44 NAVY NEWS, OCTOBER 2008
Tony ensures cadets
enjoy Safe Returns
RAIDERS in fast boats But peaceable Lancastrians 11th annual exercise and, while work, but it’s very satisfying when
launched an attack on a coastal
need not have worried, as the he claims each year will be his it all comes together.”
● POC James Reardon
installation in Lancashire.
attack was part of a mock exercise last – he is now 65 years old – one Tony and his team of cadets
It’s (nearly)
They were due to rendezvous
– the largest of its kind in the UK suspects the 2009 event is already set up a rescue centre at the
with their mothership in
– involving air and sea cadets from being planned. Fleetwood Nautical Campus on
● Abingdon cadets on board the
Morecambe Bay when they
across the country. “As soon as one exercise finishes a balmy summer morning from
CNS Almirante Condell
all change
were spotted by defenders who
Exercise Safe Return is the I make a start on the next one a
where the ‘good guys’ co-ordinated
launched an air strike.
brainchild of Sea Cadet officer Lt few weeks later,” said Tony. “It
a response to the mock attack.
The enemy hit back and a stricken
Tony Smith. takes about a year to put together.
More than 50 cadets took part
Abingdon
air crew had to be rescued.
Tony has just completed his “It’s a tremendous amount of
in Safe Return, along with adult
at Sutton
instructors, and so tireless was
Tony in pursuit of realism that he
managed to persuade the Forces
cadets join
Coldfield
to contribute seven aircraft.
One of the highlights was when
a Nimrod from RAF Kinloss new frigate
scoured the Bay for raiders, while
There is a new look about the RN Lynx and Sea King helicopters
CADETS from the Abingdon
management team at Sutton winched ‘survivors’ from the patrol
unit were invited to spend a day
Coldfield where a number of key boats Blazer and Charger.
with a new Chilean frigate – and
posts have been up for grabs in the The scale and complexity of the
learned some of the harsh realities
past few months. exercise is down to Tony’s tenacity.
of working at sea.
In the first part of the year new The retired teacher has spent the The Type 23 frigate CNS
CO, John Bradley, took over from past 20 years working with the air Almirante Condell – formerly
Gary Truelove – although John cadets and, latterly, Sea Cadets. HMS Marlborough – has been
has been connected with the unit, “Over the years I’ve made a undergoing sea trials following her
as a cadet and staff member, for great many contacts and made refit in Portsmouth, and was due
about 40 years. sure I kept in touch with people,” to undertake a day trip across the
Gary, who was at the head of
he said. Channel.
TS Sutton Coldfield for ten years,
“I also plan everything very As the Abingdon unit goes by
moved on to a new challenge as
meticulously so that the people I the name of TS Marlborough – a
District Officer for Warwickshire.
ask for favours don’t have to do reflection of their affiliation with
The unit also has a new
much work – they know everything the ship in its RN days – it seemed
chairman, a new vice chairman
has been properly cleared. a good idea to invite some of the
and a new training officer.
“I just think I’ve been very unit along for the day.
But there is no chance of cadets
lucky over the years in getting Ten cadets and two members
being affected by any disruption –
the assets I have – and I’m very of staff sailed with the ship from
the unit remains competitive when
grateful.” Portsmouth on a stormy morning,
up against other units.
He reserves his greatest
and the gale-force wind ensured
A team of Sutton Coldfield
passion not for the military
a steady trickle of visitors to the
cadets recently returned from
hardware, however, but for
sick bay as mal de mer set in
the National Band Competition
the cadets.
long before the frigate sighted the
at Plymouth, where they finished French coast.
runners-up, just one point behind “They are getting experiences During the ten-hour voyage the
the winners. they would never get anywhere cadets were given tours of the ship
Unit teams also topped the pile ● Hinckley unit provides the honour guard at the funeral of Lt (SCC) John Mapletoft else,” he said. and shown around the bridge and
in district regattas for canoeing, “I also feel that life should be helicopter, in between bouts of
boating, drill and piping, and nine
Last respects for special friend
fun. Going on this exercise will seasickness.
out of the 24-strong South West make them feel ten feet tall. Their return home brought a
Area winning team in the canoeing “When they do something like further problem in that a tugboat
and boat-handling competition in this in the public eye it really scheduled to shepherd the frigate
the National Combined Regatta MEMBERS of Hinckley unit
later years he rarely missed a inspiration to all the staff and
switches them on and they raise in was not available, and the
came from Sutton Coldfield. have bid a sad farewell to one of
parade. cadets in the unit. their performance.”
visitors were facing the prospect
And a member of the unit, their longest-serving shipmates, a The unit was honoured by his “He was one of the last members The exercise was the centrepiece of a rough night at sea.
