Page 174 - Bugle Autumn 2014

E (The Rifles) Company ACF – Yorkshire
Battlefield Tour 2014
On Friday the 27th June 2014, ten cadets and two adults from E (The Rifles) Company, Yorkshire (N&W) ACF joined others from Nottingham, Shropshire and LNR for a weekend of musical practice before their ventures abroad. All cadets were put through their paces on the Saturday playing music, alongside new foot drill movements, such as a ‘cap badge’.
Battlefield Tour Conclusion
Sunday saw the cadets’ rise early and make final
preparations for their long journey to Oostende, Belgium. All three coaches were loaded and left Chilwell barracks for the long journey.
The tour included visits to the Yorkshire trenches, Hitler’s bunker and Hooge crater, Dikesmuide, Essex Farm, Ypres, Messines Ridge and Passchendaele Salient to name a few. During the educational and emotional visits to these memorial grounds ‘last post and reveille was blown by all cadet and adult buglers.
Tuesday the 1st July was the day everybody had been training
for; a visit to Foncquevillers (Somme) village in France. The parade started at 11am, meaning a very early start as it was a two hour commute from our hotel. Despite the stifling heat on the day the cadets involved wore their uniforms with pride and honour showing a
march through the gate the parade was fallen out onto the pavement where we played several more tunes before the Buglers were once again called upon. They were marched with the colours up onto the ramparts where they had the privilege of playing sunset and then no more parades.
Every day apart from the Tuesday was started with a ‘rehearsal’ on the promenade and then again on an evening for the general public on the promenade in full dress uniform. This was found, at times, to be very testing due to the heat we had
Headquarters TA Centre, George Street, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF1 4DG, Tel/Fax 01924 376533
OC: Maj D Lodge
TO: Capt N Patton
Admin Offr: 2Lt C Massey CAA: Capt G Wood
CSM: SMI A Butler
been experiencing throughout the week.
“Visits such as this have highlighted many things for the younger
generation that went. As we walked around some of the cemeteries some of the cadets were in shock as they realised that some of the soldiers who fell were younger than what they were. Lessons like this cannot be learned in a class room. The experience of working with other musicians of likeminded ethos as well as the new musical abilities they have gained meant that this visit had more lessons than anyone could have planned for. It was my pleasure to work with such a group of people” SSI Mitchell.
“think best bit was meeting new people and learning new songs and the day off ... the most memorable would be going to the
remarkable amount of respect to the fallen. The parade was followed by some French hospitality by the means of freshly served food. From there it was a two hour coach ride to the Menin Gate. With just an hour before we formed up people had time to catch their breath at the thought of what was about to happen. The parade formed and commenced with the well-rehearsed play list. The parade stopped at the mouth of the gate whilst last post was played by
the local fire service and then reveille by the Cadet Buglers. An awe inspiring event in such an emotional place, on completion of the
cemeteries and playing at Menin Gate” Cdt LCpl Shakespeare, A. “sing song, bus journeys, playing together, touring and definitely
just being in Belgium and the excitement” Cdt Salisbury “Most memorable bit was to play at the Menin Gate. I really
enjoyed the free day because we were all together and met new friends who I miss already” Cdt Bruce
“I just loved it all there were so many things to do. It was amazing. The most memorable was playing last post at so many different memorials as it was such an honour” Cadet Shakespeare, G.
E (The Rifles) Company Say Farewell to Cadet CSM Chelsey Gray
Cdt CSM Chelsey Gray joined the ACF at 46 Detachment City of London NE sector on October 10th 2007, her 12th birthday. She transferred to Dewsbury detachment, E (The Rifles) Company shortly afterward when her family moved back to Yorkshire. Little did the future E company CSM know what the future had in store.............
she completed One star training and was promoted to Lance Corporal in March of the same year. Chelsey also joined Minden Bugles & Drums in 2009 as one of the original members and quickly learned that she had flair as a drummer, quickly being recognised by Bugle Major Neil Hartshorne as being an influential and mature member of the band and working her way up
to “lead tip” or lead drummer. Chelsey attended many events with the band from the opening of the KOYLI museum and the re-dedication of the KOYLI locomotive,
The hard work continued and Chelsey was starting to turn heads within the company. She quickly completed her Two star training and completed JCIC in January 2010 and again a promotion quickly followed in June of that year. 2010 saw annual camp at Thetford with Chelsey excelling once again and this was just a springboard for her to complete her Three star training in May the following year. 2011 was the year that Cdt CSM Gray’s hard work started to pay off!! She passed Three star training in May and Chelsey had by now become a regular in the county target rifle shooting team, with help and encouragement from the likes of 2nd Lt Paul Wilson, Lt Andrea Brazil, WO2 Mick Waldron, SI James (JJ) Denison and her father SSI David Gray to name a few who between them helped Chelsey blossom into the one of the best shots in the county and be selected for Bisley, albeit as a butts marker, Ironically, she and her colleague from Yorkshire N&W were the only members of the team to win a medal that year, as best butts markers! Chelsey completed 2011
by attending and completing her SCIC at Strensall.
2012 started where 2011 had finished. Now a senior and well respected cadet within E Coy and Yorkshire N&W, Chelsey completed the silver Duke of Edinburgh’s
Chelsey quickly established herself
as a hard working young cadet and flourished under the staff at Dewsbury. She completed basic training May and attended her very first annual camp at Warcop in 2008, thoroughly
enjoying every minute.
During camp, Chelsey
shot for the very first
time with the No.8 rifle.
Lt Rory Romani was
working on the range
that day and watched
Chelsey shoot. He spoke to her dad – Colour Sergeant David Gray – remarking that Chelsey was displaying the signs of being a natural shooter. That was to come to the fore later in Chelsey’s ACF career! Chelsey literally threw herself into every challenge that came her way, finding a flare for hockey and competing at national level.
Chelsey continued to work hard and it started to pay off when in February 2009,
to a marching display at half time at a Featherstone Rovers game and at many Rifles mess dinners, as well as displays for the Commandants presentation weekend.
During this time Chelsey never missed a weekend or annual camp, putting 100% into everything she did and this resulted in Chelsey passing Two star Corps of Drums on a band camp at Altcar near Liverpool and later gaining a BTEC in music with
a credit pass. Considering that the E Company band are only able to practice once a week for a couple of hours, this in no mean feat!!
Chelsey was displaying the signs of being a natural shooter
172 CADETS
THE RIFLES