give up music though; he is to join the
Music Staff of Westbourne Grammar School in Werribee, near
Melbourne.
Colonel E. C. Shcphard.
followed, where he had worldwide responsibility for logistic
supply support to Army Aviation.
In 1974 he was promoted to Colonel and became Com-
mandant CAD Bramley. After a tour as Colonel Control Division,
Directorate of Supply Management (Army) he assumed the
appointment of CR AOC South East District in December 1980.
Chairman of the Army Gliding Association, he is an active
competition pilot and very well known in the gliding world.
The Otmoor Challenge was the brainchild of Colonel
Shephard when with DSM at Bicester. This'' fun-run,' in aid of
charity, goes from strength to strength—as reported on page 171.
We wish him well in his retirement.
NEW
Photo Denis Hersey, RAAF (PR)
A face many will remember.
Major Joe Hastings, who is on a two year exchange appoint-
ment, sent the photograph to me. He says " I saw Ron lead-
ing his band down the main street during my first week here,
and I gather he has made quite a name for himself. Certainly the
farewell concert attracted a great deal of media attention."
Those who remember Ron will not be all that surprised.
COLONEL,
SHEPHARD
RAOC
COMPUTER
G O E S LIVE
SYSTEM
OUR photograph shows Colonel M. L. Mathams accepting
Phase II of System 3 Stores from Mr D. E. Thomas, Senior
Principal in charge of the project during the User Acceptance
Meeting held at DSM (A) Bicester.
Phase II was the largest RAOC ADP project ever and it is
thanks to the skill of those who designed and tested the system
that it went live with no major problems at all.
Work is still progressing on Phase III of System 3 which
will go live in early 1985 and which is even larger than Phase II.
RETIRES
COLONEL SHEPHARD was born in 1928. Commissioned into
RAOC in 1947 and served in Ordnance appointments in Tripoli
and Egypt. Following parachute training, he joined 16 In-
dependent Parachute Brigade in BAOR, subsequently serving
with them in Cyprus and Egypt.
In 1956 he formed and commanded the special RAOC unit
in support of Operation Grapple on Christmas Island, where he
served for fifteen months. A two year spell as an instructor at
the School came on his return.
From 1960 until 1963, he served with Army Air Corps as
a pilot, and later became DADOS (Air) Headquarters 1 Wing
AAC in BAOR. He attended the Management Science Course
at Manchester University during 1966, following which he spent
three years at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst as an
Instructor. A further tour with Army Aviation as ADOS (Air)
— 162 —
Accepted with thanks.
Book number R0406