NAVY NEWS, JULY 2010


43


l TS Laforey’s winning Yole team


Spreading the message on sailing


THE FOCUS has been very much on the water in recent weeks at Northampton


Wellingborough unit. In a joint effort with the RYA, cadets and instructors worked with Standens Barn School to introduce pupils to sailing. The eight youngsters were the


first to learn to sail as part of the RYA’s OnBoard grass roots sailing programme, which launched in Northamptonshire in May. Each pupil completed a four-


week learn-to-sail course, earning a Stage 1 dinghy sailing certificate. TS Laforey also took a prominent role in supporting the Northampton Branch of the Inland Waterways Association with their annual narrow boat rally in Becketts Park, Northampton. The event was attended by more than 50 boats, and cadets put on a show of their waterborne skills and helped the narrow boats on the Bank Holiday Monday up through the 17 locks between Northampton and the Grand Union Canal five miles away at Gayton.


The unit also hosted the Northamptonshire and Leicestershire rowing regatta, and three Laforey teams won through to the regional competition, which is to be held in Nottingham this month.


and


AWARDS evenings are a great opportunity for cadets to show their skills off to parents and friends, as well as reaping the rewards for all their hard


they would take the idea one step further and combine it with an open day, catching the early summer weather and making a day of it.


TS Tormentor, Lt Cdr (SCC) Victoria Marson RNR, also saw it as an opportunity for the families to learn as well. Having just celebrated its third


birthday, the unit grew fast from scratch, and now has 50 cadets on its books, along with 20 adult volunteers. Indeed,


at the seams – it is based at and supported by the Warsash Maritime Academy but has grown to fill its accommodation, so has a waiting list as it cannot recruit any more youngsters at present. Back to the open day, which


the unit is bursting


work. So Warsash unit thought


Fun for all at Warsash


The Commanding Officer of


started at 1000 with a parade and inspection, then it was straight into displays and demonstrations. That included hornpipes and


club-swinging, as well as signalling with flags, and plenty of sheepish- looking relatives were enticed into the performances. The Mayor of Fareham,


l Chef Craig Cannell puts the finishing touches to the cake Picture: LA(Phot) Jay Allen


Cllr Brian Bayford, also threw himself into the day, dancing and signalling away, and the Associate Director (Business Operations) at the academy, Capt Andy Hair, also attended. At midday there was a break for the serious business of the unit annual general meeting, allowing parents a chance to see how the unit runs, but with the barbecues lit for a 1230 start it was quickly back to the serious fun. There were short sailing boat


trips round the harbour, manned by the cadets themselves, displays of fancy ropework and first aid demonstrations.


Birthday cake from Severn


A raffle helped raise funds for Duke of Edinburgh expeditions, and the day ended with the presentation of awards.


WITH the UK cadet movement celebrating its 150th anniversary this year, a birthday cake of some kind would seem to be in order. And fishery protection vessel HMS Severn did the honours during her recent visit to Newport. While the ship was in South


Wales cadets from the Newport unit TS Resolute were invited on board and enjoyed a busy day in the sunshine. The youngsters were given tours of the ship and an insight into the Royal Navy and life in the Fishery Protection squadron. To celebrate Cadet 150, Leading Chef Mickey Dewing and Chef Craig Cannell presented a beautifully-decorated cake to the unit – and judging by the empty plates it was extremely tasty. Some of the cadets were lucky enough to rejoin the ship days later when they went on passage from Newport to Swansea. The day started early, in order


l (Left) Cllr Brian Bayford, the Mayor of Fareham, tries his hand at signalling, while (above) a group of cadets from TS Tormentor run through some drill with state-of-the-art wooden rifles


Becoming the unseen


YOUNGSTERS from CCF contingents across the country converged on HMS Raleigh for three days of military training, hosted by the National Sea Cadet Training Centre. The dozen trainees, from as far afield as Lancaster and Bournemouth, took part in a course aimed at giving them an opportunity to live in a naval base and experience life as a sailor or Royal. Highlights included a commando-led


brief on camouflage and concealment, observational skills and movement, both with and without a rifle. The cadets were able to get some


l Twins Jake and Annie Rogan, from Ellesmere School CCF get stuck into their ration packs at HMS Raleigh


Picture: Dave Sherfield


hands-on experience of concealing themselves with the camouflage cream, then tracked each other across the training area. They were also briefed on the role of a ship’s protection force and were given a chance to put what they had been taught into practice on MV Cossack, a purpose-built mock-up of a merchant vessel at the Torpoint training establishment used to prepare sailors to board and search ships suspected of carrying an illegal cargo.


The cadets compted against each other to complete the exercise in the fastest time. The final day saw the cadets learning


how to survive in the field, preparing and eating their 24-hour ration packs.


Air Cadet band salutes Ark Royal


THE National Marching Band of the Air Training Corps sent the Fleet flagship on her way out of Portsmouth thanks to a happy piece of timing. The band was at Fort Blockhouse to practise for high-profile Cadet 150 events in London, and the standard of their work so impressed instructors – including Callum Gordon of the Royal Marines – that they contacted HMS Ark Royal to say the band would form up outside the ward room to play as the ship left harbour. As the carrier passed through the mouth of the harbour, her sailors lining the deck, her Commanding Officer, Capt John Clink, could be seen on the bridge, acknowledging the gesture by the band. The young musicians then rounded off their musical salute to the ship with a rousing three cheers before returning to their practice.


to catch the falling tide, but once clear of the River Usk, the cadets found themselves fighting a (practice) fire, keeping watch, navigating and rescuing Ruth, the man-overboard dummy who had (true to form) clumsily fallen overboard... There was also a chance to ride in the ship’s sea boats.


Huyton their awareness


CADETS from Huyton got their daily orders and joined their affiliated ship HMS Iron Duke on a passage from Scotland to Hull. Half a dozen cadets took the chance to get some work experience aboard the frigate, finding out about the tasks of engineers, communicators, warfare specialists, caterers and others. They prepared meals for the whole ship’s company, and after hard days navigating and watchkeeping they learned the benefit of chilling out in their mess decks.


Network Rail team on the right track


WITH the senior field gunners resting up and nursing their bruises, it was the turn of the youngsters to take to the parade gound and show their skills at the annual Junior Leaders Field Gun Challenge at HMS Collingwood. Now into its third year, the competition is very similar to the RN Field Gun event, in which 17 crews compete, but aimed predominantly at youths aged 18-25 who have either recently joined the Forces or have just begun apprenticeships with major commercial organisations. This year, in addition to the


l The Princes Trust crew in action at the Junior Leaders Field Gun competition at HMS Collingwood


Forces crews, teams represented Network Rail – who are also the event sponsors – BAE Systems, the Princes Trust and Derby University, amongst others. Teams trained for just one week,


at the end of which they ran-off against the clock. And the honours went to one of the sponsors’ teams – Network Rail B, with a time of 1m 21.38s. Second were RAF Cosford, in 1m 22.03s, just ahead of BAE Systems (1m 23.62s),


RAF


Halton 1m 24.56s), Network Rail A (1m 29.82s) and the Sea Cadets (1m 46.29s) in sixth – the only Senior Service representatives in the final.


The competition is the only one open specifically for new recruits and youth.


Guest of Honour was Second


Sea Lord Vice Admiral Sir Alan Massey, who said: “This has been a tough and very demanding week for you all,


unparalleled effort – well done to everybody.”


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