Field Day 2008

Some 50+ army cadets took part in the annual summer field day held in and around Dreghorn Barracks.  The weather was a little damp to start with but slowly got better; we were all pleased the predicted weather forecast was wrong as monsoon conditions had been expected.   

A team from the Army Bomb Disposal Unit turned up with a vehicle and masses of technical equipment; this proved extremely interesting, and all cadets had the chance to manoeuvre the remote control barrow which turned out to be harder than it looked.  1 SCOTS provided a weapon stand that showed off both British and foreign arms.  Staff from the local cadet training team had the computer range in operation which sharpened up the cadets’ shooting; I believe there is a lot of sharpening still required.  Capt Jack laid on an escape and evasion exercise which all seemed to find particularly good fun.

In the afternoon after a very quick bite to eat, some cadets took part in a section attack exercise while some found out how to construct a shelter and cook from a ration pack.  The day was rounded off with a competition; Exercise Bush Tucker trial allowed the lads to take part in a fairly large game of snakes and ladders: the ladders were real as were the snakes … this was followed by numerous bush tucker trials (tests): saving lives and applying first aid to some very realistic looking injuries, spotting military equipment at distance, decoding messages, guiding blindfolded personnel through minefields, and launching water filled balloons using a giant catapult.

With blackened faces a lively and excited group of cadets returned to school by coach, and the mini bus took the exhausted staff; many thanks to all who assisted with the training and of course to those who took part.

Easter Camp

Thursday, 20 March – Thursday, 27 March 2008

Sergeant Jamie Thornton

The journey, predictably enough, started out beautifully in a warm and sunny Edinburgh before steadily worsening as we made our way to Gordon Barracks in Aberdeen. On arrival we were broken up into our various sections, completed a number of admin tasks after which we had some free time.
We awoke to snow on the ground and were joined for PT by Nick “2Lt” Boni and Ramsey “Rambo” MacNeill, both Accies and members of The Aberdeen University Officers Training Corps; they had volunteered to help with the weeks training. The day was then broken up into a series of stands within the grounds of the barracks, cadets were revised on the basics of navigation, signals and patrolling while the lessons on how to build shelters and cook rations would be invaluable in the upcoming exercise later on in the week. In the afternoon the NCO's carried out a series of demonstrations which gave them a great chance to put their teaching skills to the test. The remainder of the day was spent on some command tasks which installed confidence, the importance of following orders and working together as a team. We also had the opportunity to fire on a paintball range as well as handling the Light Support Weapon (LSW) which is the section machine gun. A busy day was rounded off by a selection of potted sports giving the boys the first taste of the inter-section competition; the Tug O' War was squeezed in between snow showers which proved to be demanding but fun.
Day 2 again started with plenty of the white stuff, but the cadets were quickly warmed up by a reconnaissance-themed signals exercise, organised by Captain Jack, this let them put into practice the skills they had learnt the previous day. The exercise, played out on Blackdog Range, involved sneaking about and relaying information about the locations of weapons, all belonging to the terrorist organisation, Al-Dee. The afternoon's training was broken down into 4 stands with the sections rotating between each one. The section attack was the most exciting, this involved putting fire on an enemy position before separating to both suppress and assault the position. The patrols stand, led by Harry Campbell, took the cadets out onto a landscape of sand dunes and rough tracks where the choice of formation and spacing were far more important than on the flat field the day before. The ambush lesson with Jamie Francis would be key as we carried it out for real the following night. The final stand was an individual fire and manoeuvre exercise run by RSM Meikle and assisted by the ever-present Rambo and Mr Boni. Armed to the teeth we proceeded to traverse a narrow track where some Al-Dee fighters were suspected to be hiding; we were required to react on sighting the enemy. The evening's activity was a quiz which was planned and conducted by Will Glashan; ultimately this was won by 2 Section.
Day 3 saw the start of Exercise Blue Hackle. After receiving our weapons we quickly made our way to the area where we would set up our shelters. The first recce patrols were sent to find the enemy, who were played by the 7th year NCOs. Several suitable observation posts (OP's) were established near their camp and the second patrol was sent out to gather information from the OP's. We now had enough intelligence to plan an ambush. After plenty warming food the cadets were put through several vigorous ambush rehearsals by their section commanders, before finally setting out for the real thing. Once we were in position all we had to do was wait; cadets hid behind the sand dunes which provided excellent cover from view and shelter from the biting wind. 220 blank rounds later we withdrew back to the camp, the Al-dee force had been totally wiped out.
Day 4 we started off with our final military activity, shooting with live ammunition. We had the opportunity not only to fire the cadet rifle but also the LSW and the new army rifle. Due to the snow and cold wind the results were not the best however the two top shots were Ruaridh Kemmet (senior cadet) and Johnny Peoples (junior cadet). After lunch our first recreational activity was swimming at the local pool, this had excellent flumes and a good wave machine. The rest of the day was a bit of a wind down with the cadets given some free time to go shopping and an evening movie at the barracks.
Day 5 was hill walking, and with rumours that several 'wallabies' had escaped from a local reserve we were in high spirits. The NCOs enjoyed a walk around Loch Muick, taking lunch near where the royals picnic, albeit with several inches of snow on the ground. The walk was led by Major Murray, a seasoned adventurer who taught us some valuable tips on mountain navigation. The junior cadets enjoyed a similar arduous walk although the weather and conditions were good. We all eventually returned to a nice hot meal at the barracks and spent the rest of the evening listening to Jamie Francis’s recital of The Lord of the Rings from memory.
The final day of camp was taken up by a variety of activities. We were first treated to a tour round the Gordon Highlander’s museum; to learn some of the heritage of the schools regiment. After this excursion the cadets were able to branch out into some orienteering, mountain biking, shooting, archery and...... axe throwing! The NCOs were treated to bowling and rock climbing in return for their efforts throughout the week. Unfortunately the ice skating had to be cancelled as the rink had melted and had to be closed; meanwhile outside the temperatures were still freezing! We were kept active right up to the end as rifles had to be cleaned and bags packed for departure the following day. The evening finished with prizes and medals given out to those who had performed the best on the camps’ many activities; the best section was won by 2 Section which had been led by Jamie Macrae.
We departed camp the following day boarding the buses that had taken us up hills, through snow and icy roads, into trees, and down roads the wrong way! All our thanks went out to the staff and people who had made this camp possible.

