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RAOC Gazette - page 236

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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 that he is never seen due to the large number of extractions
done daily in PC and A. Stop complaining Norman, as they
say,-if you can't take a joke
AMMUNITION
PLATOON.
We welcome our second batch
of summer temporary staff and in the lucky bag was even a
Corporal AT, Corporal Steve Futcher. The others are Privates
Gaz Barks, Paul Duncalf and Michael Jones. They've already
noticed how enjoyable it is here. We also welcome our new
AMW5, Mr Steve Kirvan, who is still finding his feet.
On the sporting side the platoon is getting heavily bruised
in the non-contact sport of floor hockey. Many of the platoon
had an enjoyable afternoon at the recent Medicine Hat Stampede
and Rodeo. A special mention must go to Corporal Smudge
Smith for his bravery in following us all down the local water-
slide!
Hong Kong
STORES SECTION 50 COMMAND
WORKSHOP
LIFE in Kowloon, for anyone who hasn't had the pleasure is very
noisy and fast moving, so it was decided recently that we would
try to find a quieter more sedate spot from which to conduct
our business. Staff Sergeant Pete Cooney ordered the transport,
the stores and office furniture were loaded and off we went in
search of our happy hideaway.
Now it had been rumoured that Corporal Bob Forshaw
had managed to find such a place in the New Territories, called
Sek Kong, where he had, for the last twelve months, been leading
an idyllic life as the NCO IC the Sek Kong detachment. Yes I
think that is the place for us.
Some hours later and with Route Twisk safely behind us
(no mean feat in itself) journeys end was in sight
Now after going to all of the trouble of ordering vehicles,
loading stores and travelling all of that distance something
had to go wrong, hadn't it? Well we managed to find the right
camp, we even managed to find the Sek Kong detachment but we
couldn't get Corporal Forshaw to believe that we were the main
stores section come to visit and not a band of raggle taggle
gypsies looking for somewhere to spend the night However,
after some discussion and much crossing of palms with silver we
were allowed access into our new home.
We have now been here two weeks and most of the staff
have managed to get out of the habit of ducking every ten
minutes, purely a reflex action from the very low flying aircraft.
There is however a sad note to this, we are all fairly sure that
the main workshop will become curious as to where we have all
gone and feel that it will not be long before they too travel the
arduous Route Twisk from Kowloon to Sek Kong in search of
their stores section.
Seriously though all of the staff in the section have put in a
great deal of work in order to make a difficult move go very
smoothly and as the paint brushes and dusters are handed out
we all realise that Route Twisk isn't the biggest hill in Hong
Kong.
Congratulations this month go to Corporal Kev Izzo on •
passing his RPC1 course, well done Kev but now you will have
to get out your old schoolbooks as EPC is just over the
horizon.
We say farewell to W02 John Bennetts and congratulate
him on his promotion to WOl, and wish him well in his new
post. Also farewell to Staff Sergeant Pete Cooney and family,
Pete also leaves us on promotion to W02.
We welcome to the fold W02 Les Rogers and family from
Colchester and Corporal Jim Collins and family from Bicester.
Royal Brunei Malay Regiment
A social/sporting event recently much en-
joyed by all was organised by WOl Arthur
Burns, it took the form of a soccer match
in the afternoon followed by a games
evening. Our opponents were the REME
LS, the results were, Soccer Lost four nil,
Games Evening won four one. WOl Bob
Watson excelled himself in the Blowpipe by
bursting all five balloons.
WOl Jack Leek, W02 Paul Moore and
their respective families having decided that
the urban life of Brunei was too tame,
chose to spend a weekend deep in the jungle at the Regimental
Hill Hut. Planning commenced, the most difficult decision

to make was how much beer and wine would be needed to see
them through. The payload of the Bell 212 helicopter, used to
get to the h u t w'as the main deciding factor. A most enjoy-
able weekend was spent, except for a slight provisioning error.
You guessed it, ' The beer ran out'
Simon Hibbert son of WOl and Mrs Harry Hibbcrt, on
his very first trip to Brunei, set a record in the time taken to
jonrney from England to Brunei by air. Total time five
days. (Engine failure in Zurich.)
This month (July) saw the commencement of two long
awaited moves of location, firstly Ammunition has been flow-
ing thick and fast from Berakas and Kampong Kapok to the
new Depot at Penanjong. The overseer was W02 Bob Davics
whose only comment that is printable was " SATs sure know
when to go on leave." Secondly the PC and A and Admin of
the Logistic Depot moved in less than two days from Berakas
to Bolkiah. All went well throughout the weekend and it was
business as usual on Monday morning. Well done!
WOl Guy Adams our man at GE is now branching
out into the realms of transport, he is soon to become the
proud, envied controller of six new Bedford Pickups.
A happier man around the place of late W02 Ken Bartlett
who has finally secured his place in transit (Traffic/CDP). As
a result many changes are apparent, all for the better one
might add, it even looks efficient.
Captain Colin Kennedy is now fully recovered from his
cartilage op. Taking his place is the OC who managed to pull
a hamstring whilst doing or attempting to do a deep water mono
ski start What ever that is. Get well soon.
Stop Press.—Congratulations to WOl and Mrs Paul Rogers
on the birth of yet another son (Mathew).
RAOC in the Faiklands
LOGISTIC
BATTALION
HEADQUARTERS.
Since last report Cap-
tain John Bourton has left us and we wel-
come Captain Mike Opie REME as
Adjutant and expect daily Major M. J. C.
Moore RCT as 2IC and Sergeant Britain
Grenadier Guards to relieve Sergeant
Maddison who has done all our Move-
ments so well. Corporal McDonough and
Gunner Home will also be replaced by
Corporal Bhachu and Gunner Rose, main-
taining the cosmopolitan appearance of
our Orderly Room.
Over in QM Dept we hope to receive soon Major Nobby
Hall RCT to replace Captain John Cross though the conflicting
reports as to the arrival of Coastel ' Pursuivant' may make the
dates uncertain. W02 Peter Ingham left at last and took the
accumulated knowledge of the early tented days at Battalion
Headquarters with him. We wish him well on his WSO course
and hope he does not come back and check on us again next
year. With the arrival of Sergeant Longergan and Corporal
Hall this month we are back up to strength, and we wonder
who will be the Coastel manager.
ACC people are moving up in the world; we are to be
given a W 2 soon (Critchley from ACC School) and two more
Sergeants (Jirat to replace Bob Le Cuirot when he leaves us with
a sigh of relief after running the all-ranks field kitchen, and
Pound from RMCS in a new vacancy) in order to give a rank
structure for the eight hundred and twenty eight persons to be
accommodated on ' Pursuivant'
STORES COMPANY. Our long awaited stores from UK for in-
stocking have arrived. So much has arrived that the Supply
Specialists have asked the Skipper if he has elastic sides on
his ship. Staff Sergeant Paul Farrelly our Vehicle Specialist
has promised to take his Vehicles off the ship when he gets
his park but believes they will be blown away into the mud of
Stanley when he moves.
The problem of storage has changed hands and W02 John
Anderson inherits from WOl Taff Homer. The long awaited
arrival of the WRAC has come, welcome Corporal Sue Rogers
and her girls. They have joined the ships company and on their
first day they were greeted with typical Falkland weather and
the harbour was closed, unfortunately we had to return them
home to the Rangatira before we could get to know them.
The company has continued with their Mini-Olympics
and have thrown out the challenge to units at volley ball, how-
197 —
Book number R0406