Barnsley mark war jubilee THE Barnsley unit band were invited to play at VE Day celebrations at the Earl of Strafford pub at Hooton Roberts. VE Day was the public holiday celebrated on May 8 1945 to mark the formal acceptance of Nazi Germany’s unconditional surrender by the Allied Forces and the end of the war in Europe. Seven decades on, the band entertained the public and enjoyed some of the sideshows. Meanwhile, in the market town of Penistone, a few miles west of Barnsley, cadets joined veterans for a service of celebration. The oldest veteran was former Royal Marine Fred Houchin, who just turned 95, and was escorted by Royal Marines Cadet L/Cpl Oliver Ingham. Bradford cadets finished 11th out of 22 teams in the Lord Mayor’s Appeal Dragonboat Races on the canal – not bad for the only youth team in the competition. The Bradford unit boat contained 16 rowers and a drummer – 14 cadets and three members of staff. Cadets and volunteers from the unit helped paint the town yellow when they joined in the second annual Barnsley Hospital Charity Rainbow Run. They helped set up the run, delivered paint to paint stations, water to water stations and set up the registration area. When the race started cadets and volunteers manned the Yellow colour station and a water station, ensuring runners were well looked after.
Party time for VE Day
THE Junior Cadet section of Rushden unit organised a VE Day-style street party, which was also attended by members of Peterborough unit. Cadets wore clothes representative of the period, and they were lucky to have entertainers on board – one in the uniform of an American major, the other as a 1940s singer who also taught some dance moves. Food was provided through donations from Mrs B’s, Waitrose and Sainsbury’s – the unit’s thanks go to them, and there was not much food left at the end. During the events everyone had to deal with air raid sirens and the all clear siren – a chilling reminder of what Britons endured in the Blitz.
Sharp drill
CADETS from Weston unit made their mark on the National Drill and Piping competition. Representing South West Area, the unit’s Armed Guard came second while Guard Commander POC Alex Harper won Best Guard Commander – results that helped South West Area win the overall competition.
Winning team A COMBINED team of cadets from Rhyl and Connah’s Quay, in North Wales district, won the continuity drill section of the National Drill and Piping Competition at HMS Raleigh. Instructors CPO (SCC) Annette Hewitson and PO (SCC) Cadet Joshua McDermott spoke of the commitment of the cadets and how proud they are of the cadet’s achievement.
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Déjà vu in Docklands
IN THE summer of 1971 a bar of chocolate cost 2½p, petrol was around 36p per gallon (8p per litre) and British people were still coming to terms with newlyintroduced decimal currency. There was no Internet – the concept of everyday desktop personal computing was still a dream; Apple Inc did not appear until 1976 and the IBM PC was a full decade away. No mobiles either – the first (clunky) handheld device appeared in 1973, and Japan did not create the first basic commercial mobile network until the end of the decade. So it was a very different world when, on August 3 1971, Princess Anne launched the Sea Cadets’ new flagship, TS Royalist – named in her honour. Fast forward nearly 44 years, and despite the breakneck pace of technological development, it was a case of déjà vu for the Princess Royal. This time it was at West India Dock – in 1971 a declining industrial relic, now part of a thriving high-rise London business district – that the Princess Royal formally named and commissioned TS Royalist. On a gloomy, rainy morning, amidst the towers of Canary Wharf, the Princess was the principal guest at a ceremony that moved the new ship one step closer to her first offshore voyage. Having admitted to a slight sense of déjà vu, the Princess said she was really pleased the new ship looks so much like its predecessor. “I was already slightly older than the age limit for a cadet when I launched the original,” said the Princess Royal. “I am delighted to be here because I really do feel for the sea Cadet Corps to have their own flagship is fundamentally important.” The royal guest spoke of the team spirit such a ship helped to nurture, and the benefits that can be gained from working at sea – sometimes a beautiful place, but also one that can be uncomfortable. She said it was “a real honour and a pleasure” to name the ship, after which she was given a brief tour of the £4.8m vessel, launched in Spain last December. Around 100 cadets, representing 33 different units, from across the country attended the naming and commissioning ceremony – some were crew from power training ships TS John Jervis and TS Jack Petchey, some 30 were from a combined band
l (Above) The Princess Royal meets cadets at the South Dock of West India Docks, where the new TS Royalist was commissioned l (Right) The Princess Royal invites JC Mia WIlliams to help her cut the commissioning cake, watched by Captain Sea Cadets Capt Phil Russell and four of the six Navy Board Cadets were on duty. Members of the Sefton Unit Glee Club entertained guests with a selection of songs before the ceremony got under way. Guests included a stellar array of retired senior Royal Navy officers, including former First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Jock Slater, Commander-in-Chief Fleet Admiral Sir James BurnellNugent and Second Sea Lord Vice Admiral Sir Alan Massey. The commissioning warrant for the new Royalist was read by Offshore Commander (SCC) Jerry Bearne RNR, and the Act of Dedication led by the new Captain Sea Cadets Capt Phil Russell. Prayers and blessings were led by the new Royal Navy Chaplain of the Fleet, the Ven
Ian Wheatley, and by the Lord Bishop of London the Rt Rev Richard Chartres. Southern Area Navy Board Cadet POC Charlie Abbott (Ramsgate unit) recited the Sea Cadets Prayer. The Sea Cadets Guard of Honour and the band remained focused and smart despite the
frequent heavy showers. Lt (SCC) Paul Barker RNR HQ Staff Officer Ceremonial, and WO (SCC) Paul Kitchen RNR, HQ Staff Officer Ceremonial Training, were pleased with the performance of the youngsters. “Most didn’t join us until 1800 yesterday. They did an hour last night and hour’s rehearsal early this morning,” said Lt Barker. “With so little training they did remarkably well – I was very happy with them.” Captain Sea Cadets Capt Phil Russell said: “What a fantastic event here – and what a fitting welcome for TS Royalist into the Sea Cadet Corps. “It is the culmination of a lot of hard work to raise the money to get her here. “We are now just itching to get as many young people as we can to sea to give them the best possible experience in life.” The new Royalist is expected to start her life in the Corps this month – the first two-dozen or so Sea Cadet crew have not been specially selected, but just l Due ceremony was observed by participating Sea Cadets and Royal Marines Cadets, despite the heavy showers that swept across London’s Docklands (left)
happened to have booked an offshore voyage for that particular week (a cruise along the South Coast from her Gosport base). These booking are likely to have been made last year; the old Royalist was pretty much fully booked throughout the sailing season, and the same will apply to the new ship. Marine Society & Sea Cadets (MSSC) CEO Martin Coles told guests that the provision of an “absolutely fantastic new flagship” demonstrated that the charity was “investing in generations of cadets for the next 40 years.” Eleven-year-old Junior Cadet Mia Williams, of Bromley unit, found out a couple of weeks in advance that, as the youngest cadet on the day, she would be helping the Princess Royal cut the commissioning cake. “I was a bit nervous when I found out, but it was good – I was waiting for quite a long time,” said Mia, who also presented the Princess with flowers as she left. Another gift the Princess took with her was a name board from the old Royalist, presented to her on departure by South West Area Navy Board Cadet POC Ashley Freeman, of Sutton Coldfield unit. The second name board is installed on the new Royalist.
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