大象传媒

The training of the army cadets was quite hectic, some of our officers were from the first world war period and knew training was everything when it came to real war. We had to react instantly or be dead as they very often told us.
When they thought we had assimilated enough of the training we were entered for the test called Certificate "A" part one and part two, you could not take both parts together as a lot more training was needed.
The big weekend approached for me, it was always over two days. Regular Army officers NCO's and PT Instructors arrived from Brancepeth the DLI depot and set to work on us boys and they did not pull any punches, if you were rubbish you got told as only an Army NCO can say it.
First the PTI's took us for the 100 yard sprint, Standing long jump, Running high jump and the running vault.
We then went on to a one mile run followed by a one hour march or walk, all against the clock. To finish up we did Rope climb 15 feet abdominal exercises and heaving. Before we went in for the part one test we had to be proficient in swimming getting that test out of the way first.
After a night on the drill hall floor with two blankets and kit for a pillow we went into Sunday. Close order drill each of us taking the squad in turn. Weapon training, stripping cleaning etc; A map reading exercise timed then came the big one.
We did fieldcraft including digging in camouflage then Section and Platoon attacks carrying out a full movement and fire manoeuvre to take an enemy position, the enemy were usually some of our big lads who already had the Cert "A" so were keen to see us lose, all good painful fun as Mum said as she dressed my wounds and bruises, if King Kong had stood in my way he would have met his match, determination was all and I wanted that pass and got it.
The pass rate was around 50% and having got my part one I became a Corporal a definite leg up the ladder where the girls were concerned. If they could not have a Sergeant then a Corporal was next best so things really looked up in that department.
We did annual camp at Troon in Scotland once, that was excitement, special train there and back plus it was a nice place with plenty of dance halls. We did Catterick with the Tank Corp's and Richmond with the KOYLI's plus several Firing Range weekend camps at Whitburn. The first thing we did there was fill our Pallias (matress) with straw, not too much (lumpy) not to little (hard bed). We would spend two days shooting off with everything in the armoury including Vickers Machine Guns but only when the fishing boats got out of the way. They sometimes got a short burst around the stern if they were laggardly leaving the area when the red flag went up.
Once we had more hard training under our belts we took the Certificate "A" part Two, the big one, selected for my turn at it we went off to Darlington.
We slept in the Co-op Dance hall on a sprung dance floor not the best bed in the world. Come the Saturday morning we had to start all the Physical training tests once more but reduced times. By tea time Saturday none of us felt like a night on the tiles we were dead beat so most were in the sack and asleep soon after tea. It was late in the war and we had not had any raids for a long while, suddenly the siren went. We woke up hardly believing what we were hearing but the officers said everyone up and go down the street to the shelter. We went down the stairs into the street just as two planes came in low firing their machine guns, that livened us all up, we could hear bullets ricocheting from walls and roofs. When a couple hit the street near me and went pinging away I dived into a doorway curled up like a ball and did not move until it was all clear. That must have been the very last German plane to come to our area and it very nearly got a cadet unit to paint on the cockpit. Luckily no one was hurt, we may have needed a laundry for several pairs of trousers but otherwise were OK.
Next day we went to Catterick training grounds for the Weapons drill, map reading and fieldcraft. When our Platoon were doing the field craft we all had to take over the lead and take action as various ambush schemes were sprung on us. A new Officer just joined from another company was leading us when we were fired on, us old boys were gone in a flash, we could hear the trigger pulled before the bullet left the gun. We would be flat down behind anything that would hide us in a Nano second and I found a blade of grass can become like a brick wall to get behind. The poor Officer was left standing there in a panic looking around for a solution that was not about to show itself like us boys, I dont think he knew where we had gone. Suddenly a stentorian voice shouted "well do some F* thing even if it is just fall down dead" we of course were rolling about laughing. When it came to my turn I made a plan for every foot of the road we passed over until they struck with a burst of fire. I had seen the movement and given my orders weighing up it was just a small section and we were a Platoon. That gave us three to one if we did it right. It all happened so quickly, Fire, outflanking Movement, Covering fire, Charge. Go through take up firing position away from the position we had just taken because the enemy always zero their own position and drop mortars in to it. The permanent staff asked if I would do it again as they nearly missed it, that meant I had passed OK.
At the end of the day we got presented with our full certificate's and the Officer in charge said we could all put on it that we had passed under enemy fire, reminding us of the night before. That event must have sharpened us all up as we got a 75% pass rate.
I was now a trained Cadet and could train others in all the infantry skills. We also got a badge for our arms that gave us even more edge with the girls, life was wonderful.
As Mum sewed on my new flash Dad was heard to comment, "Young Keen Daft and now Cannon Fodder" but I think he was proud of me.
Frank Mee Researcher 241911.

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