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RAOC Gazette - page 231

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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 I nearly forgot to mention Captain Chris Hillier who gives us
a wave as he cycles by on his way to who knows where. Never
mind, Staff Sergeant Willie Hepburn and I (Sergeant Graham
Punchard) will continue to see the job through and still manage
to pound the perimeter of the camp every available spare
moment.
HEADQUARTERS
6 ARMOURED
BRIGADE
WE would like to welcome Lance Corporal Paul Holmes, fresh
from his Falklands ' holiday' and say a sad farewell to Sergeant
Pat Farrell on his promotion to Staff Sergeant and posting to
Military Operations in the MOD. I hear they work twenty six
hours a day. Never mind, only ten hours a day more than we
work.
Moving onto the driving side of Brigade life. We have
Private Phil Shaw who while reversing his black (army) Escort
into a Land Rover, was quoted as saying " it was his fault, he
was going forward." Meanwhile, at ASMT Leconfield, Private
Curly Lowe successfully passed his HGV driving course and
we're looking forward to having him on the Brigade ' Duty
Driver' roll.
WOl Pat Ryan and Corporal Keith Black, the BOWO and
BOWO's clerk respectively (although sometimes we wonder)
have just returned from Ravelin Camp after ten weeks ' holiday'
on Summer Sales. We've heard they're volunteering to run it
next year.
The Storehouse have welcomed Staff Sergeant Les Livesey
back from R and I and said goodbye to Private Paul Duncalf
who has left for six months in BATUS. Lance Corporal Alan
Bates and Private Bill Greer soon depart for Canada too, with
1 WFR.
Congratulations go to A/Lance Corporal Williams, Privates
Mick and Kev Donnelly, Kev Potts and Paul Duncalf on being
provisionally selected for promotion. Privates Bill Greer, Steve
Clancy and Jimmy Egan all passed Bl courses and Corporal
Alex Raeburn has been doing his EPC. We welcome Staff
Sergeant Brian Wilkes, Lance Corporal Bob Stewart, Privates
Derek Blade and Steve Clerk to the Company.
STORES PLATOON 4 ARMOURED
WORKSHOP
CORPORAL SPUD MURPHY and Lance Corporal Dave Frost
have just returned from Exercise Liquid Chase where they were
part of the logistic element. Dave recalls the time he asked
Craftsman Singh to pick him up a Ten Pack and three bags of
spuds (cockney for crisps) from the CQMS. An eternity later
there was a thud from the tail board as Singh returned with a
cwt of potatoes demanding the cost of a Ten Pack, which it
cost him to bribe the cook!
Helicopter handling in the Platoon is a success story. Staff
Sergeant Warne has completed his refresher training and Staff
Sergeant Richardson is in UK on his Air Movement Officers
course.
Additionally equipment table proposals have been
floated to give us night landing points.
4 Ordnance Battalion
I BATTALION
HEADQUARTERS.
With
^ » ^
the sun worshippers on holiday, the
^^H^^^L
remainder of us, Captain Mike Lewington,
fl^H^^^^
(yes folks, believe it or not he has actually
^^^^^^^H
been at work all month), WOl Tom Burke,
- ^^^^^^^H
W02 Roger Blackwood, Sergeant Kenny
^^^^^^^r
Hogg, Corporal Steve Carter, Lance
^^B^^^
Corporal Clive Green and myself (who shall
I remain nameless) only had to step outside
the office to be surrounded by beautiful
sunshine and temperatures as high as thirty two degrees
centigrade.
After a long hard battle (which we lost), the DFA Cedric
Cousins and his staff, Eric Worsdell and Lesley (we've got to
mention them, they buy THE GAZETTE) were forced to move
offices to make way for the new S02 Tpt. The DFA however,
got the best part of the bargain, which included a new (sic),
modern, freshly decorated (with real paint) office complex.
We hope our temporary S02 (Combat) or should it be
Wombat (the animal not the Anti-Tank gun) Major Warren
Evans RAAOC enjoys his stay.
To complete this name dropping article, I'd better mention
our civilian staff—Carole and Fiona in the Orderly Room,
Margaret and Joy in Materiel, Frau Dann, our expert in con-
tracts for ' Portable Toilets' and Penny who is baby-sitting
C Sups. Keep up the good work.
PS. I think I must be getting promoted. I've just been told
if this gets published I won't be a Corporal much longer!
42 ORDNANCE
COMPANY
THE two main events have been the Nijmegen Marches and
the Connaught Shield Competition.
Staff Sergeant Pete
Learmonth led the Company Nijmegen Team of Lance Corporals
Mitch Mitchell, Karl Bowkis and Jock Martin, Privates Tony
Melvin, Derek Blade, Tony King, ' E T ' Johnston, ' Toad'
Glover, Terry Boyle and Taff Hewett. Our guest marcher was
Private Geordie Cox from 3 BAD. Second Lieutenant Duncan
Gibbons organised our Connaught Shield Challenge, well aided
by Lance Corporal Williams, our RMA. This was primarily a
first aid competition run by 11 Armoured Brigade. It turned
out to be gruelling and tested combat first aid abilities; AFV
recognition, vehicle navigation, a forced march, a stretcher race
and an assault course. The weather played havoc, the tempera-
ture being in the nineties. The remainder of the team were
Lance Corporals John Bolland and Steve Walton, Private Tony
Melvin, Terry Boyle and Taff Hewett. The Company has now
said farewell to Major Stephen Roberts. Our sincere best wishes
go with him and his family, Eileen, Sarah, David and Stephen;
good luck in Berlin. Our new master is Major Des Townsend—
much sweeping of brushes is taking place! Staff Sergeant Ray
Northcott has now left for a Work Study course and Private
Taff Hewett is about to depart for a Commando course. Staff
Sergeant Brian Wilkes has joined PC and A as NCO IC Control
Office. W 2 Duxbury returns after being away on an NBC
course, Coffer course and leave.
Staff Sergeant W a r n e and his team helicopter handling during
the A R U .
Lance Corporal Spike Asplen (Dvr) has successfully com-
pleted his B3 Supply Controllers course at Deepcut and is
changing trade. Privates Jock Mitchell and Jeff O'Grady have
passed their HGV3 test at Leaconfield and Private Taffy Davies
has also passed his Eager Beaver driving test. Well done each.
Lance Corporal Fackerell has arrived from COD Bicester
to take over the long vacant post of driving instructor. We wish
him welcome and a safe tour.
5 Ordnance Battalion
51 ORDNANCE
COMPANY
DEAR Mum and Dad,—Captain Eagle organised, with the aid of
Sergeant Stewart, a team from the Company to enter the Inter-
national Annual Nijmegen Marches. They spent a lot of time
out of camp marching about the countryside, in preparation
for four days of marching twenty five miles carrying weighted
webbing at Nijmegen. They did very well on the day; even
Captain Hendy went down to see them finish. They weren't
satisfied with that so they entered the German Reserve Army's
competition at Nienburg. They ended up with a cup for the
Best Disciplined Team in the event. Well done to: Captain
Eagle, Sergeants Stewart and Carrahar (on loan from 52 Ord-
nance Company), Corporal Plunkett, Lance Corporals Bradley,
Standing and McLaughlin and Privates Baker, Brown, Grier,
Heathcote, Maxwell, Todd and Woodward.
— 192 —
Book number R0406