C.C.F. Notes

feats of sailing in squall and gale. I can see now the look of incredulous surprise on Mr. Henderson's face when he actually caught a mackerel; the alarm when a mountain squall nearly wrapped him and the square sail around the mast; the satisfaction as he squatted cooking his fish for breakfast in a pool of olive oil in the frying pan; the pleasurable surprise as he munched peat when we were lost trying to map read our way to a small loch high in the hills, and the unconcern as he swam far out into Loch Moidart with the temperature at 32 deg. and playful seals gambolling about him. It was a memorable week.

At home, my wife, having heard little from me, was watching the Press daily for some dramatic headline such as "Teachers lost on holiday", or "Schoolmasters' death plunge". But she need not have worried. Providence was with us, for even when the car almost ran into the small harbour at Ardtoe, it was low tide—and we weren't in it, anyway. A . G. C .

The Science Exhibition, which opened the term, afforded an opportunity to show to many parents some of the work of the C.C.F. The C.C.F. displays included the following : R.N. and R.A.F. exhibits and demonstrations on Navigation and Pilotage, maps of overseas flights by Cadets, 25-pounder gun and instruments for indirect shooting, telephone exchange, the workings of the inter-school wireless network and the I.C. engine. The closing of the exhibition was marked by the firing of a salvo of blank by the 25-pdr. gun crew. 5th May. The Annual Victory Thanksgiving Service took place in York Minster. As last year the contingent sent a representative detachment, commanded by Flight-Lieut. D. G. Cummin. 14th May. The unit received an informal visit from the Deputy Director of Cadets from the War Office, Brigadier M. H. ap Rhys Price. As we had met the Brigadier several times before at camps, we were very pleased to show him round the School. 26th May. A letter was received from the C.I.G.S., Sir William Slim, Colonel of the West Yorkshire Regiment, that he had given his approval for the Contingent to be affiliated once again to his Regiment. On 12th June the whole Contingent marched through York, with band playing, to Imphal Barracks for the Ceremonial Affiliation parade. Brigadier Springhall, from Northern Command, took the salute. Major Cuppage, the Depot Commander, made all the arrangements, and we are grateful to him for a very pleasant morning in the Barracks. The Police had been most efficient and it was quite an experience to march back through Coney Street at mid- 43

day with all the traffic diverted for us. The following is an extract from the very full programme that day :- 10.30 hrs. Arrive at Depot. 11.00 hrs. Ceremonial Inspection. March Past. Salute by the 25-pdr. Gun. 11.30 hrs. Refreshments. Visit to West Yorkshire Regimental Museum. Display by Regimental Band (just home from Austria) of beating Retreat. 12.00 hrs. Return march through York. 12.30 hrs. Lunch. 13.00 hrs. Fall in and march to York Station. Entrain. 14.00 hrs. Arrive at Castle Howard Station. Detrain.

EXERCISE. 16.30 hrs. Refreshments. Transport to Malton. 17.05 hrs. Entrain at Malton. 18.00 hrs. Back at School. Supper. (No. prep. !).

The Exercise was only for the Army Basic and Recruit Sections. The idea was that the Army and Basic Sections should work across country in small parties to contact Sgt. Blincoe and his associates up in the hills beyond the Castle, avoiding, en route, a protective screen of watchful recruits under S.S.M. White. The terrain proved almost too much for most—Cpl. Gunning and his party being the only ones to get through to the hills. After the refreshments in the woods a shuttle service of buses and private cars endeavoured to get us all to Malton Station in time to catch the train home. One party, in spite of great efforts by Mrs. Craven, Mr. Rhodes and the Sgt.-Major, arrived at the station too late. This led to an unexpected extension of the exercise ! Another bus was soon chartered and everyone was back at School for supper. We should like to thank Mrs. Craven and Mr. Rhodes for bringing their cars to relieve the transport situation.

During the exercise, the R.A.F. Section, who had gone to Linton Aerodrome, flew over the area in an Anson on a map-reading exercise.

The R.N. Section went to H.M.S. Ceres for the afternoon. 17th June. The R.N. Section sent a detachment into York to take part in a "Meet the Navy" parade. At the inspection by the Lord Mayor the party were complimented on their turn-out and general smartness.

For about three weeks we were without the services of Sgt.-Major Power, who went off to Brazil. We were pleased to receive a letter from him telling us of his many hair-raising exploits refereeing for the Confederacao Brasileira De Desportos in Rio de Janeiro. 7th July. The Signal Platoon have their Classification and Instructor Examination. All but one of the 14 entered obtained their Classification, and Ackroyd, Shepherd and Stabler their Assistant Instructor Certificates.

