Page 41 - Wish Stream Year of 2017

Arnhem and continued to discuss what it must have been like to be a junior officer during the battle, whilst enjoying a meal overlooking the river.
Day two was a day of learning
about Leadership Doctrine and
reflecting on the difficulties of command. The first stand started with a brief about the defence perimeter of Oosterbeek where we realised just how compact the battlefield was. We dis- cussed the low-level leadership issues faced by Brig Shan Hackett in an interesting stand called “From One star to One pip”. We learnt how com- mand and control of 4 PARA brigade collapsed due to lack of efficient planning and coordination between the Battalion Commanders. The third stand of the day focused on the defensive posi- tion of A Company. Here we learnt about Cap- tain Ingram, the Mortar Platoon Commander who ultimately took charge of A Company when the Officer Commanding was killed. At this point we reintroduced the effectiveness of Leadership Doctrine to build our ability to lead and provide us with a framework for quick decision-making. We also discussed and learnt the importance of Key Terrain and Vital Ground to affording us the advantage over the enemy.
We then followed the evacuation route of 4 PARA and went to some of the crossing sites on the river used by them. We reflected upon the impor- tance of ground and how it shaped a whole operation and had a major impact on its success. The last stand was in front of the church reflecting
on the roles of padres and civilians on the bat- tlefield, before we went to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Oosterbeek to hold a service as an act of commemoration to the fallen warriors in Arnhem and reflect upon our whole battlefield tour.
The exercise provided the Officer Cadets of 21 Platoon with a valuable opportunity to under- stand the realities of war, gain an insight into the decisions made at the tactical and operational level, and the challenges this has on leadership. Our discussions also helped us to gain some useful guidance on how we can arrange this type of battlefield study in our units and make it relevant to the young soldiers and NCOs of our platoons.
On behalf of all those attended, 21 Platoon would like to thank every individual and organi- sation who made this exercise possible.
After a long overnight drive to our campsite near Chamonix we established our camp and settled in for the evening. The camp was well-equipped and had running water, showers and toilets.
The plan for day one was to stretch our legs and get used to navigating in the terrain. The day was an ideal starting point for the group as it contained sections of scrambling and off path routes.
Day one was an incredibly beautiful walk from the top of the cable car at Planplaz to Lac Bre- vent, returning back to the Planpraz
cable car.
On our second day in Chamonix, we chose to hike up to the Mer de Glace, to the despair of many members who looked on at the
railway option with tears in their eyes. The hike in total took three hours and fourteen minutes, not including long stops staring wide-eyed at the scenery alongside lunch and a coffee stop at a delightful, yet particularly overpriced, mountain- side café.
Initially the pace was certainly not mountain alpine hiking pace; however, after sweat and, well, more sweat, the pace became far more leisurely for our broken bodies after the Inter- mediate Term. Forty minutes into the 7.21 miles we took a coffee break at the behest of a lovely French café owner, who persuaded us to take a
well-earned rest.
At the peak, we familiarised ourselves with our staple diet for the week, baguette and ham and cheese with Dijon mustard sauce. In delightful Brit- ish fashion, the Northern men in our
We also discussed and learnt the importance of Key Terrain
Exercise CHAMONIX CADET
Initially the pace was certainly not mountain alpine hiking pace...
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