C.C.F. Notes

There is town leave after supper at eight o'clock until nine fortyfive. Boys can use the school's recreation hall. Here they can play table tennis, billiards, snooker, draughts, and chess. There are also two days a week when boys are free, for the afternoon and evening, to go to Elgin, the nearest large town.

One of the high-lights of the course is the three-day trip in the school's sixty-ton Schooner, "Prince Louis". Each watch goes in turn and forms the working crew of the ship. Every morning the ship is cleaned like any other. The decks are scrubbed, brasswork is polished, and ropes are coiled, etc. Each boy goes up aloft and along the bowsprit to furl sails, needless to say wearing a life jacket. He also takes a half-hour trick at the wheel.

The other big event of the course is the three-day expedition to the Cairngorms, the highest range of mountains in Britain. There the boys sleep three in a tent, cook their own food, and light their own fires. On the first day they go on a short walk of about ten miles. On the second they go about fifteen miles, climbing one of the four thousand foot mountains. The third day is spent recovering !

Every boy has to write a daily log book for which he receives marks. He takes a very simple examination at the end of the course on seamanship and first-aid. The results of this and the rest of the course are sent to the boy's parents as a report. If it is a good one it will definitely help the boy in his career, especially if he is hoping to enter the Royal or the Merchant Navy.

The author attended this course in September, and had a thoroughly good time. He recommends it to any boy who has a love of the sea. C.G.H.

The new but was hardly ready when the term started, but as there was a feeling of impetuosity in all Sections, the move to the new quarters commenced. It proved to be a complete upheaval. The main office moved into the former R.N. store, the old office became the new training store, the sand model room became the main R.A.F. room and in the new but the three empty rooms became the armoury, the instruction room and the seamanship room.

We were very pleased to welcome a new Drill Instructor from the Depot on the first parade. He very soon made himself felt and the standard of arms drill improved rapidly. The R.S.M. lost no time in equipping the new recruits and they took their place on parade in a remarkably short time. The first three weeks were occupied with a Certificate "A", Part I, Examination, and preparation for the Inspection. 59

The Annual General Inspection took place on 15th June and was carried out by a representative from the Admiralty—Rear-Admiral Ham. Lt.-Col. Henson and Squadron Leader Baxter again represented the other two services. The weather could have been better, but the rain held off until after the march past and so the disaster of last year was avoided. The heavy rain during lunch made the Ings very wet, but apart from making the going very heavy for the Army Platoon, it did not interfere with the conduct of the exercise. The general scheme was not unlike the exercise of two years ago, though this time the accent was, rather naturally, on the R.N. Section. The river was rapidly spanned by means of two jackstays and the vital ammunition for the 25-pdr. was collected and, transferred across before the Army Platoon launched their attack. Some of the R.A.F. Section flew low over the area giving an air of realism, while the remainder, using rubber boats, harassed the enemy. The "pilot line" that was fired over the river was most spectacular. The conception and execution of this item was due to the initiative and resourcefulness of Cadets Kay and Lamb.

The Inspecting Officers seemed well satisfied with all that they saw.

On 18th June the Unit entered a team of four for the West Riding Inter-School Shooting Competition; it is a .303 shoot on Ashburton lines to be fired on the open range at Strensall. It was a very pleasant afternoon and thoroughly enjoyed by everyone. Our team, under S/Sgt. Penman, did well to win the Cup. We hope that this will now become an annual event.

On 28th June we received a short visit from a troop of Armoured Cars of the Royal 'Horse Guards. A lecture was followed by a demonstration, and many enjoyed rides in the vehicles.

The Fernie Cup took place on 8th July and proved to be a hard task for all competitors. The form this year was an "Escape" Exercise. House Squads were transported and led blindfolded to an unknown destination some miles from York. They were released at intervals and had to make their way, across country, back to School, encountering certain hazards on the way. The best squads were supplied by Temple, School House and Manor—Temple winning the Cup.

On the last parade of the term the Royal Artillery Examination took place. This is the first time that this Examination has been held though the Detachment has now been going for a number of years. The result was most satisfactory and we look forward next term to having a fully-qualified N.C.O. in charge.

The Commemoration Ceremony with the Guards and Band brought to an end a very full term. D/M. Wheatley, who left for 60

Canada before the end, handed over the Band to the leading bugler, Bardgett. At short notice 'Bardgett did extremely well and handled the whole ceremony with confidence.

All that remains now is to look forward to the three Camps— reports of these will be given separately.

