Summer term
Final Ten Tors training and selection took place
at the beginning of term, and in May our 18
senior 62 NCOs were 'dined out' by the Officers
of the CCF at our seventh annual dinner. Our
CO, the headmaster, and Mrs Biggs were the
senior guests and the OC gave the address, at
this his last dinner before he retires in
December. Members of 61 waited at table.
May also saw the culmination of months of
training with the Ten Tors main event. This
year we were back to our usual three teams,
and we celebrated by being served breakfast by
the headmaster! The 35-mile and 45-mile
teams completed successfully, and five of the
55-mile team also completed, with their sixth
member collapsing with heat exhaustion at the
tenth tor! What a difference a year makes to
the weather!
The Royal Navy section spent the summer
Field Weekend at Wimbleball overnight, where
they were sailing with Father Mark who takes
over the section in September when Mr Haynes
becomes housemaster of Woodard house. The
Royal Marines were overnight on the North
Devon coast where they climbed at Baggy Point
and surf canoed at Saunton Beach with the
new RMTT RSM Mr Bates. The Army
section were overnight at Caerwent Training
Area, South Wales, with the 4th form ? and
some NCOs.
At the end of June Sjt Lucy Barker heard that
she had been selected to be Lord Lieutenant's
Cadet for next year. Aftert the end of term, the
Contingent Camp was enjoyed by 12 cadets
and four officers. It took place at Warcop in
Cumbria and was an excellent, if rather wet,
camp. A very full daily programme, with
evening activities too, guaranteed a tired but
happy bunch of cadets by the end of the week.
Chindit Camp led by Major Cole for 50 cadets
on Exmoor is reported elsewhere, but it is
worth recording here that it was perhaps the
wettest on record. Despite this they were in
good spirits and at least the sun came out to
dry the tents on the last day!
One of our cadets attended the excellent RM
Arduous Training Camp at Garelochhead,
Scotland. It features a week of military training
and range work
followed by a
second week of
adventure training
and a 72-hour
exercise with a
dawn attack by
rigid raider across
the Garelochhead
estuary.
During the year,
cadets also
attended courses
ranging from RYA sailing to powerboating, and
from climbing to canoeing. Throughout the
year we are assisted in the Army Section by 20
Cadet Training Team Sergeant Danny Pearson
and for the Royal Marines by Sergeant Adie
Davie RM. WO2 Bob Turner and Mr Andy
Owen assisted with climbing instruction during
the year and also instructed at Easter Camp.
As we work up now for our Biennial Review by
General Sir Jack Deverell in November, I can
look back with pride over my six years as OC.
I am so grateful for the superb support I have
had from the staff and especially my SSI, Staff
Sergeant Ron Mason. He has improved our
facilities and kit each year, ably assisted by Lt
Belfield, and I am convinced that we are as a
result of their efforts the best equipped CCF in
the country. I wish the King's CCF well for the
future and am so grateful for 26 years of happy
memories and companionship.
Aluredian
25