Page 37 - Cadet Review Spring 2024

SEA CADETS
HULL SEA CADETS – TS IRON DUKE
My Year as First Sea
Lord’s Cadet
By Petty Officer Cadet Josh Smith
Although my term lasted for the entirety of 2023, my year officially began in February with my investiture. Here I met the other FSLCs for the first time and was presented with my badge by the Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Sir Ben Key. We were also given a tour of the historic dockyards of Portsmouth, including a tour around parts of HMS Victory.
The next event we were invited to was the Mountbatten Festival of Music at the Royal Albert Hall. Here our job was to escort VIPs to their seats, including the FSL and the Lord-Lieutenant of London. We were also asked to provide a guard of honour for King Charles during the interval. There were three shows over the weekend – two evening shows and one matinée - and we were able to see all three of them from the gantry, above everyone in the audience.
After this we were asked to attend the King’s Coronation and we had to be up at 03:00 in the morning so that we could get into London before the roads closed. We were able to see the procession
to and from Westminster Abbey as we were on a bandstand on the Mall, right next to Admiralty Arch. A few of us were then asked to attend the Labour
and Conservative annual party conferences and
I was asked to go to the Labour Conference in Liverpool. At the conference we gave a presentation about non-formal education and its place in a changing world.
On top of this, we also attended the National Trafalgar Day Parade alongside other cadets from all across the country. The other FSLCs and I attended a short service on the Friday before the parade in the crypt at St Paul’s, at the foot of Nelson’s tomb. We paraded on the Sunday, where the FSLCs formed the casket party, and I was given the role of laying the casket – which contained a piece of the ensign flown from HMS Victory at the Battle of Trafalgar – at the foot of Nelson’s Column at Trafalgar Square. Once the parade at Trafalgar Square was finished, we marched down the Mall and into Wellington Barracks, where the service ended.
Another equally unique experience was the Fleet Operational Sea Training sea survival experience. At this event we went to HMS Raleigh in Plymouth, where we were given a tour of HMS Scott – a naval survey ship – in addition to taking part in the CHAOS
I have met so many amazing people from all around
the country, including VIPs such as the King and the First Sea Lord, together with the other FSLCs
damage repair exercise. In this we were put into a simulated compartment of a ship that was flooded. We had to plug the holes with hammers and wooden wedges before performing what is known as stage 2 damage repair, where we had to reinforce the previous repairs with wooden beams and cushioned pads.
My final event took place in the first weekend of December, when I again went down to London to take part in the Admiralty Carol Service. We spent the first day in London on a walking tour of the city centre and Westminster, visiting landmarks such as the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, the MOD main building, Trafalgar Square, the Mall and Buckingham Palace. On the second day we attended the carol service at St Martin’s-in-the-field, where we met VIPs such as the First Sea Lord, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, and Prince Michael of Kent. This was an incredible way to round off what has been such an amazing year that I am so thankful for being selected for.
This year has been absolutely incredible, and I have met so many amazing people from all around the country, including VIPs such as the King and the First Sea Lord, together with the other FSLCs, who I have really bonded with over the year. I believe that this is the best thing that can happen to a Sea Cadet, and I would not be able to recommend it enough to anyone looking to take this role up in future years.
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