R.N. SECTION

The sight of our long-awaited Seamanship Room gladdened the hearts of those whose fingers numb easily when rigging gear outdoors in the depth of a York Winter. It proved to be a major task, however, to prepare the room and rig the new mast in time for the General Inspection, not to mention the intricacies of planning a Jackstay to span the river. In all these projects assistance was readily received from the less heavily committed members of the Section—special recognition being due to Kay and Lamb.

School examinations inevitably lessen the enthusiasm for C.C.F. matters, and after the Inspection the visible activities of the Section seemed to dwindle. With a concentrated effort towards the end of term, however, we managed to complete some signal tests; to produce an efficient guard at Commemoration, and to hoist a suitable Commemoration signal.

It is pleasing to note that there is now a steady stream of boys entering the R.N.V.R. before leaving School, thus ensuring their National Service in the Navy.

R.N. SUMMER TRAINING

We were cordially welcomed by the officers and men of H.M.S. Jamaica, a Colony Class Cruiser lying in Chatham Dockyard, but we were very soon told that as half the ship's company was on leave we would have to work for our living.

The twenty-four cadets made a useful addition to the depleted company, and we felt we had earned our keep between 0730 and 0900 each morning. After this we were kept busy with various tours and lectures for the first part of our stay. An excellent day was spent aboard H.M.S. Obdurate (a destroyer) steaming up the Thames from Sheerness to the Pool of London. The same evening we were visited by Major Crews, who seemed most impressed by our messdeck, crowded though it was. During his stay he was shown as much of the ship and the training facilities as could be crowded into 24 hours.

Then came the Chatham Navy Days. There was "part of ship" work in the mornings, and in the afternoons we were detailed to man a light jackstay used for transferring visitors from the ship to the dock side. This was arduous work, but there was considerable satisfaction to be derived from the fact that during this period we were "members 61

of the Ship's Company" in a real sense. Most of our spare time during Navy Days was spent in seeing the excellent demonstrations in the dockyard, which included diving in the submarine "Upstart". On the day before we left, the training programme was concluded by a talk on N.A.T.O. by the Commanding Officer, Capt. Burnett, D.S.O., D.S.C.

We are grateful to the officers and senior ratings in Jamaica for a true insight into life aboard one of H.M. Ships. Most of us felt that we were very well treated, especially as we were the first cadet unit to visit the ship.

THE ARMY CAMP

The first thing to say about the Army Camp this year is that it was not held at Fylingdales. Why, indeed, those watery slopes were ever chosen for an army camp has always puzzled us; and the thought of a third visit this wet Summer could only have evoked a dreary picture of damp bedding, of streams cascading through the lines, and lorries up to their axles in water. We were spared all that. We went, instead, to Gandale, near Catterick. It seemed perhaps, in prospect, to offer less to the imagination than Loch Lomond where we had hoped to go; yet it proved in the event an excellent camp.

The success of the camp was not solely due to the choice of site, though the proximity of good training ground and the neat, compact lay-out of the lines helped a great deal. It was due also to the discipline and morale of the contingent, the standard of which was higher than usual. Perhaps it was because among the N.C.O.s there were no "leavers" content to bask idly in a military atmosphere contemplating their call-up. Or perhaps it was because R.S.M. Power found a fellow Irishman in the cookhouse and was able to attend even more efficiently than usual to the inner man. Anyway, spirits remained high throughout the week, not only on training but also in the performance of routine chores.

Picking up paper and aligning beds can be tedious activities. Seasoned by the comments of the Sergeant-Major ("You are someone in the modern army !") they become not intolerable. When there is a little local rivalry they can even rouse enthusiasm. The rivalry on this occasion came from Welbeck College, whose P.S.I., R.S.M. Cross —another Irishman— was with us last year before he took up his appointment. As future regular officers the Welbeck cadets were obviously conscious that they must always be a little better than other contingents. The first morning when we won the lines competition they were filled with dismay. They called conferences and frantically redoubled their efforts. We smiled at their discomfiture, feigned nonchalance and prepared in secret further refinements of "windowdressing". We won again. In fact we were placed first three days out of five.

The training, too, proved enjoyable. The demonstrations—R.E., Signals, Medium Artillery, Support Weapons and Tanks, were the best we have seen in recent years. Particularly impressive were the Medium Gunners getting out of action and the demonstration of the fire power of a platoon. The routine training was sufficiently organised to prevent chaos in the areas without being so over-elaborate, as sometimes happens, that some contingents have to begin with a company exercise and end the week with section attacks. We were able to hold our annual map-reading exercise, organised this year by Capt. Le Tocq, and the usual night patrols. And as a climax to the week Major Crews realised a long-standing ambition : to hold an all-night exercise for the Army Platoon.

