CCF October Camp 2020

Instead of our usual October seaside location of Folkestone, windswept and bleak, we stayed at ‘home’ in Old Park Woods; equally windy and wet, just with more trees.  Three days of full-on action kept the 133 cadets and 13 staff very busy, only being allowed home each day to dry off.

As they assembled in bubbles in the middle of half-term, our new Recruits (Third Years) were effervescing with enthusiasm, as were our Fourth Year cadre.

The planned programme was designed for all cadets to be outdoors for 100 percent of the time.  There was a wet weather programme: get wet.

We have a saying in the CCF: ”If it ain’t raining it ain’t training…” 

Despite the weather, a huge amount of training took place, exposing the Recruits to many aspects of cadet life. Through wind and rain and plenty of sunny spells too, the recruits learnt to erect bashas, prepare food in the field, patrol to dominate the ground and camouflage themselves. Resplendent in their new uniforms, they also took their first tentative steps in drill, its bitter pill sugared by some high-octane sessions on the high ropes course, on the archery range and on the obstacle course.

The Fourth Year cadre undertook vital continuation training with advanced field craft, including a devastating night ambush on a column of recruits and a four-hour harbour exercise.

Three frenetic days ended with combat laser tag deep in the woods and an inter-section competition, which saw 2 Section under Cpl Davies emerge a worthy winners of the coveted can of Coke.

Individual awards were made on final parade to the cadets below, but in truth all cadets returned home with huge smiles on their tired faces; a sign of a job well done and of the relief felt by all to have a small but wonderful taste of normality.

My thanks go to Tony Fahey and Gordon Wilkinson who supported the high ropes activities on Saturday and Sunday.

I am also grateful to all the CCF volunteer staff and the stalwart Sixth Form NCOs for supporting the three days to ensure that the Cadet Experience was as great as ever.

OCTOBER CAMP 2020 AWARDS

Best Recruit on Camp:          Rct Taylor (Third Year)

Best Cadet on Camp:             Cdt Bortey (Fourth Year)

Best NCO on Camp:               Cpl Martin (Lower VI)

Best Recruit Marksman:       Rct Kamp (Third Year)

Best Recruit Drill:                  Rct Akingbade (Third Year)

Best Recruit Obs Course:    Rct Sherry (Third Year)

Best Recruit Field craft:       Rct Wengraf-Townsend (Third Year)

Wg Cdr Kevin Bage, Contingent Commander