The C.C.F

Native farmers are being encouraged by the governments of many countries to grow Rhubarb Tree plantations. The British Government is planning a great Rhubarb Tree scheme which I trust will be more successful than the ill-fated ground-nuts scheme in West Africa. Some of the unfortunate people who have been sacked by the Standard Motor Company have been offered handsome salaries to go out to Africa and help with the scheme.

These facts which I have brought to the reader's notice will help to show that in a few years' time the Rhubarb Tree may have a very great bearing on the lives of the world's inhabitants. If one asks the average person what he knows about the Rhubarb Tree, he will look at the questioner as if he were mad, but suddenly remember that elephant's nest in Rhubarb Trees. This fact is most certainly true. The trees provide camouflage for the elephant, since the leaves resemble an elephant's ear. Also, elephants are attracted by the smell. C.W.G.

C.C.F. NOTES

Firstly we welcome a new officer, Mr. R. C. T. Hall. He has joined the Contingent and is sharing his time between the Basic Section and the Signal Platoon; his experience both in previous C.C.F.s, the Royal Corps of Signals, and the Parachute Regiment, will prove a great asset and inspiration to training in the Sections.

We congratulate C.W.O. Portlock on successfully completing his flying training and obtaining his Pilot's "A" Licence for flying singleengined aircraft under the Flying Scholarship Scheme.

Owing to the short Easter Term the Certificate "A" Examinations were postponed and took place early this term. The results were satisfactory; the Part II candidates passing into the N.C.O. Cadre. Here they were joined by their equivalents from the R.N. and R.A.F. classes. In all the examinations the high standard of drill was particularly noticeable this year.

The Signallers have been active throughout the term. L/Cpl. Procter made history for the Platoon when he made a two-way contact with a school in Scotland, 200 miles away, on a standard 18 set with a special aerial.

On Saturday, 9th June, we took part again in the Inter-Schools' C.C.F. Shooting Competition at Strensall. Cdt. Lowley with his team put up a creditable performance in being placed 2nd.

The Annual Inspection this year was taken by Brigadier D. A. Kendrew, C.B.E., D.S.O., from H.Q. Northern Command, with representatives from H.Q. 64 Group R.A.F. and H.M.S. Ceres. In the afternoon the Fernie Cup Competition was held, demanding a high standard of leadership and initiative from the squads. This year some drill was introduced again for the younger members of

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each House. In his closing address the Inspecting Officer spoke with satisfaction at all that he had seen and presented Sgt. Bell (School House) with the Cup. The Band, under Drum Major Bean, were quite noticeably more musical than usual with a strong section of "brass" from the School Orchestra in the bugles, and other musicians on the drums.

A Field Day followed close after the Inspection, and for a change the Sections split up independently and carried out their own programmes. The R.N. Section went to Naburn, part of the R.A.F. Section to Linton Aerodrome, the Shooting VIII and Recruits to Strensall, and the Army Section went off to the moors for a Company Exercise with the remainder of the R.A.F. Section acting as enemy.

The term's training concluded with the Ceremonial Guards and Band Display at the close of the Commemoration Weekend.

R.N. SECTION

The R.N. Section made a major advance this term due to the arrival of an Admiralty 14 ft. Dinghy. This will enable cadets to do a certain amount of sailing in addition to the pulling already possible using the R.N. Whaler. With regard to sailing, the R.N. Section wishes to acknowledge with thanks the gift of a special stopwatch for use in sailing races presented by M. G. Kay, a keen member of the Section who left last year.

The P.O. Oral Examination which had been deferred from the Easter Term was held in the second week of this term. Six of the nine candidates who had previously passed the written examination were also successful in the oral.

The next few weeks were mainly occupied with preparations for the General Inspection. For the instruction period following the parade, the Section carried out a number of activities, which, thanks to the equipment now available, were entirely on the practical side. A major signal exercise, organised most competently by Lg./Sea. Lamb, involving both lamp and semaphore, was carried out. A light jackstay, under the supervision of P.O. Jose and Lg/Sea. Beckitt, was rigged in quick time in front of the Inspecting Officer. S/Lt. Waine, who has devoted much spare time developing a steering training device, produced the final version (Steering Trainer, Mk. III) for the inspection, and it has subsequently proved itself to be a most instructive piece of equipment. Mention must also be made of an excellent "Bends and Hitches" Board made by A.B. Franklin. This will be of permanent use to the Section.