The Platoon marched out with bivouac materials and rations to a ridge about five miles from the camp and overlooking a track. They occupied the ridge, organised its defence and carried out the normal routine at stand-to both night and morning. The following morning the Recruits and the Basic Section were led into the Caudine Forks and the battle began. The result was by no means the slaughter of the ambushed party. They reacted vigorously. Some of the very young section leaders showed a good deal of initiative. It would be fair to say that the honours were even. We should mention in despatches Cadet Stark on one side for his handling of the Bren gun, Cadet Ladd on the other side for his vigorous attacking qualities. L/Cpl. McCallum we should recommend for up-grading to Cook 1st Class. Even without the Major's generous contribution of fish and chips the messing at headquarters was excellent.

This was both an enjoyable and an instructive exercise and was made more realistic than usual by the use of rockets to represent mortar fire and of bulleted blank for the L.M.C. It is generally agreed that the night bivouac exercise must become an annual event.

In spite of our full programme we also took part in the recreational activities of the camp. We could not raise really representative sides, but Cpl. Dobson, who was in charge of these activities, saw to it that we did the best that was possible. A party of cadets also went on a bus tour of the Lake District on the Sunday.

An account of the camp would not be complete without a tribute to the 1st Glosters., whose organisation of the training, conduct of demonstrations and movement control were models of what such things should be. Their efficiency, helpfulness and understanding of cadets—as when a Company Commander allowed Gosling to drive a Bren carrier on his own—played no small part in making this one of the best camps we have attended.

We shall remember Gandale with pleasure; and to ensure that we do not forget it we have two material reminders. One is a small hole in the back of Major Crews' tunic, the "wound" inflicted by an

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overzealous sentry in the Army Platoon on the night exercise (Cadet Sneesby, I believe). The other is a rock which lay before our Company Store and which R.S.M. Power in prompt obedience to a light-hearted order brought home in his pack and had mounted and inscribed. It now stands in the C.C.F. hut.

R.A.F. CAMP

Our annual camp was held this year at Dyce, near Aberdeen. Starting at 10-5 a.m. on Tuesday, 27th July, we arrived at Aberdeen at 7-45 p.m. This was a short journey compared with those of the other schools at camp, which were : St. Bee's, Dover G.S., Haberdashers', Aske's, King's Canterbury, Leeds G.S., Nottingham H.S., Oundle, Tonbridge, Uppingham and Westminster City.

At this camp we encountered the division of school flights into class flights; e.g., all those with Proficiency, irrespective of their schools, were divided into flights and they attended lectures intended to suit their particular abilities. Many varied and interesting subjects were covered in the different class syllabuses such as : Navigation, Armaments, Metals, Aircraft Recognition, and Drill. Flights did parade in schools, however, twice daily, but at all times were never necessarily commanded by their own officers. This system has much to commend itself, for cadets not only mix with other schools, thus creating a more friendly atmosphere in camp, but they also learn to serve under other officers, and N.C.O.s learn to command cadets at first unknown to them—a very valuable experience.

There were, perhaps, more opportunities for flying than at previous camps. Many cadets attended the evening sessions even though they often had to wait over an hour for a short flight in one of the two Ansons or in one of the three Chipmunks.

The normal training programme was interspersed with visits to an ice cream factory; the Aberdeen fish docks; a paper mill; a printing works; and the Girdleness lighthouse. On Sunday afternoon Flight Lieutenant Cummin arranged a joint visit with Oundle to the Balmoral area. The trip was made in an R.A.F. bus and proved very successful.

The Church Parade on Sunday was held at Bucksburn Parish Church and at the march-past afterwards a senior R.A.F. officer took the salute. 'Members of the C.C.F. had the unusual and refreshing experience of marching to the sound of bagpipes.

The camp was undoubtedly enjoyed by everyone, and although we had initial difficulty in understanding the Scottish instructors, our vocabulary has now been enriched by several Scottish parade ground phrases. Finally, we should like to thank Squadron Leader W. E. Thomas, A.F.C., and his fellow officers and instructors for helping to make our camp such a success.

Cpl. Ford is to be congratulated on being promoted to the rank of Sergeant during camp. R.N.J. 64