C.C.F. Notes

memory will be of the kindness and enthusiasm shown by all the ship's officers in making our visit so very enjoyable.

From Hull the "Clan Brodie" went to Antwerp and then to Glasgow and Liverpool to complete discharge. The company's schedules have been much upset by the strike, and we do not at the moment know anything of the ship's future movements. In any case, it seems possible that Capt. Graham will be transferred and that we shall "join" our third Clan ship shortly.

The first event of note in the Summer Term is always the General Inspection. The inspecting officer this year, not sent by the War Office, but invited by the Head Master, was Lt.-Gen. Sir Geoffrey Evans, K.B.E., C.B., D.S.O., G.O.C. Northern Command, whose scrutiny, though in some ways more informal, was no less thorough than usual. We are glad to record that he was well satisfied with what he saw.

On the afternoon of the same day we held the Fernie Cup competition instead of the more usual exercise on The Ings. The competition involved the handling of assault boats, bridge-building, fire-orders, navigation and lashings. The visiting general presented the cup to the winning house, Temple, and was kind enough to ask for a day's holiday for the School.

Among other distinguished visitors this term we would also mention Brigadier Houchin, D.S.O., M.C., the new area commander.

An important addition to the summer programme was our participation in the Schools' Shooting Competition at Bisley. In view 'of our relative inexperience the results achieved were not unsatisfactory. Once the Bisley tradition has been established we can be confident of making rapid progress. In the local competition at Strensall we came third.

The Signals Section reports that in the Ladder Competition of the Inter-Schools' Wireless Net they finished 13th with fifty contacts. Cpl. Clough was highly commended in his instructor's exomination; two new cadets, Chilman and Wilson, A.C., are now able to transmit at 8 w.p.m., and the Section hopes to improve its performance in the Ladder Competition in the coming year.

R.N. SECTION

The first part of the term was, as usual, spent in preparation for the Annual Inspection. The chief task here was the re-painting of the whaler, a task completed by an enthusiastic body of sailors led by P.O. Leishman, mainly during spare time. The special demonstrations 54

II the inspection were this year organised by four leading hands, follows :— Lg/Sea. Kay—Stores and Seamanship Room. Lg/Sea. Bolton—Whaler pulling. Lg/Sea. Macpherson—Operation "Jungle", an exercise involving use of jackstay and rigging. Lg/Sea. Marsh—Signal exercise.

These were all quite well carried out.

As there was no official examinations, the remainder of the term was devoted to work of a more practical nature. The whaler was put to good use, under Lg/Sea. Bolton, for pulling training, and under

P.O. Leishman and A.B. Beckitt for sailing. For several parades "special exercises" were arranged for the senior members of the

Section. These consisted of leadership tests, which, carried out in conjunction with the Army and R.A.F. Sections, proved both instructive and popular. A considerable amount of "part of ship" work was carried out, much of this in connection with the naval mast, which has now been fitted with a 10 ft. gaff. Lg/Sea. Kay deserves special praise for all his extra labour in this operation.

Towards the end of term the R.N. Basic Squad (now called the

A.B. Class) was given its introduction to R.N. training under A.B.

Beckitt.

R.N. SUMMER TRAINING

This year the School R.N. Section was split up into three parties so as to join three A/S. Frigates of the 3rd Training Squadron. For this purpose Lg/Sea. Kay and Bolton were advanced to P.O. and A.B. Handler to Lg/Sea. The parties were allocated as follows :- 10 cadets (P.O. Kay i/c.) to H.M.S. Wizard (at Londonderry). 10 cadets (P.O. Leishman i/c.) to H.M.S. Tumult (at Rothesay). . 8 cadets (P.O. Bolton i/c.) to H.M.S. Urchin (at Portsmouth).

Lt. Jeffs accompanied the party joining "Wizard", but was able to inspect the party in "Tumult" when the two ships joined forces in Londonderry. However, separate accounts by each of the three P.O.& are given below.

H.M.S. WIZARD

A party of 10 cadets and Lt. Jeffs left York on Monday, 25th July, on the 2122 hrs. train for Newcastle on the first leg of our journey to Londonderry, where we finally arrived at 1400 hrs. on Tuesday.

We were welcomed aboard H.M.S. Wizard, an A/S. frigate converted from a destroyer, by Lt. Evelegh, who was to be the C.C.F. liaison officer for the week. We were told that we had come to the ship to learn as much as possible. In fact, we did no part of ship , work at all.

Naval training started the following morning with boatwork, which was participated in for two hours every day. For the remainder of the day we received instruction and lectures, in all cases with a practical demonstration. One afternoon, we went for a cross-country walk into Eire.

The "Wizard" sailed on the Saturday night for Rosyth. All the cadets were stationed on the conning position for the passage down the river to the Atlantic. On the way we passed a number of ships in the Reserve Fleet, amongst which there was the H.M.S. Amethyst, of world-wide fame.