POC James Reardon, was chosen stalwart officer who has died at family, who asked whether TS of the Sea Cadet Corps who saw of a week-long training course at But Capt Cruz, Comandante of
to go on an international exchange the age of 83. Amazon could play a role in the active service in World War 2. the Sea Cadet Training Centre at the Condell, managed to arrange
to Hong Kong in August with Lt (SCC) John Mapletoft RNR funeral service. “He would keep both cadets Inskip, near Preston. for a pilot boat to collect the
three colleagues from other parts had been with the Leicestershire And Hinckley was glad to and staff entertained with his Other military assets involved cadets and deliver them ashore
of the UK. unit since 1973, and even in his provide an honour guard and pall- stories of his wartime exploits, in Safe Return were two Army at 9pm.
bearers for the funeral. and also his time with Hinckley Air Corps Lynx, an Army Gazelle
The unit made many friends
Commanding Officer Lt Sea Cadets. and Tutor aircraft from Number
during the trip, and has promised
(SCC) Neil Hartwell RNR said “John was something very 10 Air Experience Flight at RAF
to keep in contact with the ship
of Lt Mapletoft: “John was an special and will be sadly missed.” Woodvale.
and her crew.
Unit thanked
for shoebox
contribution
MEMBERS of the Altrincham
and Sale unit have been thanked
for their efforts in providing
shoeboxes filled with items for
children in West Africa.
● There were two causes for celebration at the Norwich unit
Capt Wayne Keble wrote to the
over the summer. Around 50 family and friends were joined by
cadets as HMS Albion, sailed from
cadets at the unit’s HQ, TS Lord Nelson, to see the christening
Sierra Leone to Gibraltar.
of Jack, the son of First Lieutenant Lt Mark Janner Burgess and
According to Albion’s CO:
his partner Lynsey (above). The ceremony was performed by Rev
“Sierra Leone was a humbling
James Mustard, the former ship’s chaplain, and following Naval
place, very beautiful with fabulous
tradition Jack’s name was engraved on the ship’s bell, which
beaches, but with a lot of poverty,
was upturned to act as a font. On the admin front, promotions to
higher rank are not ten a penny, so to fi nd three in one month in a
and the country is still recovering
unit is not bad going. Sisters Madie and Georgie Frary were rated
from the civil war.”
L/Cdt at the unit’s Royal Naval Parade, together with S/Lt Sally
He spoke of the projects in ● The Barrow-in-Furness Sea and Marine Cadet Band perform on Plymouth Hoe
Spinks (all three pictured below), who gained her commission on
which the ship’s company had been
her 21st birthday. Sally is the youngest member of staff to have
involved, from the reconstruction
achieved offi cer status in the unit’s 96-year history
of schools and clinics to repairing
Barrow prove to be the best
facilities such as a chimpanzee
sanctuary.
THE Barrow-in-Furness Sea and amassed on Plymouth Hoe. cadets delivered was fantastic
“The shoebox appeal was very
Marine Cadet Band has won the The band was led by Drum and they truly are a credit to
successful. We ended up with 500
title of the UK’s best traditional Major LC Sam Greenway, themselves, their unit and to the
shoeboxes, and these were donated
Sea Cadet drum and bugle band who proudly wore a new sash, town of Barrow.
to six schools,” he said.
at the national competition. sponsored by the Barrow branch of “To come away as the winners of
“They ranged from the Jewel
This was the first time that TS the Submariners Association and a the UK’s best traditional drum and
Model Preparatory School, made
Sovereign, representing the North local businessman, which arrived bugle band was an added bonus.”
of sticks but with good educational
West of England, had competed at just before the competition. Members of the unit also helped
material, to Paola Community
a national level, taking on bands Delighted Bandmaster Lt Jason welcomed one of TV’s ‘Hairy
Primary School, with overcrowded
from four other areas who were Zaccarini said: “The band went Bikers’ back to his home town.
mud rooms and precious little in
experienced regular competitors. with no expectation other than to Dave Myers, who with Simon
the way of facilities.
The band delivered a stunning compete, deliver an entertaining King is currently starring in the
“In all the schools the children ten-minute marching and musical performance and to learn from BBC series Hairy Bakers, returned
were extremely grateful for the performance, where they were the experience of watching and to Barrow as he was involved in an
shoeboxes and we managed to assessed on dress, deportment, competing against the other bands arts display at the Forum 28 arts
ensure that each child was given technical ability and level of in the competition. centre, and the cadets were asked
their own box.” entertainment for the large audience “The performance that the to play a fanfare for the occasion.
0042-044_NN_oct.indd 342-044_NN_oct.indd 3 118/9/08 16:27:118/9/08 16:27:11
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