CCF Field Days
27 October 2016
On Sunday 9 and Monday 10 October the CCF took part in various Field Day activities. The Army Section, numbering 103 cadets, were busy for 30 hours with a packed programme. The exercise provided the first overnight CCF experience for our new Fourth Form cadets, and a more tactically advanced exercise where leadership was challenged for the Fifth and Sixth Form cadets. It was a cold night for all and morale was tested, rising to freezing temperatures and getting ready for a busy day of testing activities.
Harry Burnett (Fourth Form, Grafton) recounts his first night in the field: “When we arrived we walked to our base, known as the Harbour. We then put up our Basha and cooked our food. It soon became dark and that is when the fun started. We played a game in the woods trying to stay away from the hunters (the Sixth Formers), whilst having to get to two checkpoints without getting caught; it was pitch black which added to the fun. After we got back to camp we moved towards the Fifth Formers who were in situ waiting to ambush us. A red flare shot up in the air and the gun fire started. It was one of the best nights I have ever had. The next morning we learned how to stalk and use a gun and worked on our map reading skills. We then learned how to properly handle the guns and how to reload and fire them.”
The Sixth Formers had a different experience to the Fourth and Fifth Formers as they worked on their leadership skills. Georgina Vallings (Lower Sixth, Lyttelton) describes her experience: “The Sixth Form acted as Section Commanders and 2ICs, where they played a vital role in helping the Fourth and Fifth Formers get involved, motivated and enjoy the different, and at times, challenging tasks such as section attacks, surprise ambushes and recce patrols. We were also able to pass on our own knowledge of previous field weekend experiences. Overall the weekend was a lot of fun for everyone, particularly for the Sixth Formers who had the responsibility of leading others on different and exciting tasks, especially the section attacks and ambushes.”
Jess Potts (Fifth Form, Nugent) took her GoPro with her and made a film of their adventures. You can see the video here.
Leo Constantine (Upper Sixth, Grafton), Lucy Shamash (Upper Sixth, Stanhope) and Thomas Leach (Lower Sixth, Walpole) were all promoted to Sergeant. Charlotte Bird (Lower Sixth, Lyttelton), Guy Woodhouse (Lower Sixth, Chatham), Georgina Vallings, Alice Pryse (Lower Sixth, Lyttelton), Oliver Vince (Lower Sixth, Cobham), Ben Shamash (Fifth Form, Chatham), Stewart Johnston (Fifth Form, Chandos), Jess Potts, Hugo Robinson (Fifth Form, Grenville), Zoë Pollock (Fifth Form, Nugent), Max Whitehead (Fifth Form, Grenville), Nathan Dana (Fifth Form, Temple), Cameron Chambers (Fifth Form, Grenville), Ilya Riskin (Fifth Form, Chandos), Alex Jones (Fifth Form, Grenville), Tom Fox (Fifth Form, Temple) and Julian Muhoho (Fifth Form, Bruce) were all promoted to Corporal. The following were promoted to Lance Corporal: Eleanor Trotman (Lower Sixth, Queen’s), Mint Kanjana (Lower Sixth, Queen’s), Matthew Twining (Fifth Form, Temple), Alex Hamilton Stubber (Fifth Form, Chandos), William Perry (Fifth Form, Cobham), Peter Entwisle (Fifth Form, Temple), Thomas White (Fifth Form, Chatham), Jamie Baillie (Fifth Form, Cobham), Joss Walker (Fifth Form, Cobham), Sam Chism (Fifth Form, Cobham), William Osei-Poku (Fifth Form, Grenville) and Herbie Wyatt (Fifth Form, Cobham).
Major Jan de Gale, Adjt/SSI Stowe School CCF
The RN Section stayed overnight on minehunter STV Hindostan (formerly HMS Cromer), finding their way past bulkheads and up companionways, taking part in leadership exercises suspended above ground on ropes, visited the Beagles, drove power boats on the River Dart and tried to steer a destroyer into port on the Bridge Simulator. We have to report that the breakwater took a number of hits! Congratulations to Oscar Hill (Fifth Form, Temple) on his promotion and thank you to Miss Penner and Lieutenants Rennie and Eason-Bassett.
The RAF section spent the day at The Royal Air Force Museum in Hendon, getting a fascinating tour of the rapid innovations and developments of RAF aircraft throughout history. They were particularly mesmerised by the simplicity and vulnerability of some of the very early planes in comparison to the colossal size of some of more recent bombers. Matthew Barnes-Murphy (Lower Sixth, Bruce) and Rowan Brudenell (Fifth Form, Grenville) both earned a promotion and thanks must go to Miss Crook and Mr Parnaby.
David Critchley, Lt Cdr RNR CCF