While we were at sea we took part in the normal routine of watches, excluding the middle. The four hour watches were split up into four one hour parts so that we could have a trick at the wheel, a turn on the bridge and in the engine room and as look-out. The hour on the bridge was spent taking fixes and operating the Decca radar set by ourselves.

Finally we arrived in the Forth on the Monday morning, and on the way up river we passed the U.S. battleship "Wisconsin" and two U.S. destroyers.

Monday afternoon was spent sailing with a Midshipman Reid and Tuesday was spent visiting the aircraft carrier H.M.S. Glory and the submarine H.M.S. Untiring, and then returning "home" to the "Wizard" to enter dry dock.

It was interesting to note that General V. A. H. Sturdee, of the 1st Australian Army, accepted the surrender of a Japanese army and naval force during the last war aboard the "Glory". A brass plate on the flight deck marks the place today.

After a very enjoyable week it was time for us to take our leave and to thank the captain, Capt. F. R. Main, who was also leaving the ship, his officers and senior ratings, especially Lt. Evelegh and L /S. Fennimore, who did so much for us and gave us a "wizard" week. M.G.K.

H.M.S. TUMULT

After a long but interesting journey we arrived at Rothesay pier and disembarked from the paddle steamer which had brought us over the last leg of the trip.

We were met by a motor cutter which took us out to the "Tumult", which lay at anchor in the bay. A substantial hot supper awaited us, and after being issued with hammocks, etc., we turned in for our first night on board.

At 0610 hours on Wednesday we were awakened by some jargon

which was soon to become familiar to all of us, and then commenced

the routine of the ship. At 0930 hours the ship sailed from Rothesay to carry out trials with a new type of torpedo. We spent the day watching the scenery and learning how not to man a 4 in. gun, the boy seamen on board providing that particular entertainment. We spent the night anchored in a small bay at the mouth of Loch Fyne.

The following day, Thursday, saw us haul in the anchor to spend

the day cruising round . Loch Fyne, to enable scientists on a nearby

boat to study the effect of the wash on torpedoes. These tests finished at noon, and in the afternoon we did four runs over the measured mile at full power, reaching a speed of approximately 30 knots. We then returned to Rothesay for the night.

At 0830 hours on Friday we left Rothesay for Londonderry and at 0915 hours "action stations" was sounded. To keep us out of the way we were sent to the G.D.P. (Gun Director position), and here we had a good view of the rest of the ship, as the G.D.P. is above the bridge and the highest part of the superstructure. As we got out to sea a heavy swell became more than noticeable and two people succumbed to "mal de mer". It must, however, also be stated that only two people had any lunch that day.

In the evening when we had arrived at Derry, Lt. Jeffs came aboard to see how we were getting on. The "Wizard", in which Lt. Jeffs and his party were, sailed the following evening for Rosyth.

On the Saturday, leave parties were preparing to depart, and because Londonderry doesn't have Navy days, we found time on our hands; however, we found plenty to do.

On Sunday morning we attended a service held in the chapel of H.M.S. Sea Eagle, the large shore base, which was not far from where "Tumult" was berthed.

Monday, being a Bank Holiday, we spent quite quietly, some of us

going ashore, although Derry is not particularly interesting. In the

afternoon we all watched two films which were held on board in the Stokers' Mess.

On Tuesday morning we had an excellent lecture on radar and

plotting and learned in general how a ship was navigated. At 1600 hours we left the ship to begin our overnight journey. We all agreed that it had been a week well spent; we were well looked after and the food was exceptionally good.

I feel sure that everyone who went will have profited by his

experience.

J.R.U.L.

This ship is a Type 15 Anti-Submarine Frigate with a displacement of 2,300 tons and a maximum speed of 32 knots. As is customary we were placed on "watches" and soon accustomed ourselves to the ship's routine.

Our first day was spent at sea in H.M.S. Fleetwood, a slow convoy escort frigate of maximum speed 14 knots. Most of the day was spent doing routine work aboard ship while it underwent trials. Another opportunity for a sea trip was presented when, during a tour of H.M.S. Hornet, a base for coastal craft, we went aboard H.M.S. Beckford. This is a newly completed gun-boat.

A very enjoyable afternoon was spent going over to the nearby Isle of Wight, where Cowes Week was in progress, and we obtained a close view of the Royal Yacht "Britannia". H.M.S. Dolphin, the submarine depot and training school, was visited, and besides looking over the submarine "Teredo" we saw films on submarine warfare and the method of "free escapes".

Next we had a most instructive exercise held in the Operations Room of "Urchin". This consisted of a mock submarine chase, typical messages being sent and received and orders obeyed.

A contrast with the up-to-date ships seen was provided by a visit to H.M.S. Victory, Nelson's old flagship, now in dry dock. We returned here on the Sunday for "Divisions", being inspected by a Rear-Admiral. This was followed by Divine Service on board "Victory".

During our stay we visited the Fraser Gun Battery, where naval gunners are trained, and had an opportunity of firing a Bofors gun loaded with blank.

