Page 97 - AGC_Journal 2018(FINAL)_Neat

A AGC JOURNAL 2018GC JOURNAL 2018

Exercise Scarab Surf Exercise Joint Mercury

By Second Lieutenant Adam Davis By Staff Sergeant Natasha Campbell-Chambers
Exercise Scarab Surf took place in Newquay, Cornwall with the aim to foster Exercise Joint Mercury was a Battlefi eld tour to
team spirit and cohesion in a physical demanding and unfamiliar setting. the Island of Crete.

Heading to the Coast The Aims
After a three hour commute we arrived at Crete is the fi fth largest Island in the Mediterranean and
Royal Air Force St Mawgan and set ourselves largest of the Islands that form part of the modern Greece. Due
up ready for a day in the surf the following to Crete’s position in the centre of the eastern Mediterranean
day. made it a key strategic asset during the Second World War.
Warming Up Operation Mercury
Activities began on Monday morning. The Battle of Crete, Operation Mercury, took place from 20
Following a quick change parade into May 1941 to the 1 June 1941, where a mixed Allied force of New
wetsuits of varying degrees of comfort we Zealanders, British, Australian and Greek troops desperately
moved out into the sea to begin our fi rst tried to fi ght off a huge German airborne assault. It was the
activity. The Detachment was divided into fi rst and only time in history that a strategic objective has been
two equal groups, each commanding their taken by German airborne forces alone.
own giant infl atable; teamwork was essential The
to move in any direction other than a circle, The Fighting group
however, eventually our enthusiasm brought
us out in to the bay. After exploring the We started off the day at the Maleme Airfi eld Chania where
coastline and completing various games the battle took place between Hitler’s elite German airborne there is a new Prison further down the road. Cemetery Hill was
and impromptu man overboard drills we regiment (Fallschirmjagers) and New Zealand Allied Forces a good advantage point for the Allied Forces as from the top
headed back to shore ready for an afternoon from the 22nd Battalion. The German’s suff ered heavy of the hill you can see Prison Valley below and the village of
of surfi ng. casualties in just one hour losing 512 men. We then made Galatas. The Germans had also attacked Galatas and the New
our way to the Travronitis Bridge which had been the site of Zealand forces did not have the strength to fi ght off the attacks
Lessons Begin Stretching fi ghting on the fi rst day. The Germans had landed near the and due to several civilians inside the village.
excercises bridge in their fi ght for the airfi eld. A short drive to a nearby
After an entertaining warm up on the carpark then a long walk up to Bunker Hill 107. This was the Third Day
beach, we began our fi rst lessons in surfi ng. 22nd Battalion Command Post. It is also the site of the German
This sport requires a level of balance and War Cemetery the last resting place for 4,465 German soldiers The day started with an eight kilometre walk down the Imbros
coordination that it appears needs developing of whom nearly 2,000 were killed on the fi rst day. Gorge. The Imbros mule trail was the only connection between
in our Detachment. With everyone keen to get Chania and Sfakion, before the roads was built. Remains of
in the waves we headed back into the water Second Day this trail can be still seen. The gorge witnessed an evacuation
for the second time in the day and did our of several thousand British soldiers during World War Two
best to at least stand up on the board. We all A visit to Prison Valley and Cemetery Hill where the airborne before heading to Egypt. On completion of the walk we drove
had a great time with almost everyone taking invasion took place on the morning of the 20th May 1941 on a couple hours to the town of Patsos which was the hub of
part being a complete novice to the sport, and the Headquarters Company’s area belonging to the 2nd New Special Operations Executive, and resistance operations. It’s
I am pleased to say by the end of the session Zealand Divisional Artillery. The German paratroopers landed also the location the abducted General Heinrich Kreipe was
everyone had managed to get up on their and took over. The Prison has now been turned into fl ats and kept before being sent to a Prisoner of War camp in Canada.
board for at least a fraction of a second.
Body Boarding and More Surfi ng
The
With everyone enthused by their experiences Team
on the fi rst day, donning our still wet wetsuits
for day two was a slightly more pleasant
experience. Our fi rst activity was body
boarding, a far easier discipline than its
stand-up counterpart. All of the Detachment
managed to catch waves with varying
degrees of success and for the most part
avoiding crashing in to each other.
Summary

The Detachment thoroughly enjoyed the time
we spent in Newquay. Many had never tried
their hand at water sports and some had
never even been in the sea. It’s certain to say Surfi ng
that all who took part had a fantastic time lessons
and are keen to get back in the waves.

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