the shropshire rifle

THE SHROPSHIRE RIFLE
THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF SHROPSHIRE ARMY CADET FORCE
COUNTY WEEKEND
CHRISTMAS 2012
WINTER 2013 Issue
Editor Maj Krzysztof Budryk
IN THIS
ISSUE
COUNTY WEEKEND
Looking forward to the Disco
COMMANDANTS
NEW YEAR
MESSAGE
RIFLES CUP
BRIGADE MILITARY
SKILLS
PRESENTATION
EVENING
Pingu or SI Farrell ?
A Month Late?
BRIGADE
ORIENTEERING
BATLEFIELD TOUR
COUNTY SPORTS
DAY
The Annual Christmas Dinner
THE
THE SHROPSHIRE
SHROPSHIRE RIFLE
RIFLE
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COMMANDANTS NEW YEAR MESSAGE
Dear all
As we enter the New Year, we should look back at our many and
varied achievements during 2012.
Our numbers continue to rise, as do our APC passes and we are
holding our own on the DofE and BTEC fronts, which is an excellent
place to be in, and well done to the Cadets who are achieving this.
We won the Bde Military Skills Competition and came first in the
Girls Orienteering, excellent results for the County, and did well in
the RIFLES Cup.
We also continue well on the sporting front with our Senior Boys
wining the Regional Football, Overall Regional Athletics Champions
as well as taking The Intermediate Boys, Junior Girls and Senior Girls Trophies. It is with pride that
once again Cadet LCpl Taylor-Hodge from Market Drayton became National Champion at 400m
Camp at Warcop was first class and we must thank all the instructors who supported it, at all levels for
making this happen and look forward to Longmoor 2013.
We are seen by Bde and RFCA (so I am told) as one of, if not the best ACF County in the region, for
that WELL DONE all.
Our achievements have only been possible due to the hard work and loyalty of the CFVA’s, who often
feel “unloved” and unsupported, but I can assure you that all the staff have my admiration and we at
County HQ do everything we can to support the main effort which is the provision of Safe Training to
the Cadets and to the Adult Staff, as well as minimising the Admin burden on the Det Comds.
Also thank you to the Cadets and the Cadet NCOs/CSMs who have worked so hard during 2012 to
get us this reputation, thank you and well done.
I would also like to add my thanks to the “unsung heroes” the wives, husbands and partners who
support the Adult Staff and so allow them to attend and do their jobs, often taking up much prized
family time – THANK YOU.
In 2013 our priorities remain, getting maximum passes in APC subjects, more BTEC passes, and an
improved completion rate in the Duke of Edinburgh award and an increase in both cadet and adult first
aid passes. However our main effort has to be the provision of safe and enjoyable training to all our
members.
I wish to also look to increasing the number of our officers and adult instructors with a view of being
fully manned by the end of 2013.
I am sure that we will all work well together to achieve the counties aims and ideals and we must all
remember our motto which is “Inspire to Achieve”.
Happy New Year
M D Coulon TD
Colonel
Cadet Commandant
THE SHROPSHIRE RIFLE
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COUNTY WEEKEND Continued.
Trying the flute
Clay target shooting
Keeping your feet dry
Rescue the barrel
Page 4
RIFLES CUP
THE SHROPSHIRE RIFLE
didn’t use enough ammunition.
On Friday the 21st of September
Shropshire ACF took a team to
Ward Barracks, Bulford, Wiltshire,
home of 4 Rifles battalion, for the
National Rifles Cup Competition to
compete against 13 other counties
across the UK from as far north of
Yorkshire and to the depth of
Hampshire & IOW.
As the day vent on the cadets
enjoyed attempting stands that
challenged them in every way from
mental to physical tasks and
everything else in-between. The
stands that cadets attempted were
very well throughout and will no
doubt give the cadets some great
items to take back to their units for
the other cadets to benefit from.
The competition offered a chance
for the cadets to show their
leadership, teamwork and fitness
abilities.
By the end of the day 1 the cadets
had completed the following
Stands:
We arrived at about 2130pm to
book in the team and to have a
soup supper before heading to our
harbour area for the weekend,
when we got to the harbour area it
was pitch black and trying to set up
our homes for the evening should
have been a competition Stand as
it was very challenging in the thick
wood we were in.