The last visit was paid to H.M.S. Centaur, the aircraft carrier, and we had a thorough and absorbing tour of this ship.

The week's activities ended with a whaler race between eleven cadet crews, of which we were one. After a bad start the School crew did quite well to finish third. This ended what was generally agreed to be a most enjoyable week's training.

M.W.B.

R.A.F. SECTION

For the third time since this Section started, our applicant for coveted Reciprocal Visit to North America was successful, and congratulate Flight-Sgt. Portlock on being selected. He went to United States during the summer holidays.

Thirty cadets attended camp at Marham, in Norfolk, instead of at Watton as previously arranged. It was a smaller camp than in other years, and five schools were represented there.

Marham is a very large airfield, and its very up-to-date equipment made it a most interesting station to visit. Some cadets were lucky enough to fly in a Canberra, and an unusual experience was offered as Marham is one of the few stations with a "decompression chamber", for testing suitability for high altitude flying. There were considerable opportunities for various sports, and almost everyone enjoyed the "dinghy drills" in the sea at Brancaster. A very hot August Bank Holiday was spent on a point-to-point exercise, which involved a fourteen mile march, with information to be found out on the way. It is of interest to note that this type of exercise is carried out by the aircrews at Marham and other operational R.A.F. stations at regular intervals.

Twenty of our number, led by Flight-Sgt. King, won the competition, lasting over the whole camp period, for but tidiness, and Sgt. Heap, Ldg. Cadet Scarth and Cadet Sutcliffe won shooting prizes.

As usual, only those who have attended camp will be considered for important positions in the Section and in the C.C.F. generally. In this respect the good work of the N.C.O.s and other senior cadets at camp was of great value.

Congratulations to F /Sgt. Portlock, of the R.A.F. Section, who was chosen for a visit to North America. We hope he enjoyed the trip and look forward to his report.

The Band again practised hard under Drum Major Bardgett, and the Sunset Ceremony, held this year in the East Quadrangle, once more brought the term's 'activities to an impressive close.

ARMY CAMP, 1955

The Army camp this year provided a pleasant change; instead of the familiar moorland of North Yorkshire, the softer landscape of South Norfolk. Our request to attend camp outside Northern Command had at last been granted.

The camp was held near Thetford, in the Stamford Battle Area. Requisitioned during the war, this area, though partly scarred by mortar fire, still bears traces of human habitation. The cottages, the farmhouses, the 16th century inn have been stormed and defended countless times and lie open to the sky; but the fields still carry crops and foraging cadets may still pick roses and fruit in the neglected gardens.

59

These new surroundings and the dry, sunny weather provided ideal conditions for the week's training. It followed the normal course : progressive section and platoon training, culminating once again in a bivouac exercise. Thunderfiashes had to be used with care in the dry bracken, but rockets and bulleted blank again proved useful aids to realism.

It was originally hoped that the R.A.F. Section, being stationed close by, would join us in our final exercise. However, they were so deeply engrossed by their own programme, or so comfortably installed in their palatial quarters, that the battle was finally fought without them. It was the sort of imaginative exercise, not owing too much to the text-book, which we have come to expect of our O.C. On Monday evening a platoon of Insomnians was "parachuted" onto an isolated farm. As they fortified the farm buildings, loopholing the walls and preparing to greet the enemy with a barrage from their multi-barrelled-Coca-Cola-bottle-rocket-firing mortar, a group of Megalomaniacs (Senior N.C.O.$) set out from Smoker's Hole to locate their stronghold. Information was passed back to the attacking force and the following morning the assault went in, with perhaps no more confusion than would have arisen had it been the "real thing". As it was not the "real thing" all ended in hot dispute as to which side won, which proved to the organisers at any rate That their efforts to arouse interest in the exercise had not been unsuccessful.

Training did not bring us into contact with other schools, but we were able to measure ourselves against them in the usual inter-unit competitions. The Royal Fusiliers conducted the Guard-Mounting Competition with more than the usual military punctilio, and our volunteers deserved congratulation, we feel, if only for having braved their severe scrutiny. We must confess that here we were far outshone. In the Lines Competition, however, we were again highly placed, though we have no Blarney Stone this time to commemorate it. In sport we achieved a second place in the 4 x 220 relay, and on the final evening in a soccer match, refereed—impartially, we believe—by R.S.M. Power, we defeated Eton by four goals to two. If we add that D. G. Barton was placed first in the Junior Leaders' Cadre with 100 per cent and special mention, we can justly claim to have acquitted ourselves well.

One of the pleasing features of recent camps has been the improved standard of leadership in the senior ranks, among whom we were glad to welcome this year two N.C.O.s from the R.A.F. Section : Johnson and Willstrop. This improvement was again maintained and contributed to the success of the camp.

We again owe thanks to the units, R.A., Infantry and Armoured, who administered the camp or provided demonstrations. They were extremely helpful both in the assistance they gave and in not attempt- 60