38 NAVY NEWS, FEBRUARY 2009
Historic
Thurrock cover
Cromwell
paths has bright
start to
salient points
future
converge
A SMALL group of cadets and
their CO have managed to turn
around the fortunes of an ailing
unit.
THE strapline at the top of these Huntingdon and District – TS
pages says it all – Sea Cadets. Cromwell – could muster just
Or maybe not, because the
official title for the organisation
A SO-SO drill display by a
eight individuals a year ago, but
at large is the Marine Society &
European country’s land forces
now boasts more than 20, with
more waiting to join.
Sea Cadets.
prompted the senior officer of
Among the leading lights of
So where did these two the Thurrock unit to take a CO CPO Nick Gilks’ team were
organisations come from? contingent to the Menin Gate AC Becky Rayner, LC Cassandra
The Marine Society is the
ceremony in Ypres. Creak, OCs Crittcher and
world’s oldest general maritime
In 2007 Thurrock Executive Biederman, Cdt Ratcliff, 1st Class
charity, dating back to a meeting
Officer Lt (SCC) George Wilson Jnrs Creak and Coldrick and Jnrs
in the King’s Arms Tavern in
RNR commented on the standard Page and Johnson.
London on June 25 1756.
of drill to a ferry captain from Between them the cadets
By the end of that evening,
his company, and the captain amassed a hoard of trophies and
John Thornton, Jonas Hanway
said George’s cadets should show awards, including most considerate
and 22 others had formed the
everyone what they can do. junior cadet (1st Class Jnr Creak),
Society as a response to the
Other units with links to five-a-side football, best shot,
effects of the Seven Years War on
Thurrock through their training smartest cadet, cadet of the year,
trading conditions.
ship TS Iveston were invited most improved cadet and more.
The Society offered
to participate, and cadets from All cadets have had the chance
sponsorship for naval recruits,
Orpington, Hornchurch, Harlow, to go boating, rowing and camping,
open “to all stout lads and boys,
Clacton and Walton took up the
and the senior cadets spent their
who incline to go on board his
offer.
summer camp on board HMS
Majesty’s ships, with a view to
A group of three pipers and
Bristol, while others took passage
learn the duty of a seaman.”
a drummer from Epping Forest
in TS John Jerwood.
If approved by the Society,
Pipe Band and Essex Caledonian
More recently the unit manned
they were clothed, provided with
Association accompanied the
a stall for the switching-on of
bedding and their journey to a
cadets.
the Christmas lights, and cadets
port paid by the charity.
The tour party reached Ypres
raised money by packing bags.
Ten volunteers were the
late in the afternoon, giving cadets
first fruits of a scheme which
the chance to explore the town and Gifts sent to
exceeded wildest expectations; by
to look over the Menin Gate itself.
1763 the Society had found more
Lt Wilson explained the history
than 10,000 men and boys – five
needy families
of the memorial and the significance
per cent of the total intake by the
of the names upon it, and the
● PO Cadet Michael Downing,
Navy during the war.
WHITLEY Bay unit worked hard
cadets watched the Last Post
of Clacton unit, at a Royal
And in response to suggestions
to bring a little Christmas cheer
ceremony to familiarise themselves
Naval Division grave in Tyne
from COs at sea, pre-service
to the poor of Romania, Moldova
for the following evening.
Cot cemetery (above); the Sea
training was provided, making
and Albania.
The next morning, resplendent in
Cadet platoon marches to the
the Marine Society the first to
The cadets of TS Whitley
No 4s, the cadets visited a number
Menin Gate (right)
pioneer nautical training for boys
filled shoeboxes with gifts for
of memorials and cemeteries,
in its special school ships.
town square to the gate, headed by the families who live in appalling
including Tyne Cot – and the recent
That training continued until
the pipers, followed by LC Kieran conditions, with no running water,
snow had caused the red colouring
World War 2, by which time an
Risk with the unit standard. heating or electricity.
of poppy wreaths to run, a poignant
estimated 110,000 or more men
LC Lewis Smith had Into the 21 boxes went simple
sight for the youngsters.
and boys had been recruited
the privilege of reading the ‘luxuries’ such as hats and gloves,
Lt Wilson explained the RN
through the Society for the Royal
Exhortation after the Last Post toys and toiletries.
Division’s history, and most cadets
Navy and the Merchant Marine.
had been sounded by the Belgian The packing process was
found an RN Division headstone
The Marine Society had always
Fire Brigade buglers.
thoroughly enjoyed by the
at which to place their tributes.
supported groups with similar
After the two minutes silence,
youngsters.
Hooge Crater and Passchendaele
aims, one of which was the Sea
LC Ashley Atkinson laid a wreath
One of the organisers, PO
were also on the itinerary before
Cadet Corps, which traces its
on behalf of the unit, then a lament Meensestraat to the applause of the display – the group headed off for
Thompson, said: “We would like to
the party returned to Ypres in
ancestry back to the Crimean War
was played by one of the pipers. spectators lining the pavements. the ferry home.
thank parents and members of the
(1854-56), when Naval Lads’
heavy snow to prepare for the After the Reveille, CPO (SCC) After free time (to buy souvenirs The visit was such a success
public for their kind donations.”
