CCF Field Day October 2021

CCF pupils enjoyed a range of field trips last week, from sailing on Sonning Lake and navigating in the Chilterns to finding out more about codebreaking during World War II at Bletchley Park.

The Navy Section

The Navy Section made the trip to Sonning Lake on a blustery Tuesday morning. The enthusiasm from the cadets was palpable as they relished the chance to practise their sailing skills. Many of them had very little sailing experience having only first tried it during adventure week last term. The conditions on this occasion were much more challenging with a stiff, gusty breeze making the little toppers very twitchy despite a substantial reef in the sail. The cadets thoroughly enjoyed the experience, many of them practicing how to right a capsized boat. There was some excellent improvement with cadets really developing their abilities to control the boat in strong winds. The wind did start to take its toll with the cadets getting cold and the wind getting stronger at lunch, so we decided to head back to Shiplake for a land based afternoon. The cadets practised their aim in the rifle range and their core strength on the climbing wall. All in all the day was a big success and I'm sure the cadets are looking forward to the summer when we can next get on the water.

The RAF Cadets

Ten RAF Year 10 cadets and two staff spent their field day visiting the home of World War II codebreaking, Bletchley Park. They were introduced to the discovery of the German encryption machine - Enigma. They learned about how to encrypt a message using the machine, transmit the message using Morse code, and then decode the message when received. Seventy Five percent of the 9,000 employees who did their war work at Bletchley Park were women and they all signed the Official Secrets Act. The work of the park became public knowledge only in 1974 and in wartime those who worked there could only say they worked in a factory making radios. At the end of WW2 it was not possible to publicly celebrate their work which is estimated to have shortened the war by two years and saved many lives. The cadets are pictured standing next to a memorial to all who worked there. The inscription reads “They Also Served”. The Cadets were wonderful ambassadors for the College and the RAF Section.

The Army Section

The Army Section travelled to the Chilterns for a navigation training day. On arrival at The Ashridge Estate the cadets were split into four separate groups and along with their instructors dispersed into the surrounding countryside. During the day they were instructed in a variety of navigational techniques and practised their skills, all of which will be useful for their Bronze DofE expedition in the spring. The weather was quite blustery in exposed areas and there were a few heavy showers but luckily it didn't spoil a great day out. All the groups made it back in good time spurred on no doubt by the opportunity to visit the cafe at the pick up location. With bellies full of cake and all manner of other delights the cadets boarded the coach and returned to College.

On behalf of all the cadets thank you to all staff involved in another successful field day.