CCF Marching Team 2008

Monday, 10 December 2007 – Sunday, 20 July 2008

Sergeant Jonathan Arthur & Lance Corporal James Brown

The team first met during December to hear details about the forthcoming years Marches. Apart from a few cadets the majority assembled that day had not been to Nijmegen, the little we knew was from what had been printed in the Chronicle from past years or from some of the senior cadet’s stories. There appeared to be more on offer this year as some would be selected to take part in a visit to Germany in advance of the Marches and the Pipes and Drums would also play a key part during the final parade. Although we had been told this was quite a tough event it was hard to imagine things’ being too difficult, we were after all only walking a few miles each day, besides July was a long way off, there was plenty of time to prepare, no need to panic just yet.

Training began in the New Year around the cycle paths of Edinburgh, this wasn’t too bad although we marched at quite a pace, it certainly warmed the feet, we probably all had a few blisters though few would admit it. The plan was to harden the feet in preparation of tackling the 25 miles a day we had been briefed to expect. Not everyone was able to attend the scheduled training, they were encouraged to conduct their own preparation as we had been repeatedly reminded that training was the key to success, besides, there was still plenty of time left and most shrugged off the repeated call to attend.

All too soon we were aboard the minibus heading for Garelochhead in order to participate in the Scottish 2 Day March which was to be held over the weekend 2-4 May, this would not only be a key event for the team but more importantly the chance to qualify for Nijmegen; most were wishing they had listened and done a little more training. Nonetheless we arrived at Garelochhead in good spirits, keen to get on the road. On the first night after a brief we set about taping our feet which would help provide some protection and avoid blisters. Later on we had the opportunity to visit the NAAFI and stock up on some vital supplies, sweets and juice; this also gave us the chance to size up the other teams, after all we were very keen to retain the trophy which The Academy had won the previous year. The first group we came across was a team of Ghurkhas, this was a bit of a concern as they have a great reputation for being able to March for ever, carrying great weights over large hills; surely they would be firm favourites.

The team lined up very early on the Saturday morning ready to go, we carried out some final kit checks before heading out of the gate with some 28 miles of hard road ahead of us. Our 3 pipers were positioned at the main gate and piped all the teams as they left, joining us shortly afterwards. We had a nice steady start as everyone warmed up and got into their stride. Other teams began singing as all headed into the countryside, we hadn’t found our singing voices yet and were content to listen to some of the music provided by Malcolm McNeill’s IPOD which was cleverly concealed within his webbing; it was ideal and helped pass the time and miles. We arrived at the first of 3 rest areas in good time, everybody topped up our water bottles, having just enough time for a cup of tea before starting off again. The weather was ideal for marching; the scenery was fantastic although nobody was that interested in sightseeing.

