Issue 87 - NWRFCA - Northwest Reserve Forces & Cadets Association

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Manchester and salford university otc MSUOTC Selection Weekend All the officer cadets were eager to meet the new recruits from the Manchester and Salford Universities. The previous fresher’s week, the well known military ‘work hard, play hard’ ethic really came into its own, students were putting in the hours catching up on the summer’s distinct lack of partying whilst arriving ready to rock each morning at the unearthly hour of 8am. Recruitment on the streets was slow to kick off with but a healthy interest of potential officer cadets by the end of the week ensured that everyone was in high spirits for the selection weekend. The weekend was to take place in the newly refurbished Holcombe Moor in Ramsbottom, and the 10 officer cadets who arrived on the Friday were lucky enough to be the first visitors to its luxurious facilities. Leaderless tasks were assigned to pairs of officer cadets, one from Liverpool and another from Manchester. This was the first time that both Liverpool and Manchester OTCs were to be working so closely with one other, with such a task of selecting the new year’s recruits, everyone was animated and upbeat. PTI’s were allocated to different stands, this year’s Selection was more heavily dependent on physical fitness than previous years and the potential officer cadets had to be able to pass 4 PT stands, including an obstacle course and 1.5 mile run. On Saturday morning, an early rise to breakfast before everyone was ready to receive the blue bibbed invitees. The 1.5 mile selection run was the first activity of the day, designed to shake out those less suited to the rigours of military life. All the Officer <strong>Cadets</strong> placed themselves at regular points along the path and enthusiastically cheered on the numbered red faces. The sun was not too long raised and the heat wasn’t causing too much havoc just yet. Even so, a good 10% of the students were ushered straight from the finishing line into a returning mini-bus, as the Training Major kept to his word that the 14 minute timing was to be a strict selection marker. To many of the students, this weekend was such a new experience and to others, a chance to tell of their parents interesting lives within the military or boast of their supposed similar experiences within CCF. Towards the end of the day however, the guides having done a good job of entertaining their syndicates, the potential officers were better bonded and it was noted in their marks, as they demonstrated good teamwork. The stand leaders were also marking the students upon their obvious leadership qualities, determination, strength and ability, planning skills etc. The second day passed similarly with the second half of both groups swapping locations, but the excitement for that evening’s entertainments could be felt through the ranks. Through the rain, of the second day, CSM Oliver ensured everyone would show their face at the evening’s preparations quoting that it was the final part of selection, marking the cadets on their social qualities. A total of 125 new recruits were accepted into MSUOTC. North West Officer Training Regiment comprises Liverpool University Officers Training Corps, Manchester & Salford Universities Officers Training Corps and the former Officer Training Wing of 42 (NW) Bde Regional Training Centre. To find out more telephone 0161 228 2185 58 the volunteer www.nwrfca.org.uk
manchester and salford university Otc <strong>Cadets</strong> set sail on Ex Northern Sealion by OCdt Harriet Bailey A select group of eight MSUOTC cadets, along with AQMS Rumis, were given the opportunity to sail around the Channel on a 55 foot Nicholson yacht. The crew consisted of a regular army Skipper, a First Mate from London UOTC, and us (some of whom were apparently ‘Competent Crew’ members, though this is debateable). As our skills picked up, so did the sea state, and by the middle of the week we were doing ‘proper’ sailing, regularly tacking and jibing, hoisting main sails and putting up and taking down headsails. We felt like proper sailors, and Blue and Red Watch soon developed a friendly rivalry! We were ‘on watch’ every four hours, sometimes setting sail as early as 4am and not finishing until 3am! Our first port of call, after setting off from Gosport, was Cowes, where we managed to grab a shower and a drink. After this, we tried to set down in Alderney, but the harbour was full, so we had to sail another few hours to get to St. Peter Port, in Guernsey. Our late arrival meant that we were given a ‘morning off’ the next day. We left St. Peter Port accompanied by a few tunes from the First Mates bagpipes, which added a certain ‘je ne sais quoi’ to the whole affair. We set sail for St Malo, on the north coast of France. Our Skipper liked this place so much that he allowed us an entire day here to enjoy ourselves, and we all agreed that it was the best day of an overall amazing trip. Whilst here, we enjoyed a group meal of that