CQB Paintball, Sniper Stalk, Gun
Run, Minefield, Pairs CQB,
Casualty Evac, 25m Range, Map
Reading, Team Presentation and
Assault Course
The Presentation
The cadets received some very
good feedback from each Stand
Commander some of it
constructive criticism, but mostly
how well they had performed at the
Stand.
Home for the weekend?
The Competition started at 0730
hours on a very cold Saturday
morning, but this didn’t deter the
cadets who were very much up to
the challenge, this made for a
good start at their first stand which
was pairs CQB, the only bad
feedback the cadets got was they
Saturday evening the cadets
headed back into camp for a hot
container meal and a Final Parade
Practice. This gave the cadets a
good opportunity to mix and talk to
the other cadets in the
Competition, after the warm food
and a chance to let their hair down
the cadet’s moral was high.
unfortunately it never stopped; this
made it very hard for the cadets to
concentrate on the last on the last
4 Stands, never the less they
pulled together and managed to
finish on a high completing the
following Stands:
2.4km Run
Section Attack
Comd Lane
Patrol Lane
After a period of time to carry out
some admin i.e. weapons and
personal hygiene the cadets were
ready for the Final Parade.
On the Final Parade there was a
big hope not to hear our name first,
but unfortunately it was, the
cadet’s heads sank, but they were
very magnanimous in defeat and
they clapped and cheered every
other team that was mentioned.
Overall it was a very good effort
from the cadets who came 11
overall out of 14.
Team members were;
CSgt Kortbeek – Band and Bugles
Sgt Scarisbrick - Newport
Cpl Gough - Donnington
Cpl Roberto-Southall - Madeley
L/Cpl Howard - Donnington
L/Cpl Perry - Madeley
L/Cpl Randell - Newport
Cdt Powell - Copthorne
Cdt Green - Whitchurch
Cdt Edwards - Newport
Lt Simon Hill
Rifles Cup Team Leader
Sunday morning we were given an
extra 30 minutes in bed as the
competition was pushed back
because of the delayed arrival of
Major General Smith QVRM TD
DL (late RGJ), The weather was a
bit warmer when we woke, but it
was still cold.
Just as we started day 2 of the
Competition it started to rail,
Speed March
THE SHROPSHIRE RIFLE
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Regional Champions A Company Shropshire ACF
SHROPSHIRE ARMY CADETS REGIONAL CHAMPIONS
Cadets from Shropshire Army Cadet Force win at regional Military Skills Competition held at Swynnerton Army
Training Estates in Staffordshire
Shropshire entered two teams - A company and C Company. They were once again were taking part in the annual
Brigade Competition against 21 teams of cadets from Hereford & Worcester, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and the
West Midlands on Saturday 13th October 2012.
The Competition started early at 0730 hursand went through various stages through the day. These included
shooting, speed march, first aid, command task, skill at arms, map and compass and the DCCT.
A Company ended up as overall regional champions in the Military Skills as well as picking up the best ACF title. C
Company also performed well on the day by picking up 3rd place in the ACF competition.
C Company Shropshire ACF
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THE SHROPSHIRE RIFLE
teams of cadets from
Hereford & W orcester,
Staffordshire, Warwickshire
and the West Midlands on
Saturday 20th October 2012.
The cadets from C Company
were:
Adult Volunteers and Cadets receive their Awards
November
Presentation
Evening
Shropshire Army Cadet Force
Cadets and Adult Volunteers
are recognised for their
achievements
at
a
presentation evening held in
their Copthorne HQ on
Thursday 1st November 2012.
Brigadier Simon Bell
p re se nte d
the Lo rd
Lieutenants Good Service
award to Major Andrew
Saywell for service to sport in
ACF. Sergeant Major Steven
Phelan and Colour Sergeant
Kim Lloyd received the Cadet
Forces Long Service Medal
for 12 year’s service.
Lieutenant Craig Derrigan
and Sergeant Major Nigel
Lloyd Received the 1st Clasp
to the Cadet Forces Medal for
18 year’s service to the ACF.
Brigadier Simon Bell also
presented the Queens
Diamond Jubilee Medals to
Major Simon Cuthbert,
Lieutenant Steve Jones,
Colour Sergeant Bob
Edwards, Sergeant's Matt
Davies, Jim McIntosh and
Adrian Tyson. BTEC Public
Service diplomas were
presented to Cadet Colour
Sergeant Anthony Hill and
Cadet Lance Corporal James
Beddoe.
