CCF Summer Camp 2014
It is hard to put such a successful week into words. From our arrival on the Sunday to our departure on Saturday, effort and enthusiasm remained exceptionally high. For every activity undertaken by the Warminster School contingent, feedback from the Crowborough Camp staff was incredibly positive. One member of the staff even commented that his faith in the idea of CCF had been restored by the Warminster pupils' positive approach in all areas.
MONDAY
We kicked off on Monday with a few rounds of laser tag, followed by the indoor range and archery. After lunch we completed the assault course and the full bore outdoor range. The day finished with a mixture of paintball and airsoft CQB (close quarter battle) – the most popular activity of the week for many.
Memorable moments from that first day were the hilarious contrast between Cadet Tom Davies's lethal archery skills and Sergeant Major Lomas's score of 4.5 (out of 33). On the indoor range section,Cadet Peter Tizard shone with a grouping of 37mm while Lance Corporal Leonard Tippetts came a close second with a grouping of 40mm, and Colour Sergeant Miles Block impressed the staff with his swift and precise clearance of a CQB range.
TUESDAY
This was fieldcraft day, involving section and platoon battle drills, ambushes and general patrolling tactics. This day was the most physically demanding but, as ever, we gave it our all, with camp staff once again expressing their delight. The day was split into four stands, a “sniper stalk” that tested our stealth and an “interest” stand, with examples of national and foreign weapon systems and equipment. The other two stands were ambush drills and platoon attack drills, which gave us our first experience of using blank rounds in the week.
Notable moments – one of our smallest cadets, Tom Taylor, keeping up with Sergeant Jaggs' rather large strides as they charged up a hill towards a Ghurkha position, through acrid smoke.
WEDNESDAY
A rest day. Staying on camp, we participated in various activities, ranging from survival training to basic engineering tasks. We were challenged to transfer two sacks across a zip line as fast as possible and we learned to apply some first aid methods in some very realistic simulations of both a helicopter and a car crash. In the former we had to treat a shocked Mr Johns – none of us knew he could fly a helicopter!
Notable moments – Fire-King Jacob Case revealing his extensive knowledge of fire making techniques during survival training. Cadet Harry Mayo keeping a simulated casualty distracted with questions like “Have you met the Queen?”
THURSDAY
This was competition day, the culmination of our learning. Using the skills we had acquired and working in teams of ten, we participated in themed challenges, ranging from survival challenges to a military knowledge quiz. Throughout the day we endured heavy and continuous rain, staying committed and in good moods despite these conditions.
Notable moments:
Mark Antrobus and Ellen Reynolds setting the pace during the march and shoot challenge and leaving their seniors begging for them to slow down.
Sergeant Jaggs and his accomplice, Sergeant Major Lomas, somehow managing to wrestle a Para, suffering from simulated shock, to the ground – the ensuing struggle left the Para with a ripped T shirt and dented pride.
Warminster's three first place positions: Survival, Observation and First Aid. Scoring 61 points, this placed us in third place for the day, a remarkable achievement, given we were one of the smaller contingents.
In the evening, our glorious leaders devised a fiendishly Sporcle-like quiz with no apparent theme. Team 1 smashed all opposition by a clear margin, led to victory by Claudia's knowledge of Teletubbies and Winnie the Pooh (again, we are not sure about the theme!)
FRIDAY
We relaxed a little due to our warm and dry sleep. In the half-day exercise more rounds were fired than in possibly the entire history of the cadet force! The Upper 6th NCOs played Hollywood-style enemy in ambush drills, coating themselves in mud for the good of the contingent. A certain canine clung to us like glue, its owner unknown; “Private Woof” is still at large in the training area. We carried out a sniper stalk and close target recce. But then, for the final event, we undertook a platoon attack on a terrified lone enemy, played byOfficer Cadet Morgan, who was decisively beaten ten times! Most eventful, a final volley of 230 rounds in ten seconds unleashed upon the enemy, followed by a full platoon bayonet charge across the battlefield and through the position. Through the carving rain, with the soundtrack of pounding feet, heavy breathing and continuous crack of rifle fire, the cadets showed fearsome aggression in following the examples of the seniors who slid, rolled and sprinted with deadly purpose.
Final words from the leaving Upper 6th NCOs: “We would like to give the greatest of thanks to the staff, for whom we hold the utmost respect, and to the cadets, for upholding our best values and giving us steadfast belief that our contingent shall continue to grow in strength for years to come. The final exercise represented the last roar of gunfire for the senior NCOs: Lance Corporal Tippetts, Corporal Case, Sergeant Jaggs, Colour Sergeant Block and Sergeant Major Lomas, and what a way to go out! Lord-Admiral-Field-Commander-Pub-Quiz-Master Palma, Chief Scientist Research Team Leader Potential Officer Johns, Battlefield Commander; The Chief of Hype; The Honourable; Pressure-Providing Second Lieutenant McCormack and Officer Cadet Haley Morgan – with all our hearts we thank you.”
2Lt Palma writes: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the cadets who attended this year's summer camp and for all their hard work and enthusiasm over the week. I also need to give a huge thank you to Mr Johns, Mr McCormack and Miss Morgan, without whom there would not have been any summer camp, and of course Mr Holt for preparing everything behind the scenes before our departure. CCF Summer camp is the highlight of the cadet year with a huge range of activities available to them. The program is punishing in its intensity and it is a credit to the cadets that each day I received thanks from the staff running the stands for the level of energy put in by the pupils.”