NAVY NEWS, DECEMBER 2010


43


Cadets excel in ‘vital role’


THERE is precision. Then


there is military precision. Then there is Sea Cadet precision...


With so many elements to co-ordinate,


the Sea Cadets’


Trafalgar Day Parade in London requires masterful planning, hard practice and cool heads. The parade ground is not ideal;


Trafalgar Square is full of obstacles (fountains, steps, the odd column) and as well as serried ranks of tourists there was a full house of top brass and other dignitaries sitting on a makeshift grandstand along the steps on the northern side of the square. But if they felt the pressure the


participants didn’t show it. Tameside unit’s six-strong


display team turned on the style to impress onlookers on their window ladder, then the National Sea Cadet Physical Training Display Team took over with a demonstration of the Hornpipe and club-swinging – an echo of the old exhortation to ‘dance and skylark,’ according to the commentary. The formal parade then started


to form up, with platoons of Sea, Royal Marines, Army and Air Cadets marching onto the square


– this year 150th anniversary of being the the cadet


movement, the Sea Cadets’ big day was opened up to the sister youth organisations.


The distant sound of military


music gradually rose above the traffic, heralding the arrival of the Massed Band of the Corps, which performed with aplomb in the confines of that part of the square


north of Nelson’s Column. The arrival of the various ceremonial guards and a further element of the band – which seamlessly and slickly combined with the massed band – meant the parade was ready for inspection by First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope, who had watched proceedings with Defence Secretary Dr Liam Fox. And as Admiral Stanhope rose from his seat to carry out his review, Big Ben struck midday, indicating that the whole event was running with impeccable accuracy – a tribute to parade commander Lt Cdr Brian Moir, Northern Area Staff Officer Ceremonial, instructors and participants; the average age of the cadets on parade was 14 and they had had just three days’ intensive practice. Navy Board Cadets had prominent roles in the programme, with PO Paul Huggett (Southern) having the honour of bearing part of the Ensign that covered Nelson’s coffin at his funeral


in


1806 – a section was torn from the flag by sailors from HMS Victory and divided into scraps as his men sought a keepsake of the Admiral. The Guard and Colour Party


the cadets to shine in a different role – among those meeting and greeting or serving food and drinks were members of Hornchurch, Walton-on-the-Naze, Clacton and Colchester units. Dr Fox said: “It was a really


wonderful day which saw the bringing together of our heritage, our professionalism and our volunteers, Naval personnel and the cadets.


“The cadets did great honour to themselves, to their Service and to their country, and it was heartening to see the crowds round Trafalgar Square applauding them as they left – and it shows the vital role the cadets have in enhancing that link between the Armed Forces and the public. “I was very proud, and not a little moved, by what I saw today.” Captain Sea Cadet Capt Mark Windsor said: “We have just enjoyed a brilliant commemoration of Admiral Lord Nelson’s great victory at Trafalgar, and it provided a remarkable insight into what the uniformed cadet experience does for our young people.”


was provided by Northern and North-West Areas, while POC Rhianna Chilton of Fishguard unit, the South-West Area Navy Board Cadet, Prayer.


read Nelson’s With a march-past rounding


off formalities, the focus of the day moved half-a-mile along the Mall to Lancaster House, where a reception was held. And it was another chance for


Parade roster


MORE than 70 units were represented at the parade in London, including those with roles in the service itself. The participating units included: Aberdeen, Arbroath, Barrow-


in-Furness, Birkenhead, Birmingham (Sherbourne), Birmingham (Vernon), Cambridge, Cheshunt, Chester, Chester-le-Street, Chippenham, Croydon, Dalbeattie, Dartford and Crayford, Dunbar, Dundee, East Kilbride, Edgware and Mill Hill, Edinburgh (Trinity), Edmonton, Enfield, Feltham and Hounslow, Finchley, Fleetwood, Gateshead, Grangemouth, Greenock, Harrogate, Hartlepool, Herne Bay, High Wycombe, Huntingdon, Huyton with Roby, Jarrow, Kettering, Kingston and District, Leith, Liverpool (City), Methil, Morecambe and Heysham, Musselburgh, Newcastle East, North Shields, Nottingham, Perth, Peterhead, Preston, Rhyl, Richmond, Ruislip, Runcorn, North Shields, Sefton, South Shields, Southwark, St Helens, Stafford and Rugeley, Stonehaven, Stretford and Urmston, Sutton Coldfield, Tameside, Tooting and Balham, Tunbridge Wells, Wallasey, Wallsend, Waltham Forest, Warrington, Weston-super-Mare, Whitstable and York. More than 300 Sea Cadets were on duty on the big day.


