1349 Woking Squadron

Cadet Leadership Course - Frimly Park. By SGT Shaw

This was the most well organised well thought out camp that I have ever attended. I have never done so much in a week and it teaches you that there are two five o’clock in one day.

I arrived on the Sunday at around 17 30 hrs after a 20 min car drive to find out that cadets were coming from all over the country to attend this course, some from Scotland who had 9 hour journeys. All 110 cadets got signed in an our mug shots taken and by about 20 at a time ferried into the briefing room where we got told a bit about the course and what we were hopefully going to achieve. Since the camp is fun by the Army Cadet Force we were then put into Platoons, Sections and fire teams. The way the ranks within the platoon were going to work was each day the corporals and sergeants rank slides would get rotated around so they could observe us at different levels of authority. We were also issued a lot of it for the week such as a Burgan, Webbing, sleeping bags and much more. After getting settled in to our tented accommodation we had dinner, another briefing, this one from our platoon commander, and then it was time to get our heads down.

Monday; My alarm went off at 5:30. Into the shower, ate breakfast, into the back of the 6 toners and straight to the field for some training on ambushes and Platoon attacks. What was surprising was that we used E1, 2 and 3 training areas After some refresher training on the basics we got changed into our sports kit and began orienteering. As long as your in good physical shape its simple, the navigating was easy. We ran from point to point stamping our card once we got there. After an hour we were transported back to Frimly for some weapons handling. With lunch down us we began raft building and had a small exercise to do basically just get from one side of the lake to the other. We were to do a 3 minute lecture on a selected topic which we would be marked on It wasn’t difficult since I had had so much practice from 60 second lectures back at the squadron. After dinner it was time for some inter section volleyball which was great to relax and have fun. Some admin time and to bed.

Tuesday; 5 am this time. Straight into combats. Down to the obstacle course. Our section was to complete a 1 kilometre log run followed by the obstacle course we had been shown round the previous day. Easy. Into the showers, get breakfast and form up on the square ready for the day. Initiative exercises or command tasks as they liked to call them, were set up in a round robin format that we did through till a few hours after lunch. We were shown around the Manor House which was very impressive, but I couldn’t help but wonder how unfair it was that we had tents and the staff got this magnificent mansion. A different type of boat race and then some more weapons training. Ate dinner did some admin and down to the field for intersection tug o’ war, not as fun as volleyball. Some admin. More lectures and back to bed.

Wednesday; 5:30 Start. Eat. Form up on the square with the kit we’d been told to pack last night. Down to the armoury to collect out rifles that we’d have for the day. Into the 6 toners and out to F1, 2 and 3 training areas for tactical navigation. This time at each point there was a command task waiting for us. These ranged from First aid situations to erecting a 12 by 12 blindfolded. Again the IC was rotated so they could observe our skills as a leader. Back on the 6 toners and we were taken to our harbour areas that we’d be using for the night. We did some admin got our bashers up and ate. This was going to be the first of the night exercises. We ran though what we were going to do then we made our way out our harbour area. Blank firing rounds were issued to all cadets and we were told to load. Patrolling up to the place where we were to meet the agent, the heavens opened. If it ain’t raining, It ain’t training. Stopping at the FRV then making out way to the meeting point. We were set up in a covering position and sent two guys to meet the agent. 5 minutes later an LSW opened up on the opposite bank. Freezing for a second I herd my section fire so I shot back. Enough covering fire was given for our guys to return and we made our way back to the harbour area and got our heads down. Stag was running through out the night.

Thursday; When you have this much kit, a full Burgan, webbing, day sack and a rifle it is not a good idea to share a basher. I woke up to find my jacket just at the edge, soaking wet, brilliant. Breakfast down us we made our way to the 6 toners and out to an area where we were to do a march and shoot. This is a 5k tab to some ranges with full kit minus burgans. At the end there is a final 100 meter sprint to the live rifles and we put 10 rounds down the range to the target. After it was back to Frimly Park. I would tell you what we did here however I cant remember, the days had already began to roll into one at this stage. Anyway later I can recall. After dinner we were back to the trucks and out to the field again, where we were given a briefing that we had to get to a certain location in a time frame with avoiding the enemy. This was cut short but gunfire bursting out the back of a landy. We legged it into the woods, took cover and figured out where we were With myself in charge we began tactically patrolling to the location. The enemy were everywhere. Roaming around on foot and in the landy’s. having to hit the deck a few times we made it to the location on time. As it turned out nearly every other fire team got caught once or more whereas we managed to stay unseen. A win for us. At this location we got co-ords for our harbour area where we did some admin and got ready for the night phase. The briefing told us we were to set an ambush. After fafing around we were on our way. Each with more blank firing rounds. The ambush was set, we were all in position, the trip flare in the centre of the path when tripped we were to open fire. A high pitched hum was getting closer, we got ready, safeties off and a quad bike shot past, missing the trip flare by about an inch, we almost scared the life out of some poor civilian but what a story that would have been. The patrol we were waiting for arrived, the flare went off and we opened up. “STOP” shouted the platoon commander “Watch and Shoot, Watch and Shoot”. the cut off groups were ready to take down any runners. The ambush was a success. Back to the harbour area and with stag up and walking around we got our heads down.

Friday; A 3 am start. Kit onto the back of the wagons and we got ready to cross a river. We were given the same kit as before to do some improvised raft building. Once that was done we began to cross one by one. Our Adult Platoon Commander went last and in the sprit of tradition as soon as he got on we pulled it as hard as we could and sent him flying into the water. After all the laughs we were back on the trucks to our platoon attack area. We were told the situation and got ready for an attack. 12 section covered 11 section flanked, rounds being fired from the enemy as we made our way round the back of them. The atmosphere was fantastic. After destroying them we ran back to the toners and back to Frimly Park. Shower, Breakfast, yes breakfast after doing all of that it was still early morning. We were then straight out to Sandhurst to do their obstacle course again with an initial log run. Once we were all wet and tired it was back to Frimly and the end of the Camp. We took our borrowed kit back to the stores, cleaned and returned our rifles and got changed into civvies. After a wonderful BBQ provided by the staff some went to the disco some went to watch the film and some simply went to bed.

Saturday; I thought this day would never come. Up at 6 and with full stomachs we packed all our kit away and had the final parade where medals and trophies were awarded. Unfortunately my section did not win any however I still had a great time. I would strongly advise you to apply for this camp. The people you will meet are great, everyone’s friendly, everyone’s there to have a good time. This Camp was tough going and is not for the faint hearted. If you are not in good shape you will struggle. Feel free to ask me any questions on this camp and again I would strongly recommend it for everyone.