It was decided that arrangements for field day would be left to individual Sections, and there was to be no combined exercise. The R.N. Section (and R.N. Basic) accordingly planned to spend the day in the Naburn area with the following objects in view :- (1) To tow the 14 ft. dinghy from York to Naburn. 51

(2) To give younger members experience in pulling, signals, and rigging, and the senior members experience of taking charge of boats. (3) To give the senior members some initial experience of dinghy sailing.

The first operation was undertaken by the First Whaler's Crew (Lg/Sea. Wilkinson, Cox'n), and though they had to battle against strong cross winds, they achieved their object. For additional pulling training a second whaler had been obtained for the day from the York Sea Cadets, and this was brought from York to Naburn by a young crew under Lg/Sea. 'Clayton. The third object—sailing experience—was achieved, in spite of variable winds, using three dinghies kindly lent by Mr. Howat, Commander Palms of Naburn, and A.B. Whitmore, in addition to the School dinghy which had been got ready for sailing by A.B.s Franklin and Burden. During the day the changing of crews and general organisation was efficiently carried out by P.O. Handler, assisted by P.O. Jose, so that every member of the R.N. and Basic Section received as much practical experience as possible. Both whalers were pulled back to York, crews being changed half-way.

For the remaining parades of the term a number of practical rigging exercises were carried out, although on some occasions the numbers were diminished owing to the examinations. The term ended with the Sunset Ceremony on the last Saturday, in which a guard, and piping and signal parties from the Naval Section played their part.

Finally a word about the stores. These have been run most reliably by A.B. Badham, assisted by A.B. Sheldon, and it is not generally realised how much work (out of hours) is put in. The stores and seamanship room were in very good shape not only for the Inspection, but also for the Field Day. During Commemoration weekend an excellent display, arranged by the Stores Ratings in the seamanship room, attracted much attention.

R.N. SUMMER TRAINING

This year, the Summer Training was carried out in H.M.S. St. Vincent, which is a shore establishment at Gosport, near Portsmouth. H.M.S. St. Vincent is the training school for boy seamen, and this made it suitable for our purpose, as all the facilities for practical training were near at hand.

The Section of 31 cadets arrived at Portsmouth Harbour at 1645 on Tuesday, 31st July, and crossed the harbour on the St. Vincent launch. The remainder of the day was occupied in making beds, unpacking and to a certain extent finding out about the daily routine

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with which the Section would have to comply for the next week. This routine was as follows :- 0610—Call the hands; P.T., followed by a swim. 0645—Breakfast. 0725—"Part of Ship" work. 0810—Stand easy. 0830—Divisions. 0900-1230—Training. 1230—Dinner. 1315—Continue training. 1600—Tea. 1630—Dogwatch instruction. 1930 Supper. 2100—Rounds.

There had been no official programme made out for us for the first day as the sections from other schools were not due to arrive until Wednesday night and the overall training programme did not begin until Thursday. Midshipman Liardet, who had been put in charge of our training, gave us some instruction in the very elaborate "Seamanship Block".

On Thursday morning the Section visited H.M.S. Vernon which is the R.N. Torpedo and Anti-Submarine School. Here we were shown some diving equipment, and a demonstration where miniature mines of all types were exploded by model ships passing over them. We were also shown methods of minesweeping, with a number of suitable demonstrations. In the afternoon we were taken by transport to Fraser Battery, which is used for gunnery and radar training at Portsmouth. Here each cadet had the opportunity of manipulating a naval gun and sighting it on aircraft which were being sent over for aiming practice.

Friday was spent mainly on instruction inside H.M.S. St. Vincent. In the morning we were instructed in compass and steering; in the afternoon a light jackstay was rigged across the open-air swimming bath.

A duty that every cadet must fulfil in Portsmouth is to see H.M.S. Victory, Nelson's famous Flagship. This was done on Saturday forenoon, the adjoining museum being also inspected. For the remainder of the day the Section went round the Navy Day exhibits in Portsmouth Harbour, and then were given shore leave.

On Sunday the Section was to go to the Isle of Wight for the afternoon, the programme to include an initiative test. After Sunday Divisions and Church in the forenoon, the programme was cancelled due to a forecast of bad weather, and cadets were given leave. In actual fact the afternoon turned out to be fine, and many cadets were thus given the opportunity of seeing H.M.S. Theseus leave for the Mediterranean.

Monday morning was taken up by a trip in H.M.S. Starling, a frigate specially equipped for training in navigation. The most

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interesting part of the trip was the lowering of a sea-boat at sea, which is an operation most cadets know all about in theory, but have never seen carried out in practice. The experience of pulling a seaboat in more sea-like conditions than those offered on the Ouse at York was also very instructive. In the afternoon we went sailing, but as there was practically no wind, and an adverse tide, it was not as successful or enjoyable as it might have been with a good breeze blowing.

