Page 8 - RADC 2023

Major John Sharp retires
Col (Retd) Paul Mannering & Maj (Retd Retd) John Sharp
MAJOR JOHN SHARP - SHARPIE - a retirement conversation with Paul Mannering
Well, the time comes for us all to retire at some point, and for our esteemed colleague Major John “Sharpie” Sharp he decided to call it a day on 23 June 2023. I asked John to have a conversation with me on his service career and life.
So how did it all start John?
Well in my home city of Glasgow I was a van boy for Sloans’ dairies but didn’t want to milk it for a full cream career. So, I went off to the recruiting office and very nearly found myself into the clutches of a Scottish Regiment. Thankfully, after having been assessed and graded as “Stupid but Saveable,” fortune shone on me that day and I bluffed my way into joining the RADC as an Apprentice Tradesman at the RAMC Apprentices College in Keogh Barracks on 12 Sep 72, aged 15. After three years I left there as Chavasse house sergeant and reported
as a private soldier at the RADC Training Centre in Aldershot. I had to undergo basic Dental Clerk Assistant training but after a short period as a dental nurse in our own clinical wing went seamlessly onto my 3-year City and Guilds Dental Technician training. Mine was the third course that had theory under the auspices of Brooklands Technical College at Weybridge whilst our practical training was carried out in our labs by senior rank army dental techs. In our first year we just practised on phantom work
and moved on to supporting real live cases in our second year across all disciplines of plastic, chrome and crowns and bridges. In our third and final year, consolidation was the order of the day and those with aptitude were selected for some maxillo facial training before moving into hospital departments in support of the specialist cadres. Over those years promotion was on time basis to reach sergeant at the 5-year point and thereafter on merit.
I suspect you had some interesting jobs thereafter John as you gained more experience technically and of course promotion.
I certainly gained some terrific experience in the military hospital specialist cadres and grew to like it at Woolwich and Rinteln. Similarly so in a general capacity with a tour in Minden, including an operational commitment to 4th Armoured Division Field
Ambulance. This was followed by a spell in Northern Ireland based at Palace Barracks but covered duty at Musgrave Park Hospital. Career management at the time was in
part by negotiation and given my seniority I was extended there in order to get a move to Hong Kong for once again a hospital- based employment including BMH Dharan in Nepal. So, quite a few bases covered. Hong Kong proved a fascinating tour with bags of opportunity for the unusual, not least the opportunity to meet and look
after the leading star roles from the TV series “Dallas” and feature in the briefest of walk-on background roles. After a while and promotion to Staff Sergeant and a further tour in Germany I was selected to be the Warrant Officer in the main lab in Aldershot followed swiftly by becoming the overall laboratory manager in the rank of WO1. After a few months I became the Training Centre WO1, essentially the Corps RSM, and that really was the precursor of what we know now to be the Corps Rep Sgt Maj. I had hardly found my feet in post, including delivering the Corps 75th anniversary celebrations, when I was commissioned as a Support Officer in the RADC.
Wow that certainly seemed to be
a canter John and a vast array of experience and turbulence in such a short time. How did it go after commissioning?
Well initially for a couple of years I was taken away from the Corps to work in a supply
role at Medical Supplies Agency Ludgershall as Dental and Radiographic Equipment
and Materials Range Manager. That was fascinating, and I was proud of developing and delivering the defence supply system that the National Audit Office recorded and credited with a saving to the Defence Dental Agency of millions of pounds. Thereafter I returned to more regimental duty posts in training, junior command administration and recruiting. My experience in training was then used in the training and development department of the Army Medical Services prior to a short period in career management back in my home City. My final uniformed appointments saw me return to the south
of England as a special projects officer and finally from 2004 - 2006 as the Plans Officer at the Defence Medical Services Training Centre where it all started some 34 years earlier in Keogh Barracks. Whist working
6 RADC BULLETIN 2023
EDITORIAL