Page 95 - Wish Stream Year of 2018

Exercise NORMANDY SCHOLAR – Falklands Coy
Ex NORMANDY SCHOLAR is the most unique exercise undertaken by Officer Cadets whilst at RMAS. The Falklands Company
welcomed this rare opportunity to understand the experiences of those who passed through Sandhurst throughout the Second World War. Visiting in the week running up to Remembrance Sunday also added a further layer of reflection to the Exercise. The tone of the week and the problems that confronted the Officer Cadets portrayed bitter truths of the reality of war, and an Officer’s role therein.
Although some in the Company were daunted by the appearance of yet another TEWT on the timetable, Ex NORMANDY SCHOLAR is entirely different to those TEWTs we have undertaken on Barossa. Cadets are placed in the shoes of their 1944 contemporaries and, using the Combat Esti- mate, formulate a plan within the same difficult circumstances. Often, we are given much more thinking time than the problems’ protagonists were ever allowed. This certainly invigorated a focus on producing practical solutions using the Seven Questions, whilst simultaneously informing us of the extraordinary events of the Normandy Campaign.
Over the two days we experienced some well- known actions, such as those of D Company, 2nd Battalion, The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry on Pegasus Bridge. Conversely, we reanalysed lesser known actions, following 5th Battalion, The Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry at Hill 112. The latter unit was comprised almost entirely of conscripts, opening many eyes to the complexities of the moral component of fighting power. As a small standing but highly professional force, the modern British Army feels completely
Normandy was also a litmus A plaque against the
test for terrible fashion ‘bocage’ commemorating
9 PARA’s RV en route to Merville
OCdt Paterson
different from that which landed in Normandy. Motivatingtroopstofulfiltaskshadseemedlessof an issue to us prior to studying 5 DCLI’s engage- ment with the Tiger-touting Panzer divisions.
Alongside the difficulty of encouraging soldiers, Normandy also presented us with a vastly differ- ent scale of problem, with many battalion-sized objectives appearing to us as more suitable for a platoon or company. Surrounding friendly loca- tions were often only metres apart. Because of this, it was unsurprising that many of the debates over our plans centred around de-conflicting fire and movement and, judging by the expanse of our debate, The Falklands Company’s cadets comprehensively engaged with the problems. The situations and the actual historical solutions varied from the frontal attack, to maintaining more control, to more convoluted tasks for the Officer Cadets to plan involving manoeuvre and fire support, thus reducing risk for your subordi- nates. The varying complexities really brought to life the usefulness of the estimate process and codified it in a more memorable way.
Unfortunately, the Officer Cadets of the The Falklands Company will now have to resign themselves to slightly less scenic sights for the remainder of the term. Hopefully, the discussions bred in the cornfields of Normandy with our War Studies academics can be redirected back into the stifling classrooms of Faraday Hall. To the staff, we give a massive thank you! The organi- sation, coordination, and knowledge of Dr Chris- topher Mann, Dr Stephen Walsh and Dr Alex Jones made Ex NORMANDY SCHOLAR what it is: invaluable to our development and utterly fascinating to our interests.
The view over Pegasus Bridge towards Fortress Europe’s first liberated building
OCdt Zurmatai taking in southern Normandy’s expanses, which were ideal for armour
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