14th July. Two Cadets went over to Pocklington School to take a Certificate "A" Examination. Cpl. Rhead passed with distinction. 24th July. The Senior Air Staff Officer, Air Vice-Marshal Hardman, from H.Q. Home Command, visited the Unit with the new A.O.C. from 64 Group, Air Commodore Warburton. We were very pleased that they stayed to watch part of the "Fernie" Cup Competition.

The "Fernie" Cup again took the form of a series of tests for the House Squads. Everyone entered fully into the spirit of the competition and the interest of the large audience added to the excitement. The two judges, Major Cuppage from the West Yorkshire Depot and Squadron-Leader Byrne from 64 Group, had a difficult task to select the winners. The Squad that displayed most leadership, ingenuity and general efficiency was Grove, and the Cup was presented to them.

The Recruit Cup Competition took place as usual and was won by School House.

Commemoration. Once again the end of the Commemoration week-end was marked by the ceremony of "Sunset".

R.A.F. SECTION

During the holidays, Flight-Sergeant J. B. Weightman completed his training as a pilot to A licence standard at the Newcastle-uponTyne Aero Club, under the Flying Scholarship scheme. His first solo flight was made after less than four and a half hours instruction, a feat which had not be bettered at the Club.

The Summer Camp at Cottesmore was a useful and, for most, enjoyable experience. A fuller account is given elsewhere.

It is hoped that perhaps by next term an Eton Glider, of the type seen in use at Cottesmore, will be provided for the use of this Section. It will be operated and maintained by the Cadets under supervision and will provide considerable relief from the somewhat heavy classroom programme, as the Proficiency syllabus will be suitably altered for R.A.F. Sections using one of these gliders.

R.A.F. SECTION CAMP, 1951

This year's camp was held at R.A.F. Station, Cottesmore, in Rutlandshire. It was raining when we started out from York by train for Peterborough on Tuesday, 1st August. When we arrived in Peterborough we found we had missed our connection to Cookham, and it was late afternoon when we arrived at Cottesmore. We collected our bedding from the stores and we were shown to our tents, which accommodated eight people each.

Each morning we were awakened by the bugle at 6-30 a.m. and immediately had P.T. on the parade ground, after which we 45

made our beds and we had breakfast. Then at 8-30 a.m. we generally attended colour-hoisting parade, after which there was a full training programme for the day with lunch at 12-30 p.m. After tea there was sometimes a half-hour drill parade after which one could do as one liked. One day was devoted to an exercise called "Exercise Roadhog", which was reasonably successful, and one day was devoted to shooting practice on the .22 and .303 rifle ranges. On the Sunday all the cadets at the camp attended the village church at Cottesmore and in the afternoon there were games and voluntary swimming at Bourne. We were catered for during free time at night in the N.A.A.F.I., where we played games or read. The food was very good and, indeed, the whole camp was well organised.

The last day or two spoiled the camp as it rained most of the time, and we ended up by leaving for home a day early, and so missed the flying and gliding programme for us, but those cadets who had never flown before were taken up in Prentices for a short flight. On the whole the camp was a great success and the whole Section was very reluctant to leave when the time came to go home. CADET CORPORAL.

R.N. CAMP, SUMMER, 1951

For those who did not go to the Easter Camp, there was a camp held on board H.M.S. Indefatigable. Nine cadets took advantage of this and spent a week on board this Aircraft Carrier which was moored about half a mile out, in Portland Harbour.

H.M.S. Indefatigable has been converted into a training ship, the upper hanger is now one huge mess deck and many small messes, etc., have been converted into classrooms.

Our programme was very varied. The cadets were formed into four classes, the School being in "Chieftain" class. A regular P.O. was in charge of each class and gave the class the instruction in classrooms, showed us round most of the ship, and took us cutter sailing and pulling.

It was perhaps unfortunate that the last three days of the camp were "holidays"—Saturday, Sunday and August Bank Holiday Monday. As a result the ship was about empty, however, the Regular P.O.s kindly stayed on board to give us instruction.

We joined in most of the ship's routine, including "Captain's Rounds" on Saturday morning, the firing of the 21 gun salute on the occasion of the Queen's birthday, and Sunday morning divisions on the flight deck.

We visited H.M.S. Vanguard, which was lying about five cables away, and also went round some frigates. On a "pulling" expedition we landed on part of the Mulberry Harbour and went near an old American 4-funnel destroyer which was being filmed in connection with a film of the St. Nazaire raid.