Tuesday morning was spent on a visit to H.M.S. Dolphin, the Submarine Base and Training School. Here we were shown round an "A" Class Submarine, which had just come out of refit, and also a film on submarine work. In the afternoon there was to have been a sailing race, but due to insufficient wind a pulling race in cutters was arranged instead. It took the form of a knock-out competition, and St. Peter's A crew fought through to the final, but were then beaten by Fettes College after a good race.

This ended an interesting, instructive and varied week of training, and the Section is grateful to the officers and men of H.M.S. St. Vincent for the arrangements made.

ARMY CAMP, 1956

Last year we exercised our privilege of attending camp, once in a while, outside Northern Command. This year we returned to Gandale, or rather to the subsidiary camp at Wathgill, where the experiment of sharing a more compact site with Uppingham, Ampleforth, Sedbergh, and Oundle proved very successful. We hope it will be possible to make similar arrangements next year.

No thanks, of course, are due to the weather, which was as dismal as it has been most of the summer. But the site was well drained. (How should we have fared at Fylingdales?) We got the worst rain over in the first twenty-four hours and always had dry clothes in reserve. Above all, the Contingent faced the unpleasant conditions with unfailing high spirits. Indeed the favourable impression one obtained at School when the unit fell in on Tuesday morning was amply confirmed throughout the week, when the standards of efficiency and morale were, in spite of conditions, higher than usual.

The weather did inevitably interfere with training. The usual map-reading excursion and the "Lamp" exercise were omitted from the programme. Yet that the ingenuity of our O.C. is still equal to unexpected conditions was demonstrated on the second day, when he ferried the unit out to a distant point and sent it off, section by section, on a cross-country race back to camp. We all returned thoroughly wet, having proved once more what a clumsy garment the gas-cape can be—and it only keeps the rain off the shoulders by pouring it all onto the lower legs—but we were in good heart and did not feel the afternoon had been ill-spent. The rest of the training followed the normal course : section, platoon, and company attacks. 54

There was keenness in plenty—one recalls some excellent fieldcraft in Capt. Le Tocq's platoon; and it is worthwhile to record the comments of the Training Captain from the Durham •Light Infantry. "Whenever I see St. Peter's," he remarked, "they are always busy doing something."

For the final all-night exercise it was decided this year to take out the whole Contingent. The main body dug-in on Howe Hill, a prominent feature which will be remembered by some as the site of a map-reading exercise two years ago. Its task was to defend 'an imaginary bridge on the line of communications running north and south. The Senior N.C.O.s and leavers were to be a party of Chindits, "dropped" in the hills some miles to the west. Their mission was to blow the bridge. It would perhaps be better on future occasions if the Platoon Commanders organised the patrolling in a more purposeful manner, with reconnaissance, fighting, and standing patrols. Nevertheless a lot of good work was put in on the defensive position, and some of the N.C.O.s were particularly commended by the Training Captain, a keen officer who came out to see us at five o'clock in the morning. The most gratifying feature of the exercise was the excellent work of the Signals Section. Thanks to the careful preparation and conscientious endeavours of Lieut. Hall, ably assisted in particular by Sergeant Clough and Cadet Crossley, communications were maintained—dare we say "for once"—throughout the night. The army cookers we were lent for the exercise were less efficient. We shall do well to return to our former practice and rely for our cooking on our own resources. The Chindits had a long trek to their night positions, but morale was high throughout. Sgt. Hopwood's example on the long patrols was quite outstanding.

Among the demonstrations this year there were some new features : some gruesome casualties rescued from a blazing tank and displayed in a Field Hospital; a demonstration of the army's methods when summoned in aid of the civil power; and, most interesting of all, the Fan Exit Trainer. The last was a platform thirty feet high used for training parachute jumpers. The jump is controlled by a steel wire attached at one end to the harness while the other uncoils from a metal drum on which a simple two-bladed fan acts as a brake. The descent proved only mildly exciting. In fact some of us found the climb onto the platform far more perilous. And many boys regretted that they had not troubled to get their parents' permission to make a jump. It should be put on record that all the officers present made their jump and in more difficult circumstances than the cadets. For while the latter had their minds made up for them, being more or less forcibly propelled into space by a barking Sergeant, the officers were merely invited, with a polite deference, to step into thin air. There was fortunately no need for the "shoulder roll" which Lieut. Hall (ex-Parachute Regiment) brilliantly, and very unexpectedly, executed one day during a break in training. However, he assures us it has its uses even in civilian life.