CCF Ex Summer Lightning

At long last the Army Section returned to where it belongs over half-term. Sixty Third Year recruits made for Pippingford Park training areas last weekend to enjoy a long day’s fieldcraft and tactics in beautiful sunshine. Early in the morning the cadets, working in two platoons, established harbour areas and were assessed in their competency erecting and camouflaging bashas. Before long they had their first chance to fire the rifle, responding to a challenging sequence of enemy contacts in open ground and woodland in four-man fire-teams. The afternoon assessed these indefatigable young cadets in recce patrols and stalking, some going to the extraordinary lengths of wading up a river to plant explosives on an enemy bridge. After cooking their own dinners from the delectable military ration packs, they were off again, this time laying a ruthless ambush on an enemy convoy as dusk approached. By the time they made their way home at 2300 hrs, the smiles shone beneath the cam cream no less brightly than when they first paraded 17 hours before.

It cannot be overstated how enjoyable it was for both cadets and staff to be back to proper training, nor how exceptionally the recruits performed. They all passed their Army Proficiency Certificate fieldcraft assessment and could not have impressed us more with their hardiness, knowledge and irrepressible enthusiasm for cadetship.

M M OWEN

Capt

OC Army Section