typical French seaside fayre: ‘Moules Frites’, with a cheeky glass of wine or French ‘Cidre’ on the side. The next day dawned bright and early, and we navigated our way to St. Helier on the island of Jersey. This took the entire day, so we had only the evening to explore before we would leave again the next morning, again heading for France. Getting round the northwest corner of France was treacherous stuff, as the wind had really picked up by this point in the week, and we were sailing against the tide and against the wind, but eventually we made it, in time for a very late ‘farewell meet’ at the Yacht Club. We had a few hours the next morning to have a look around Cherbourg, but as the weather had taken a slight turn for the worse, it was no great shame when we had to leave! This was to be our final leg, and would turn out to be the longest – it certainly wasn’t all ‘plain sailing’! The tide and wind were against us as we sailed nearer to the English coast, and we began to lose hope that we would ever make it, as the wind was making the yacht list horrendously. Eventually, after our final ‘All hands on deck’ call, we swung into port and were finally back on English soil. After a solid three hours sleep, we awoke at 6am to clean the boat before our lunchtime handover. My watch was literally ‘scrubbing the decks’ and after we had everything ‘shipshape and Bristol fashion’, we had to say goodbye to our fantastic Skipper Andy Fearnie, and First Mate Charlie Bradford. A huge ‘thank you’ must go to them and the AQ for providing an excellent week’s sailing, which perfectly combined theory, practical skills and, most importantly, fun! Exercise can be fun... by JUO James Radford After two days of ranges and an enjoyable AT phase at Dunkeld ACF Camp, we returned to Barry Buddon with some trepidation. What would the FTX hold for us? What would happen from here? Most of us were slightly wary as we ominously began the safety aspect of blank firing and the use of pyrotechnics. The day started, as was usual, with rain, as well as some valuable lessons, such as how to control minor aggro from civilians and carry out a Vehicle Checkpoint. We would also learn how to find IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) with the Army’s new-fangled Valons. Fresh from our single day of invaluable training, we set off out of Barry Buddon to patrol up to the FOB. This took a surprising amount of time, not least for those that kept the Valons switched on, which were as sensitive as one would imagine a common metal detector to be. Still, the FTX also threw up some positives; the QUICK Reaction Force certainly lived up to its name... based on the fact that they never had to walk very far across the postage stamp training area. And so, after three long days of patrolling and guarding, we moved on to the final attack. The moment most first years had been waiting for and what was to prove to be a momentous occasion, though perhaps for not entirely the right reasons... “The year was 1911 and the Manchester Rifles (complete with Red Coats) were awaiting H-Hour in their FRV. With no cover from the rain, most were shivering, though at least this kept them alert (or so we thought). As H-Hour approached, they moved off to the LOD and fanned out into line, although no rehearsals had been done for forming square in case of infantry attack, and they set off to engage the enemy. Heading east (or south east depending on your compass) off they went, ready to face their enemy, with their fire support (cannons) making use of the open road to provide good arcs on this not so one-way range. And off into the history books they marched...” I’m sure that would have appeared in ‘The Times’ in 1911, but in actuality it was 2011, and we were still advancing in a line. A bold tactic probably not often seen on the modern battlefield; but at least we had the element of surprise. And on that day there were many contacts with the enemy and I think what has now really been driven home to the first years is that ‘no plan survives contact with the enemy’. This is the first time I or I think any other member currently serving as a cadet at MSUOTC will have heard the words “STOP, STOP, STOP!” during an attack. But then to have to count the people in each multiple as a certain Pl Sgt had neglected to wake the last man in his section was nothing other than hilarious. On a more serious note as I draw this article to a close, I would like to thank all the members of staff who gave up so much of their time to make the final exercise work. Without their enthusiasm, time and energy we would not be able to have an FTX and they certainly used every inch of training area they had at their disposal. It must be said that people enjoyed the final exercise and it was good to be able to meet new people and build on knowledge gained throughout the year. www.nwrfca.org.uk the volunteer 59
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Issue 87 - NWRFCA - Northwest Reserve Forces & Cadets Association

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