First-aid hat-trick for Stockport


FOR the third year running, Royal Marine Cadets from Stockport unit won their class at the National Cadet


Inter-Service First


Robert Edwards and RMC2s Gemma Gibson


and Michael


Broomhead competed against Sea Cadet teams from all over the UK as well as teams from the Army Cadet Force, Air Cadet Corps and Combined Cadet Force to win gold at the event, staged at Sandhurst Military Academy. The team’s achievement them


won against a place


Competition, elite


teams at the


International Grand Priors First Aid


competing from St


John Ambulance, St Andrew Ambulance,


and from other


services from across the British Isles and Malta, coming a very creditable fourth in their class. This year’s event was especially


well-attended because of Cadet 150 celebrations, so to maintain the high standard previously achieved was particularly impressive. Their instructor, Sgt (SCC) Bill


Felstead, commended the team on their performance and said: “The team worked really hard and have


● The winning team from TS Hawkins, with instructor Sgt (SCC) Bill Felstead


done really well, particularly since three of the team members are new to the competition this year.” Congratulations were added


from S/Lt (SCC) Anna Squires RNR, OIC of TS Hawkins, and Lt Cdr (SCC) Jim Garner RNR, Manchester District Officer.


Aid


Championship. L/Cpl Adam McMillan, RMC1


From unit padre to Top Bish...


HERTFORDSHIRE District welcomed a former colleague back as a VIP guest to their Trafalgar Night dinner. The Ven John Green, outgoing Chaplain of the Fleet, found time in a busy schedule to attend the event with his wife Jan. District Officer Lt Cdr (SCC) Margaret Coates RNR welcomed John before he gave his address and toasted the Immortal Memory. But before he could do that,


he was introduced by his first Commanding Officer, Lt Cdr (SCC) Ian Cowell, who was in charge of the St Albans unit. “In 1985 St Albans unit was without an active unit chaplain,” said Lt Cdr Cowell. “The Rev John Green turned


up at the unit and introduced himself as the curate of St Julian’s Church and, as we were in his parish, felt he could offer spiritual guidance. “For a short while John visited once a month; however, his visits became more regular and it wasn’t long before he became a regular


attendee, throwing himself into the role of unit chaplain. “One of the cadets died, and


John was on hand to counsel both cadets and staff and subsequently conduct the funeral. “John became an instant hit with the cadets and a friend to everybody. “John asked me about the RN Chaplaincy Service as his curacy was coming to an end.


“I put him in touch with the


RN recruiting service, who in turn directed him to the office of the Chaplain of the Fleet. “The next thing I knew, John asked me for a reference and in 1991 he joined the Royal Navy as a chaplain. The rest, as they say, is history.”


In his address, John made reference to the importance of his service with the Sea Cadets in preparation or his role as a chaplain in the Senior Service. “It is with sadness that I leave


my service with the Royal Navy, but fitting to finish where I started over 20 years ago,” he said.


● (Above) Tameside unit’s window ladder display team perform at the foot of Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square. (Below) The Massed Band of the Sea Cadet Corps performs


Diana group renew link to Stonehaven


HMS Diana was commissioned in 1954 – the same year


TS Carron, the Stonehaven Sea Cadet unit, was established. An obvious link, as acknowledged


that


by the HMS Diana Association, a relative youngster having been established 18 years back. “Our association members thought that it was the right time to resurrect our relationship as it is extremely important to keep the Senior Service to the forefront,” said association secretary S/M John Fisher. “With


all the defence cuts


taking place, and sadly seeing a shrinking Royal Navy, we feel it is imperative to support and help the Sea Cadets who will be our future Royal Navy.” The formal affiliation/adoption


of TS Carron won unanimous support at the association’s recent AGM.


“Our members are now looking


forward to a constructive and long association and are very excited and enthusiastic about the future,” said S/M Fisher. “We are now in communication with the CO of the unit and between us we will establish a programme to enable the HMS Diana Association to ensure that all our efforts are directed in the best way for the TS Carron Sea Cadets.”


Pictures: PO(Phot) Amanda Reynolds


SUPPORT YOUR SEA CADETS


Volunteer, donate or even leave a legacy


Visit sea-cadets.org or call 020 7654 7000


A charity registered in England and Wales 313013 and in Scotland SC037808


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