Brigades were formed to help
ceremony, which has taken place Sue Stupples, Thurrock’s CO, and chocolate) on the Monday that another is being planned,
The boxes were sent out to
orphans in ports, the first being
every evening since 1928, except brought the platoon from three
morning – and the chance to field probably in mid-2010 to allow for remote villages and hospitals,
in Whitstable.
during World War 2. files across the gate to three
some more congratulations from fundraising and to take advantage charity kindergartens and shanty
In 1910 pressure group the
Plans were amended at the columns in line with the Gate with
the townsfolk for their splendid of warmer weather. towns.
Navy League sponsored units
last minute as a promised (then a little-used “Incline, from the halt
of the Navy League Boys’ Naval
cancelled) police escort became to the halt” drill movement, which
Brigade, which in 1919 were
available, allowing the platoon to the cadets executed perfectly.
recognised by the Admiralty;
march the short distance from the The platoon marched back down
the initial 34 units formed the
Red-letter (and blue
nascent Navy League Sea Cadet
Corps.
At the start of World War 2
there were almost 100 units and
more than 10,000 cadets, boosted
by Lord Nuffield’s £50,000
burgee) day at Merton
donation in 1937.
The skills and knowledge
THE ROYAL Navy past, present
of cadets made them valuable
additions to the Fleet, and as
and future was represented at a
a result of imaginative and
ceremony to mark the opening of
productive training schemes the
Merton unit’s new headquarters
organisation was revamped in
in Mitcham.
1942, with the King as Admiral
Captain of the Corps Capt
of the new Sea Cadet Corps.
Jonathan Fry RN and the
A massive expansion to
Mayor of Merton, Cllr Martin
400 units and 50,000 cadets
Whelton, were among the VIPs
coincided in many towns and
who attended the unveiling of a
cities with Warship Weeks, giving
foundation plaque on the main
newly-formed units the chance
deck of TS Trafalgar.
to take the same name as an
Also there were local MP
adopted warship, some of which
Siobhain McDonagh and four
endure to this day.
former mayors.
Costs were split between
It represented a red-letter day
the Admiralty, which paid for
in the life of the unit, meriting a
uniforms, equipment, travel and
special entry in the ship’s log, and
training, and the Navy League,
it heralds a new, exciting chapter
which paid for sport and unit
in the annals of the group.
HQs.
Representing the current Navy
1942 also saw the formation
– besides Capt Fry – were six of
of the Girls’ Naval Training
the Port crew of HMS Vanguard,
● Capt Jonathan Fry, Captain Sea Cadets (left) and CPO (SCC) Mark
Corps, which affiliated to the
including Lt Cdr Chris Rowe, a
Walker, Offi cer-in-Charge of Merton unit (right) with the 2008 burgee,
main Corps in 1963 and folded
former Trafalgar cadet.
held by PO Cadet Holbrook
in 1980 when girls were admitted
The Royal Navy of yore was
That the whole programme on ago that the old headquarters,
into Sea Cadet Corps units.
there in the form of Charles
the day ran like clockwork was in Wimbledon, were not fit for
The Sea Cadet Council was set
Baker, chairman of the South
a tribute to the hard work of purpose, nor could it be made so.
up to govern the Corps in 1948,
London branch of the Coastal
Officer-in-Charge CPO (SCC) As the unit owned the freehold
and a retired captain became
Forces Veterans Association, and a
Mark Walker, his ship’s company, of the property, it was sold with a
the supervisor, now known as
number of his colleagues.
and the chairmen and teams from view to the future.
Captain, Sea Cadet Corps.
● CADETS from Christ’s Hospital, the charitable boarding school, And the Navy of the future, of
the unit management committee The ceremony at the new
In 1955 a Marine Cadet
made a virtual trip from their home at Horsham along the Western course, was represented by the
(Carol Steel) and P&FA (Anne headquarters actually marked the
Section was formed, and within
Front for Help for Heroes. Pupils of the school – one of the founding cadets themselves – who have
Edwards) respectively. culmination of stage one of the
ten years the five detachments
members of the CCF movement – covered a distance equal to that done their unit proud over the
Thanks were also due to the staff redevelopment.
had expanded to 40.
of Christ’s Hospital to Ypres, then the full length of the Western Front past year or so.
and cadets from Croydon unit TS Stage two will be the taking
And in 1976 the Navy League
down to the Swiss border. The Channel crossing of 22 miles meant So much so that a memorable
Terra Nova for their support. possession of two of the 14
was renamed the Sea Cadet
1,416 lengths of the school pool, completed in just 45 minutes by a
day was made even better when TS Trafalgar was founded in flats now being erected on the
Association, as its sole raison d’être
team of swimmers (pictured), who then joined others in 663 mile-
Capt Fry presented the ship’s 1911 and is believed to be the Wimbledon site, which will then
was the support of the cadets.
long laps of the school in the drizzle, including marching, running,
company with a burgee for their third oldest in the Corps. be let, providing a valuable source
three-legged walking and crawling through mud.
marina Next month: Working together first-class performance in 2007-08. But it became clear five years of income to TS Trafalgar.
0037-039_NN_feb.indd 237-039_NN_feb.indd 2 119/1/09 16:31:119/1/09 16:31:11
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