The 2 nd leg took us towards Loch Lomond with the next stop being at Luss, this was a small picnic spot on the banks of the Loch. After a team photo and some pasta we hit the road again, most of the lads were keen to sit a little longer as our legs were beginning to feel the strain but the Ghurkhas were hard on our heels and there was still a long way to go. The next leg was extremely long with some very steep hills to climb, surely Holland would not be like this, it was pretty tough going; we began to sing which seemed to help although we probably scared a few sheep in the process. The last check point could not come soon enough and it was nice to spend a few minutes with the weight off our feet. There was a long haul back to camp and we relied on the pipers, singers and jokers to keep everyone in good spirits, the team were certainly beginning to gel. It was great to return to Garelochhead Camp in such a good time, this allowed us all an opportunity to shower and sort our feet prior to tea. Day 1 had gone well and we were all pretty pleased with ourselves, everyone looked forward to bed and a good nights rest.

After a hearty Garelochhead fry up we assembled at the start line ready for the off, everybody was keen to get going. The pipers again played some rousing tunes for all teams as they set off for the second and final days March. The distance was a little shorter than the previous day although the route included some extremely steep hills, we all wanted to get our hands on the sadist who designed the course. The weather was not as kind on the second day; we experienced a few scattered showers throughout the day although we just got our heads down and got on with it. There was a nice surprise at lunch time as everyone was allowed to use the church hall within the village of Cove, particularly as a fairly heavy rain shower had just started to fall; the staff at the rest area ensured we were all fed and watered prior to moving off again. The team was beginning to work together, the singing improved (as though it could get any worse) the pipers were fantastic, as they played on, mile after mile. We breezed through the last check point before tackling the last leg which proved to be quite demanding, the road was very long and you could see for miles, however everyone was in good spirits especially when we set foot into the camp, we were pleased to see the banner above the gate which welcomed everyone back home again. All the team had done it, everyone waited at the gate to welcome some of the other groups back in, particularly the Ghurkhas who were hard on our heels, I think they appreciated the pipes being played. After packing away our kit, cleaning and tidying the rooms the competition organiser informed us that we had won, the team was presented with the Warrant Officer Sam Trussler Shield for the second year in a row, everybody was delighted. We set off for Edinburgh having past our first test, everyone was tired but happy.

Captain Burnett gave us a week off from training; I think he was glad to see the back of us for a while! When we did get going again the weekly routine intensified a little as the distance increased, unfortunately we lost John Soulsby through a sporting injury only a few weeks before we departed. Our last group training session was held at the end of June, the next time everyone would muster together would be in Nijmegen; maybe this was the time to panic!

On Saturday 12 July those who were flying to Holland assembled at Edinburgh airport, we were accompanied by Second Lieutenant Nick Bonnie, an Accie with considerable Nijmegen experience; he would ensure we arrived in one piece. Some of the team were already in Europe whilst taking part in Exercise Highland Accie, all being well we would meet up at Heumensoord Camp, Nijmegen, that night.

On arriving at Amsterdam we got our first indication as to how huge this event was, the train to Nijmegen was completely crammed with people. Both groups arrived within an hour of each other and were immediately briefed by Captain Burnett on safety and security matters. Heumensoord Camp where we were staying was absolutely enormous and was another indicator as to the scale of the event. Afterwards we caught the shuttle bus into the city of Nijmegen; the atmosphere was fantastic with people partying and bands playing on every street corner. Most of Holland was on holiday for the Marches and over a million people were staying in the city. Unfortunately and all too soon we had to leave the party, cadet teams were required to be back in bed by 2300hrs, we did not want to mess up on the first night.

Next day we prepared for the opening ceremony prior to having a bit of free time, our day was spent in Nijmegen. We were impressed by the number of people sporting medals stating how many times they had completed the marches; someone spotted a man wearing a medal with 55 written on it! Jamie Macrae had been selected to represent our team in the opening ceremony; it was to be held that night within the local football stadium. We all went along to provide some support and to watch the show. Our lack of understanding of Dutch did not dampen the atmosphere or our enthusiasm particularly when we saw Jamie Macrae marching in with the rest of the British Military Contingent. The opening ceremony, although dragging on a little was first class, certainly worthwhile attending.

The following day involved final preparations, our start time was published, many of us, despite expecting it, were unimpressed by the prospect of the 0240hrs start the next morning! Returning from a trip into town we were horrified to find our new mascot ‘Alan the Combat Bear’ in Jamie Francis’ bed, lacking both his head and a leg! We initially blamed another team but after finding the head on top of the flag pole discovered that Nick Boni was the culprit! Alan would remain, perched at the top of the pole until we completed the March.

