Page 6 - Flaming Cauldron – Issue 58
P. 6

ACC ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER


         Major Eric Lewis

         Secretary Designate of the ACC Association



         I am thrilled to introduce myself as                                   (Worthy Down), Army HQ (Andover)
         the Secretary Designate of the Army                                    and finally returning to Marchwood
         Catering Corps Association, taking                                     (Sea Mounting Centre) where I finished
         over from  Wally  Vincent who has                                      my military career. I add these units and
         held the reigns and supported the                                      locations, not to show where I served,
         Association for nearly 5 years. I thank                                but rather hoping to jog a few memories
         Wally for his ongoing commitment, ded-                                 with the aspiration to reacquaint past
         ication, and the service he has provided                               friendships.
         and know, he will be sorely missed by all                                 I am very proud of my service with
         and a very hard act to follow.                                         as a chef in the ACC (and RLC) and
            A little about myself. Prior to joining                             remember fondly (now) when being a
         the Army, I worked for over 4 years in the                             chef meant being tested 3 times a day
         hotel and restaurant industry in South                                 and the norm was to work long and
         Wales as a commi/sous chef. I joined                                   unsociable hours. I did not appreciate
         the ACC in October 1981, initially                                     the long arduous hours at the time, but
         in  13 Squad  on  the  Depot  side –  no                               through reflection have recognised that it
         hisses please from the Apprentice cohort, before               has given us a unique esprit de corps. This is borne
         being up-squadded due to my previous catering                  out by the Association and you, its members; who
         experience and civilian qualifications held. I was             would have thought that the ACC Association
         very fortunate to have had a full and rewarding                would be thriving some 29 years post its demise?
         career, both in the ACC (12 years) and RLC (28                 I attended the Cenotaph this year (2021) alongside
         years) as a chef and commissioned officer. Serving             another 50 Association members, some I knew,
         across the Army (in posting order): 3RGJ (Celle),              some I did not, but we all had one thing in
         2nd Bn Grenadier Guards (London/Ballykelly),                   common, we were chefs and proud of it.
         3 ADTR (Duisburg), 4 Regt RA (Osnabruck),                         The current plan is that I will take over from
         2   RTR    (Fallingbostel),1ADSR  (Herford),                   Wally at the beginning of April 2022 and I write
         29  Regt  RLC (South  Cerney),  Blandford                      this well before that date and currently do not fully
         Garrison, 20 Armd Bde (Paderborn/Sennelager)                   appreciate the scope of the role. As such, I have no
         and lastly (as a chef/soldier) Army HQ (Wilton)                manifesto to share, other than to state that I look
         where I served as the Command Catering Warrant                 forward to being your Secretary, so please do get
         Officer and from where I was commissioned.                     in touch, either by email, the website or just old-
         On commissioning, I served with 4 LSR                          fashioned snail mail – a letter. I will look forward
         (Abingdon), 17 P&M Regt RLC (Marchwood),                       to your correspondence, whether that be to;
         DRLC (Deepcut), HQ Defence Explosives and                      provide guidance, ideas for the betterment of the
         Munitions (Kineton), Food Service Wing as OC                   Association or simply to touch base.


         2021 Festival of Remembrance



         I’m delighted to report that Webmaster     Royal Scots Dragoon Guards and
         Colin MacDonald proudly carried the    First Aid Nursing Yeomanry
         ACC Association Standard at this year’s     Army Catering Corps Association
         Festival of Remembrance at the Royal
                                             Colin was pleased to attend although
         Albert Hall on Saturday 13th November.
                                             a little disappointed to learn that the
         In  addition  to many Standard Bearers
                                             ex-service Associations featured for
         from the various branches of the Royal
                                             approximately 4 seconds on the  TV
         British Legion, the following ex-service
                                             programme, if you blinked you may
         Associations were also invited:
                                             have missed this! David Ashburner last
           Royal Naval Association
                                             represented the ACC Association at the
           Royal Air Force Association
                                             Festival of Remembrance in 2011 so it
           Royal Marines Association        looks like we may have to wait another
           Queen’s Own Highlanders          10  years  for  glimpse  of  our  Standard
            Regimental Association           once again.
         PAGE 6                                                           SECRETARY@ACCASSOCIATION.ORG | WWW.ACCASSOCIATION.ORG
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