Junior Riflemen’s Company - Pony Trekking - 1969
Excerpt from the 1969 Rifle Depot Annual Chronicle
Sgt Hastie has borne the brunt of schooling the new arrivals, coping admirably with a platoon, in some cases, at three different levels of training.
He has earned a change and now takes on the task of Duke of Edinburgh Awards and Outward Bound training, having handed over the recruit platoon to Sgt. Conway for the Winter Term.
We welcome Sgt Jennings from the 2nd Battalion to take over the recruit platoon in 1970.
The Band and Buglers, under the guidance of WO1 (Bandmaster) Ray Pinkney and Bugle Major “Jacko” Jackson, have had a full and successful year.
During November of each year, the trained element leave for their respective battalion bands, causing the staff to spend many long hours in training a new “Parade Band”. Success has, however, been achieved, as is witnessed by performances acclaimed by the organisers of The Scout Gang Show, Winchester Expo 69, the Royal Tournament, Polperro Carnival (a last minute request whilst at camp), and a host of other engagements.
In addition, the Band and Buglers have toured schools in Nottinghamshire, London and Oxfordshire areas; it will be a few years before any tangible benefits from these visits can be seen, but the response of the children at the time of the visits gives us some confidence that, if nothing else was achieved, the name of The Royal Green Jackets will be known and recognised with pleasure in the future.
We have lost Bandmaster Pinkney on promotion to Director of Music in The Royal Artillery, and a gap has been created which will not be easy to fill. However, we are delighted to welcome WO1 (Bandmaster) MG Lane, coming to us from the 10th Royal Hussars (The Prince of Wales’ Own).
At Christmas 1968 a truly professional performance of “Robinson Crusoe” was produced under the direction of Sgt. May (R.A.D.C.). Mrs. Crusoe (Major Elson, our Senior Education Officer now posted) caused many fellow performers’ hearts to miss a beat by his ability to ad lib.
The scenery was of the highest order, painted by Sgt. Rackanace, who has now gone to the 2nd Battalion; he excelled at the jungles scenes, as might be expected. After four days of pantomime performances, attended by many local school children further good relations were promoted by the choir singing at St. Pauls Hospital and the Hampshire County Hospital. Furthermore, quite a sum was raised for the Winchester Cathedral Fund, when the choir sang carols in the High Street on the Saturday before Christmas.
In the Easter term, some of the boys went skiing at the 2nd Battalion ski-hut in Bavaria and later went on to distinguish themselves in the Army Skiing Championships in Scotland. We are grateful to the 2nd Battalion for their hospitality.
As a change from the usual type of camp, the remainder of the Company went to Renney Lentney, near Plymouth, for introductory training to outward bound techniques on climbing, trekking and initiative exercises.
This led on to a camp in the summer term at “Tregantle Fort” (Palmeston Folly) also near Plymouth. This was an unforgettable two weeks for the blistered, tired but happy campers. The Navy, in the form of H.M.S. Raleigh a shore land training establishment, played a vital part in supplying the rations and loaning us their whalers, sailing boats of different classes, outboard motors and the use of their confidence training area at Pier Cellars, which was a baby course compared to the Commando course we subsequently attempted at Bickleigh. Even so the Piers Cellars “Death Slide” initially held a fear for all, including the new S.E.O., Major Phillip Creedy, but once accomplished it was difficult to prevent it being used by all.
With our hearts in our mouths, we watched the sailing boats and whalers being launched but, although their actions did much to amuse our naval instructors, the boys soon showed they were not simply “land lubbers”. After several near misses all landed safely, much to the relief of the Adjutant, Captain Christopher Miers, who supervised this activity.
This was in the harbour after the tidehad gone out and ropes & buoys where removed
Two parties were despatched shark fishing but only small ones were caught - one boy was heard referring to them as mackerel.
The climax to the camp was a trek across Dartmoor. After bathing sore feet in the streams and a good night’s sleep under canvas, all were up early the next day to trek again, but this time on horseback.
Difficulty has arisen since in getting all the budding
David Broomes to keep their legs together on parade, but it has been far harder
to make everyone forget their young lady tutors; indeed, the Bugle Major took a
large party in the summer holidays to renew acquaintance with the ponies and
the instructresses.
Bugle Major John Jackson leading - Hi Oh Silver Awaaayyy
A new event in the summer term was the Junior Rifle Meeting organised by the Company. Six other similar units entered teams for the competition, which was dominated by the older boys from Royal Army Pay Corps and the large Junior Parachute Company. Our team was placed third, but J/L./Cpl. Pring kept us all on tenterhooks in the Junior Twenty, when he came from behind on the second day to finish third overall and win Stage II of the practice.
Parents Day at the end of the summer term was the time to show off hobbies’ achievements, and the boy’s skill at fencing, gymnastics and judo. The Recruits Passing Out Parade went off without a hitch and the turnout was to be commended. We were delighted to welcome a large number of parents and relatives, and at the end of the day they all departed with their sons for a well-earned summer leave.
The Christmas term is now in progress and will be described in more detail in next year’s Chronicle.
Suffice it to say that the Recruit Platoon has already camped twice in the New Forest, the Junior Riflemen, now most ably led by Sgt. Vaughan, who we are very pleased to welcome from 3rd Battalion Light Infantry, have been on exercises on Salisbury Plain and at Sennybridge Battle Camp, whilst the Band and Buglers have been on a tour of schools and played at several other public engagements.
In our spare time we have been involved in gliding, mountaineering and acting as beaters on one of the Salisbury Plain shoots (where the comments about distinguished officers who fail to kill their bird are pithy, accurate and outspoken)
It has been a good year and we hope for further successes in 1970.