SHROPSHIRE
GIRLS NAVIGATE
TO SUCCESS
Cadets from Shropshire Army
Cadet Force win at Brigade
Regional Orienteering
Competition held at Nesscliff
Army Training Estates in
Shropshire
The Shropshire team all
came from C Company and
were taking part in the annual
Brigade Competition against
Sgt A Hill (Bishops Castle)
LCpl H Game (Pontesbury)
LCpl B Reidy (Church
Stretton)
LCpl W Cooter (Bishops
Castle)
Sgt T Wells (Copthorne)
LCpl L Reader (Copthorne)
Sgt N Church (Pontesbury)
Cpl R Beaumont (Church
Stretton)
LCpl J Guy (Harlescott)
Cdt S Long (Harlescott)
Cdt D Lewis (Bishops Castle)
Sgt Natasha Church, Cpl
Robyn Beaumont and LCpl
Joanna Guy who competed in
the senior girls event came
home with the fasted time
becoming
regional
champions.
C Company Orienteer’s
THE SHROPSHIRE RIFLE
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Cadet Battlefield
Tour 2012
Autumn half term saw the opportunity to take a group
of cadets on a battlefield tour in Belgium and a visit to
the Houses of Parliament.
It all started on Friday 26 October. All arrived on time
and appeared to have packed what was asked, light
and warm. However the arrival of the Market Drayton
cadets saw a bright blue suitcase and a stuffed toy under an arm , it was Wenlock the Olympic mascot.
Menin Gate
With All the staff and cadet in place and rested, Saturday arrived and then it was time to get going for an
afternoon booking at the Channel tunnel. The first new experience for the cadets. On arrival in Ypres we meet our
new friend, he was going to be our guide in Belgium and would share his knowledge of the battlefields and
cemeteries. He also took us to our hotel. Later we attend the service at the Menin Gate which is the memorial to
British and Commonwealth soldiers killed in the Ypres Salient. Following the ceremony, we manage to find a
Chinese restaurant that can accommodate our party of 14 in one sitting.
On Sunday we have a large breakfast and started a full and interesting day at Essex Farm cemetery where the
youngest person died aged 15, quite poignant as this is the same age of some of the cadets in the party. This is
also where the poem “In Flanders Field” was written and where Wilfred Owen, author of A Shropshire Lad,
passed through the clearing station after being wounded.
Pilckem Ridge was our next destination. A German cemetery which felt very cold and clinical. Here they dug large
pits for mass graves. Then we visited the Canadian brooding soldier monument. Passchendaele Ridge was next
with an explanation of the area and the part it played in the 3 battles held around the Ypres area, Zonnebeke,
Tyne Cot cemetery the largest war graves cemetery.
Hooghe crater museum was next on our itinerary, but not until after lunch which was included in the admissions
price. Before leaving we walked around the open trenches in this area. Here we also find the household cavalry
memorial. A small section of the ramparts survived and there is a small cemetery here. There is also a museum.
We go back to Ypres to change and then out to the service at the Menin Gate where three cadets laid a wreath in
memory of Cadet RSM Ethan Chant.
Monday arrives and its a visit to Thiepval Memorial, then the Canadian trenches at Newfoundland, then it was
time to go back to the Channel Tunnel for our return to England.
Tuesday and breakfast in Bicester cookhouse, then its off to London for a bit of sight seeing. First call the
Guard’s museum London, Big Ben, Cenotaph memorial to the women of WW2, Downing Street, M&M shop (yes a
shop for all things M&M), Harrods and Buckingham palace lit up at night.
Wednesday saw the last day of our visit. More sightseeing this
time going to the Palace of Westminster, Jewel tower, Tube
trip to the Tower of London and then finally a chance to
experience the Gun Salute by the Kings troop before our return
to Copthorne.
Major (Retd) Frances Bilton
County First Aid Officer
Tyne Cot Cemetery
THE SHROPSHIRE RIFLE
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COUNTY WEEKEND SPORTS
Senior and Intermediate Cross Country
Girls Cross Country
Senior Football
Junior Cross Country
Senior Football
GOT SOME NEWS?
Copy deadline for next edition 10th March 2013
Next issue out April 2013
Email Maj Budryk - [email protected]
Junior Football
Shropshire Army Cadet Force
Copthorne Barracks
Shrewsbury
SY3 8LZ
Telephone 01743 231779
or email
[email protected].