The shock of the 0240hrs start did nothing to dampen our excitement about the day to come. However we felt that we would need more than just the sandwich provided to tackle a 40km march! Fortunately several of the more experienced team members had brought cereal with them - Oh for a Garelochhead fry up. After getting our kit on and applying vaseline to all areas that might otherwise prove uncomfortable we left camp in superb style thanks to our pipers. Despite the early start the streets were crowded with people who were there to enjoy the festival. We reached the first of three rest areas at about 0730hrs. Jamie Francis found a new friend - a girl with a ‘Free Hugs’ sign. She was a bit shocked by a very tall, army kitted, person running towards her waving a flag and then lifting her off the ground! Soon we left behind the towns and the crowds that had kept our spirits high with cries of ‘Doodle sac!’ and ‘Shcotland!’, and it dawned on us just how tough the next few days were going to be. We stopped for lunch at about 0900hrs - the traditional army container meal, pasta! We were also quite happy about the seemingly endless supply of nutrigrain bars! The next leg took us through yet more Dutch countryside, sparsely populated with an occasional small village or spectator. Soon we saw one of the bridges into Nijmegen and the crowds flanking the path up to it. We were given sweets in return for Edinburgh Academy CCF stickers which we handed out whenever we heard the shout of ‘souvenirs?’ from the children. Large crowds greeted us as we went into the city which boosted our spirits considerably. Our last 5km was different from the civilian route and took us away from the crowds down some very long roads but again we were kept going by the music. On our return to Heumensoord Camp we marched into the International Arena to fantastic applause, it was a magical moment. We remained for a while to cheer on all the other teams who followed on before dragging our tired bodies down to the accommodation; it was great to take off our boots. Ali Macpherson who had developed a bit of a limp during the day found two coins within his boots, he had forgotten to remove his ‘stash’ from the previous night, everyone apart from Ali thought this was extremely funny.

We got a lie in until 0310hrs ahead of the second day and left at about 0530hrs for an uneventful first leg. At the first rest stop Jamie Francis met the girl giving out free hugs again! We made good time to the lunch stop, satisfyingly passing a lot of teams in the process. Unfortunately at the third rest station we lost Will Brown as he was pulled out by the medics for a serious injury – a nosebleed. Will did not like Captain Burnett’s suggestion of applying a tourniquet around his neck! His loss dampened our morale, our pace slowed and we limped back to camp which resulted in our longest day on the road. We met up with Will that night back at camp; thankfully he had made a full recovery.

Day 3 tested our mental toughness, this was the half way point, everyone was a little sore and there was still a long way to go. We were rewarded with a late start, 0330hrs! The extra sleep was sorely needed for what was to be by far the toughest day. We started with a very long 15km march to the first rest station, where Jamie met his new friend again and Jamie Thornton decided that he needed a hug as well! Singing, with varying degrees of success kept us going when the crowds were sparse. After lunch we encountered something that we hadn’t seen before in Holland, a hill! Thanks to our success at Garelochhead it proved not too demanding! The final leg took us back through a few towns crowded with supporters which took our minds off our painful feet. We were greeted back at camp by the news that we had finished first equal with a team from Somerset, in the competition for ‘Best Cadet Team’.

Our last day of marching provided another early start, 0230hrs. Everyone knew we were on the home stretch and that the end was in sight. The team developed a new routine as we all danced to ‘Apache’ which earned us some strange looks from the other competitors although this helped during a particularly long stretch of open road with few spectators or villages. Prior to the last rest area we passed through the town of Cuijk, the atmosphere was electric; the streets were packed with people, all having a good time. Engineers had built a pontoon bridge which allowed Marchers to cross the canal; the last rest area was on the far bank. It was at this stop we thought we had lost Edwin Findlay; he was however discovered behind the flag pole! The final stretch of the March was along one very long road through large crowds with, to Jamie Francis’ delight, an entire row of people offering free hugs! Our pipers had a second wind and the sound of the bagpipes was almost constant through the long final stretch. Everyone was glad to reach the finish, none more so than Jonathan Arthur who had been walking side ways for the past 10 miles. The Pipe Band arrived shortly afterwards, we were surprised to see Lieutenant Colonel Turner, a Nijmegen legend but had retired from the CCF a few years back, nonetheless we were glad to see them all. Squadron Leader Heintze presented Marchers with their medals which we all so proudly wore on our uniform.

Once all the British teams had assembled we proceeded to march the last 5km through the centre of Nijmegen, all the aches and pains had suddenly disappeared. It was a very memorable moment as millions of spectators cheered on all the Marchers, the atmosphere was incredible, it seemed to take no time to complete with people handing us flowers and drinks. Back at camp we marched into the International Arena behind the Pipes and Drums to the biggest applause we had heard for any team over the four days. The Pipe Band continued to entertain the crowds whilst the Marchers had a well earned rest. That night we did not take much rocking to get to sleep.

The next morning was a very late start - 0600hrs; this had been lunchtime the previous day! We had successfully marched 100 miles in 4 days, over which time we had met many people and pushed ourselves to new limits. We were all tired and sore but it had been a fantastic experience and we will all wear our medals with pride knowing that we really earned them.