Page 150 - Bugle Autumn 2014

Dorset ACF
It has been a very busy year since our
last Annual Camp, with the cadets and adults attending many events across the county. In August, cadets and adults from
D Company (East Dorset) had a recruiting stand and climbing wall at the Bournemouth Air Festival, which attracted many visitors from around the country. SSI Silvers was interviewed on the local radio station and even persuaded the presenter to climb the wall!
September saw the first visit of Dorset Cadets to The Airborne March (Airborne Wandeltocht), the annual event that takes place at Oosterbeek near Arnhem in the Netherlands. Over 34,000 people took part in the 67th march to commemorate the British and Polish soldiers and airmen who lost their lives at the Battle of Arnhem during the Second World War and who are buried in the Airborne Cemetery at Oosterbeek.
We were delighted that a number of adults successfully completed the officer selection board at Westbury during September and October. Then later, during the Easter holidays in April, cadets attended the Junior Cadet Instructors Cadre at Stanley Barracks,
Bovington, where
Cpl Taylor from West
Moors detachment
was selected as Top
Student.
Cadets and adults who attended the Airborne March in Arnhem
Adults were also
recognized for their
commitment to the ACF
with three receiving
Long Service Award
Clasps; Major Richard Ireson was awarded his 3rd clasp, SMI Tom Jackson received his 2nd and Captain Annette Geyser was awarded her 1st clasp.
June was another really busy month with cadets from A Company (South & West Dorset) attending the annual Weymouth Veterans Parade and also parading with members of D Company alongside The Rifles as they were granted Freedom of
the Town of Bridport. Cadets from B Company (North Dorset) attended the annual reunion of the Korean Veterans at the Royal British Legion in Marnhull where they commemorated 60 years since the Korean War. Meanwhile the cadets from C Company (South Dorset) enjoyed a
visit from the Gunnery School during their company weekend, and were shown various weapons from the armoury including a .50 cal machine gun.
Across the water, cadets from Jersey Detachment took part in the Jersey Island Walk where they did the Lieutenant- Governor’s Challenge. The group set off on the 12 mile walk with His Excellency Gen Sir John McColl and Lady McColl. Not to be outdone by their near neighbours,
six cadets from Guernsey completed an expedition along the D-Day beaches
which took place at
Bovington in June. Senior cadets from the newly-formed Vickery Platoon took part
in a couple of the re-enactments, the first
six cadets from Guernsey completed an expedition along the D-Day beaches for their Silver Duke of Edinburgh Award
D-Day, then along Sword, Juno and
Gold beaches to the Mulberry Harbour at Arromanches, finishing their expedition at an American Cemetery.
An event that is fast becoming a regular on the Dorset ACF calendar is TankFest, The Tank Museum,
for their Silver Duke of Edinburgh Award practice expedition. Starting at Merville Battery, they had a good look around Pegasus Bridge, one of the key points of
of which was in support of the Armoured Trials and Development Unit (ATDU) during which 4 cadets got to ride in a Warrior. The second group took part in the re-enactment of the taking of Arnhem Bridge, in which they played the part of the British Troops and rode in a Bren Gun Carrier and an M16 Half Track.
Finally, cadets and adults from B Company took part in the very last 43rd (Wessex) Division Memorial Service
and Parade which took place at Mere
in Wiltshire. They paraded alongside members of the Devon and Dorset Regimental Association in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Hill 112 which made a memorably fitting end to the period’s activities.
Vickery Platoon at TankFest
148 CADETS
THE RIFLES