RAOC Gazette - page 232
Image details
| Corps | RAOC |
|---|---|
| Material type | Journals |
| Book page | |
| Chapter head | |
| Chapter key | |
| Chapter number | |
| Full title | RAOC Gazette |
| Page number | |
| Publication date | 1980 |
| Real page | |
| Colour | Yes |
| Grey | No |
| Early date | 1980 |
| Late date | 1980 |
| Transcription |
SOLDIERING BY THE SEA BLACKDOWN TRAINING COMPANY SUMMER CAMPS PROBABLY the first sign that this years Training Company Summer Camp was going to be a good one was the numerous conferences we had to discuss it; not least amongst them the weather conference held with the OC, The Sergeant Major and The Padre. Accordingly the whole of Training Company embarked up- on a fleet of luxury coaches and headed west for Penally by the sea. After a pleasant and not too long a journey we arrived at the camp to be greeted by the advance party—already seasoned campaigners in the town of Tenby. A quick tour of the camp amenities, a reminder of the next days programme and a lift into town ended the first day. Perhaps for many the next day came as a shock when woken up at 0615 hours to be taken for a run to the beach in the company of the camps red-coats (sorry the Physical Training staff) culminating in a breath-taking, hangover-curing, preomona including a dip in the sea. This was to be a daily occurrence and a constant test of the initiative of the CSM, the Platoon com- manders and the NCOs in devising new and more subtle ways of persuading the recruits to get into the water first! It was a pleasure on one day to see Lieutenant Colonel Marshall, lead- ing the Company into the sea. By the second day we were settled in and' the main activities began. Hill walking and orienteering under Lieutenant Mc- Dowall proved to be a very popular sport with some soldiers electing to continue until 10 o'clock. (Others thought they were lost). In the first week we had a few days on the low level air defence range and under the guidance of Captain Coombs most recruits had a chance to shoot at MATS 'A' (model aircraft). The cliffs and caves opposite the camp were excellent for rock-climbing and our thanks must go to CSM Chapman and to Sergeant Edwards as well as to our own Sergeant Lambert and Corporal Ford for the professional instruction we received on the faces. The most popular activity offered was the water sports. Q. Spree and his team provided a variety of activities including, sailing, water ski-ing, canoeing, rowing and generally pottering about in boats. Not only did they give enjoyment to those who took part but were a constant source of amusement to the tourists at Tenby. Our thanks also go to Corporal Holt from Bicester who assisted with the sailing. Other activities included clay-pigeon shooting and horse riding—the latter being extremely popular especially when it presented an opportunity to see the OC, Lieutenant Harris and Q Spree all fall off in one session! During our time at Tenby we received a great deal of help from the local community especially The Tenby Sea Cadets and in return we were able to entertain the representatives of the com- munity to a Regimental Dinner Night in the Officers and SNCOs Mess. All too soon, however, the fortnight drew to a close and we found' ourselves boarding the train for the return to Deepcut. The move back passed almost without incident The only vehicle not to get back to camp was Lieutenant Inions 3.5 litre Rover drophead coupe which broke down in Sennybridge; could this be as a result of using 16.1 speedboat fuel? At our Harlech camp the NCO's tended to give the im- pression that there was some sort of Airborne reunion in pro- gress. This was reflected in the way all of them tended to navigate in straight lines, feeling that any cliffs or nigh-on un- passable vegetation just enhanced the recruit's interest in the route. However, once the recruits got onto the hills they seemed to enjoy it. One man was heard to remark " I'm from Birmingham me; I love it out here." Every three days the Platoons changed round. The pro- gramme for each Platoon consisted of a two day expedition and half a day of either climbing or caving in the old slate mines. The Cambrian March team also put in a lot of training and was supplemented by those recruits who did especially well in the hills. It was a common sight to see the NCOs and the OIC, Lieutenant Errington-Weddle, come in somewhat out of breath, having made every effort to get ahead of the team in the last two or three miles. They would have been a lot further ahead if Lieutenant Errington-Weddle had not had what appeared to be sufficient kit in his bergan to survive the third world war in comfort. The staff at Harlech was Lieutenant Brian Errington-Weddle, Second Lieutenant Mark Whitaker, Sergeant Pete Learmonth, Corporals Ian Ross, Ken Hollows and Lance Corporal Taff Thomas. Thanks go to Chris King for the use of the mountain centre's facilities and all his help with the routes, camp sites and instruction. All in all it was a very worthwhile and enjoyable two weeks adventure training which we hope can be repeated in the not too distant future (funds allowing!) APPRENTICES CORPS OF COLLEGE DRUMS • AFTER a successful year, the Apprentices College Corps of Drums is accepting engagements for in-put into the 1981 College training programme. Bids for the Corps of Drums should be forwarded by the end of November for engagements from May 1981 onwards, avoiding the following recess dates: 6th August to 7th September 1981 and 11th December to 9th January 1982. Corps of Drums performances are of ten to fifteen minutes duration and in the past they have performed at Open Days, Cocktail Parties, Fetes and, of course, Military Parades. The Corps of Drums does have considerable recruiting potential and it has been policy to permit the Apprentices, in their band uniforms, to mingle at functions attended by civilians. It should be noted that the Corps of Drums is an un- official body and as such relies heavily on donations for the upkeep of uniforms and instruments. A donation of £40 per performance, other than military parades, will be requested in 1981—possibly, in the present climate, together with transport. — 183 — |
| Book number | R0404 |