CCF SUMMER CAMP
At the end of Summer Term, our contingent went on a week camp at Oakhampton battle camp in Dartmoor. We offloaded our gear into one large barrack room for all 30 of us, which sometimes made sleeping tedious.
The first day was a round robin of archery, paintballing, gun run, clay pigeon shooting, air rifles and lasertag. It was great to see younger cadets try new activities before more serious training. Of note was cadet William Parkinson, who scored a 5mm grouping on the air rifle and later placed 4th in a marksmanship competition against older cadets.
The next day, battling gale force winds, we went to the coast for a range day. The sloped range was unusual but a good challenge. Many cadets achieved marksman with the Cadet L98 A2 thanks to RSM Davies’ coaching. After lunch we patched up targets while rounds whizzed into the sand berm nearby. That evening we prepared our bergens and enjoyed a final warm shower before our 2-day exercise.
Once in the field, we were issued rifles to carry everywhere. We learned section attacks and sniper stalking, though by the end we were sodden from the rain. Tactical manoeuvres with blanks left us returning to a harbour area submerged under water. Staff deemed it uninhabitable, so we were shipped back to school for showers, preserving morale.
The next day, we returned for a compound clearance. I was section commander, leading the patrol in extended line to maximise firepower. Charlie section fought through, we entered the compound and kept momentum in close quarters combat to overwhelm the enemy. After catching our breath, we enjoyed another rat pack meal.
Thank you to all staff, especially Mr Forbes and Mr Davies, for making the trip possible.
Cadt Sgt Henry, Lower Sixth Form
