Page 109 - Mercian Eagle 2012

Ready for action
pieces of equipment before they were whisked away for lunch aboard the ship.
Over the Easter break, a group of ten cadets left the Wirral
for five days for Warcop
Training Camp in
Cumbria, heading up to a massive army training area to take part in an arduous battle camp. Working alongside cadets and staff
from Oldham Hulme
Grammar School CCF,
the team took part in blank firing exercises, testing their skills and drills in weapons firing, section attacks, battle procedure, patrolling, living in the field, cooking and living off ration packs and constructing improvised shelters.
It is also a pleasure to congratulate
Colour Sergeant Alex Macaulay, who will be departing from the CCF at the end of the academic year as he moves onto University. Alex has achieved a lot this year, having spent the last eleven months as the Mayor of
Scoring for other teams
Wirral’s Cadet Representative. He has also been recognised for his commitment and skill in target rifle shooting through the award
of School Colours, having represented the School on a number of competitions and range practices over the last few years. And if that wasn’t enough, Alex recently attended the prestigious and arduous Army Cadet Leadership Course at Nesscliff
Training Camp in Shropshire, spending a week under pressure, carrying out a range of physically and mentally challenging
tasks. Alex completed the course with a ‘Good’ grade, the second highest grade achievable. A massive congratulations and thank you goes to Alex for his hard work and commitment to the CCF.
We’ve also been fortunate enough this term to welcome three new members of staff onto the CCF team. Mr Hill has taken on a position as an Army Section officer
... heading up to a massive army training area to take part in an arduous battle camp.
Cadet CSgt Alex Macaulay
with the CCF alongside ex-cadet Sophie Macaulay. The pair have both recently received their Queen’s Commissions and have received a promotion to Second Lieutenant. RAF cadets have also recruited a new member of staff and we are delighted to welcome Miss Seed, a teacher from Upton Hall School, who will be taking over the command of the RAF Section.
For more information, please contact:
2Lt James Barnes
PRO, Birkenhead School CCF Email: jab@birkenheadschool.co.uk Mobile: 07817 469 690
Retirement of Alan Joseph BEM GCGI
Almost fifty years have passed since
a young Alan Joseph enlisted into the British Army, joining his beloved Cheshire Regiment as a private. In forty-eight years of uniformed service, Alan has demonstrated his total dedication, commitment and unfaltering loyalty to Queen and Country.
Joining the Army in 1964 in Munster, Alan served in the Regular Army for twenty three years and enjoyed various postings around
the world, including his work with B Coy Cheshire; his role as a photographer and collator for the battalion intelligence section; as the Regimental Officer’s Mess manager and also as house orderly for General Frank King during his command of the NATO Northern Army Group (NORTHAG). Alan was awarded the British Empire Medal in 1988.
Leaving Regular service in 1988, the now Colour Sergeant Joseph moved into full time reserve service with the TA. Moving across to 3 CHESHIRE at Abbots Park, Alan served firstly as the QPSI with HQ Coy, and was later appointed the GPSI before he was transferred to 101 REME Battalion in Wrexham as the WO2 (RQMS).
After twelve years with the TA, meaning
a total of 35 years in the Army so far, Alan took post with the Combined Cadet Force as the School Staff Instructor for both
The King’s School (Chester) and Calday Grange Grammar School. In 2003, Alan
was commissioned and shortly after he volunteered to join Lancashire Army Cadet Force. He remained with Calday Grange until 2004, when he joined Birkenhead School CCF in another School Staff Instructor post.
In twelve years with the ACF and CCF, Alan has dedicated himself to the cadet movement and to the development of Army Cadets across the region. Giving much
of his time to the cadets, and committing himself to five working days – and numerous weekends and weeks away – he has contributed massively to the units he has worked with and has had a profound effect on the people he has worked with. Much to his credit, Alan was awarded the City and Guilds Graduateship in Strategic Youth Leadership and Management in 2010 – the culmination of many years devotion to the cadets and a lot of hard work!
He retired from the King’s School (Chester) CCF at the end of 2011 and is planning to retire from Birkenhead School CCF at the end of 2012. Alan will most definitely be missed by all of his colleagues and cadets, but most of all, his tireless efforts and his outstanding contribution
to the Cadet Forces will be almost irreplaceable. We wish him all the best for the future and hope he has a happy and well-deserved retirement.
THE MERCIAN EAGLE
107