RAOC Gazette - page 235
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 |
Welcome to our new Chief Clerk, Sergeant Gardiner, wife Cathy and children Kelly and Toni, hope you have a nice stay in Cyprus. AMMUNITION DEPOT. Luck was with Corporal Ginge Cald- well as his car was drawn first on the indulgence list for the flight home. Everyone wants to know how he managed it as the flight is worth more than the car! Our congratulations go to Private Andy Thomson on pass- ing his RPC2 Course, Di and Ginge Caldwell on the birth of their daughter Kelly, and Jock and Thelma McLellan on becom- ing grandparents for the second time. We say farewell to the SAT, WOI Roger Hubbard and family—we wish him well on his commissioning and forthcoming tour in Germany. We welcome his replacement, WOI Paul Mitchell and hope he has an enjoyable tour in Cyprus (even if the golf is not quite what he expected!). The Stores and Vehicle Depot win the Akrotiri Raft Race (Best Presentation). triumphant in the doubles. Meanwhile, back at the beach, Major Catt ran the very successful All Island Board Sailing Regatta, an event which produced a very wet and exhausted Adjutant, Captain Emmett. In the office, some of us are in from time to time, much thought was given to computers by the visiting DSCS team headed by Lieutenant Colonel John. Walkabout season is on the way with W02 Pat Long, Staff Sergeants Gary Curtis, Geordie Stanton and newcomer to the squad, Lance Corporal Nick Bowdler all training frantically. Geordie Stanton's taking this one so seriously he's sending his wife and kids home and moving into the Mess for the rest of his tour. We wish you well Vera. STORES AND VEHICLE DEPOT. Although the weather here is quite hot it doesn't stop the sport and physical torture, the RAF has decided that no one should partake in physical activities at midday. So what do you see? RAOC out on a five mile bash, seven mile endurance runs and we can't forget the Hash. Staying on the sport theme, I must mention Sergeant Stan Burke, he has won the WSBA Championships, that is, every- thing he entered he won. I believe his wife Nette is after a raise in housekeeping as she is using too much silver polish on the trophies. Our walkabout team is still training hard and are suffer- ing for their endeavours: Sergeant Jim Hills-A very is losing his toe nails, Sergeant Kev Keogh is getting sore legs, but W02 Dave Leach and Lance Corporal Tony Devlin do not complain at all. Our ' I'm going to do a marathon' Corporal Chippy Carpenter is out every night training. The marathon is in March so he will have plenty of time to get in shape. The RQMS W02 John West spends a lot of his spare time at the swimming pool instructing the children to swim, he has also started to teach the wives. Departures this month were Staff Sergeant Fred Haddock and family, Sergeant Colin Humphreys and Corporal Mel Short. Arrivals: We welcome Sergeant John Walsh, Corporal Chippy Wood and their families. Finally, a mention about our resident ' Whitey from Blighty' Sergeant Jim Hills-Avery, he has been with us now for nine months and is still as white as the day he came. He must go moon bathing! SUPPLY DEPOT. As most will know, the Summer period is our busiest month supporting units on exercises and our Pet Op, Sergeant Smith (our resident jerrycan washer/painter) seems to realise it's no fun being a Pet Op in Cyprus. On the sporting front, we have had a decidedly good response towards rugby with possibilities of four members being selected for the forthcoming season with Dhekelia Garrison Rugby team (Sergeant Ken Cornwall actually finished the rugby training session—the following day he looked very ill). Our annual swimming tests were taken at the Vergi Hotel at mid- night, led by Mrs Chris Jones after our Supplier's Arms Dinner Night! Farewells: we bid farewell to Corporal John Edwards who has been temporarily attached to the Supply Depot before posting to Tidworth, and to our long serving civilian, Mr Nick Hassapis, on transfer to King Richard School Dhekelia. — 1 British Force Lebanon - IT is now mid August and after the announcement of yet an- other extension of the Force in Lebanon, ' C ' Squadron QDG realised they could take it no longer. They were sent reeling back to Wimbish happy and smiling whilst 'A' Squadron QDG have arrived in their place in assorted moods, (never mind boys only one hundred and thirty three days to Christmas!). The Force RAOC reps have started their turnovers as follows: — After six months out here we have said farewell to Major Mike Southworth who has had to go back to School for a crash course on space invaders (actually he's off to the Cranfield School of Technology—good luck sir). In his place we welcome Major Stuart Bennett from 9 Ordnance Battalion and having now settled into the job, he has promised to do a recce for a barber's shop. As well as the normal S02 G4 duties he seems to be enjoying life as a Force Movements Clerk! After a final rendition of ' Flower of Scotland' Sergeant Jimmy Brechin has departed the scene for Osnabruck but before he left he managed to swop his anaemic suntan for a replacement in the form of Sergeant Bob Sylvester who also joined us from 9 Ordnance Battalion. He has quickly managed to master the more important phrases of Arabic whilst out on local purchase, like ordering our beer stocks. Cheers Bob! Our ' civvy' attached, Staff Sergeant Keith Tomlinson also departs at the end of the week—he hopes. Beirut airport has been closed for a few days now so he's busy chatting up the 'Chippy' and quickly taking up sailing skills. He returns to UK to get married and then back to the hub of Head- quarters 1 (BR) Corps. He is being replaced by someone who claims to be more intelligent, or at least wears a green beret and so cutting the RAOC strength from four to three. Corporal Bill McKinney has slithered off to UK for a week to bask in the glory of the QDG homecoming; but will soon be back in the front line after returning via Cyprus by US helicopter. Never mind Bill, you can have a one-way ticket some- time in November so keep smiling 'till then. The local Druze and Christian Militiamen decided they would give 'A' Squadron a demonstration of the weekly Lebanese bonfire night by lighting up the sky with Standard RPGs and Mortars just to convince them that the rebuilding of sangers and the humping of sand bags to the roof is all worth while. BATUS i^s^^V |j«P*^l /Ji»j!5sjii •JtW^iffrA lljlifw^Ifll •MR^NiJilw llfgF'^ •M WE say farewell to Staff Sergeants Marty Reed and Stu Reid and their families to Ludgershall and Portsmouth respectfully. We welcome W02 Alan Hannah and Staff Sergeant Bob Law and families to our happy band. The OC assures us tne y w '"' e n i°y their tours. STORES PLATOON. Staff Sergeant Dave Montgomery assisted by Lance Corporal Danny Plunkett and Private Steve Maidment RPC have, so they say, reorganised their set-up during the summer. Perhaps it might work now! RSG is now running smoothly says Corporal Geordie Purkins. We don't know how he knows as he's always on leave or courses leaving Private Geordie Joyce complaining. With two Geordies together though, what else do you expect. Private Douglas is to be congratulated on being the hero of the BATUS soccer team by scoring forty one goals in ten games to become the top scorer. Staff Sergeant Norman Coom has again reminded us to note |
| Book number | R0406 |