COMBINED CADET FORCE. - Alleyn's School

Below7,000 cadets including a contingent fromAlleyn’s from the Public Schools’ OfficersTraining Corps arrive at Tidworth, Wiltshire, fortheir Annual Summer Camp, August 1933ALLEYN’S SCHOOLCOMBINEDCADETFORCE.1922The School Organ was installed in the Great Hall, to be the War Memorialto those former pupils killed in the First World War, and Colonel KirbyVC returned to the School to unveil the War Memorial Panels listingthe names of the fallen. Frank Howard Kirby was one of the first pupilsof Alleyn’s School in 1882. In 1892 he enlisted in the Royal Engineersand, in 1899, was sent to South Africa at the start of the Boer War.On 5th October 1900 the citation in The London Gazette announced thatCorporal Kirby had been awarded the Victoria Cross for ‘conspicuousgallantry in the face of the enemy’. He had a long career in the RoyalEngineers, the Royal Flying Corps, and the Royal Air Force, from whichhe retired with the rank of Group Captain. He died in 1956.1923Officers’ Training Corps inaugurated, and affiliated to the 1st SurreyRifles. Major H Gregory installed as Commanding Officer.1924A team competed for the Ashburton Shield at Bisley, and a SignalPlatoon was formed.1925Orderly Room and Armoury built.AboveThe Corps set off on a Route March led by(from left) Capt. JA Taylor, R.S.M. AC Bate,and Lt. AS Jenkins, 1946The School artillery battery, 1950s

ALLEYN’S SCHOOLCOMBINEDCADETFORCE.BelowField Communications practicein front of the Old Pavilion, 1950s1928Captain Albert Spring installed as Commanding Officer.1931Rifle Range built.1932Major EC Eayrs installed as Commanding Officer.1930sDrum and trumpet band formed.1936Major SR Hudson installed as Commanding Officer.1937The Corps had an active drum and trumpet band.1939On 2nd September most of Alleyn’s School was evacuated to Kent.In the meantime, the South London Emergency Secondary School wasset up at Alleyn’s School: here the Junior Training Corps was set upunder Captain MC Crewe and had enthusiastic enrolment.AboveMedical Corps training,1950sIn action on the SchoolRifle Range, 1950s

ALLEYN’S SCHOOLCOMBINEDCADETFORCE.BelowPulling together withEric Randall, 1950s1941Part of the School was evacuated to Rossall, at Fleetwood in Lancashire,where a Home Guard Platoon was formed from masters and seniorboys, under a Sergeant-Major from Rossall. Parades were held early inthe morning before lessons commenced, and exercises took place atall hours. The RAF Flight was formed.1944On 2nd December the Home Guard at Rossall stood down.1945In March the Alleyn’s contingent at Rossall returned to Dulwich. OnMajor Hudson becoming Headmaster, Major JA Taylor TD installed asCommanding Officer. By the end of the War, 124 former pupils had losttheir lives.1945-1950A set of military band instruments acquired (according to rumour) fromthe Free Polish Army. When the First Surrey Rifles were disbanded theirsilver mace and bugles were presented to the School Corps.AboveLifting the garden roller!1950sThe Combined CadetForce band, conductedby the BandmasterAE Cave, 1959

ALLEYN’S SCHOOLCOMBINEDCADETFORCE.BelowGirl Cadet in action, 1980s1983The CCF Inspection to be held every two years, and to feature trainingrather than concentrating on the ceremonial parade. Fire destroyed theRAF hut and the glider, but the MOD promised to replace both.1985First parachute jump, the cadets having been trained by the Red Devils.Elizabeth Chandler was promoted to be the first female Senior WarrantOfficer.1990Lt. Col. EMD Jones installed as Commanding Officer.1991The rifle range was closed and demolished, to make way for the newJunior School playground.1993Eric Randall retired after 46 years dedicated service to Alleyn’sSchool, during which time over 6000 pupils had passed through theCCF. In July, ‘This Is Your Life, Eric Randall’ took place in the GreatHall in the presence of over 300 people. A guard of honour wasprovided by officers from the three services, who had all been cadetsunder Eric. A bronze bust of Eric was placed in the entrance hall of theSchool, and in August he was gazetted Major in the London Gazette.Eric was succeeded by Sergeant Major Paul Lambert of the Devonand Dorset Regiment. The first female inspecting officer for the AnnualInspection was Group Captain C.R.Fowler, the CO of RAF Uxbridge.AboveThe CCF abopted agoat as its mascot. 1997.The goat, resplendent ina ceremonial coat madeespecially and matchingthe Goat Major’s sash,appeared severaltimes in RemembranceDay parades.

BelowAlleyn’s CCF formed up outside BuckinghamPalace, before the Remembrance Sundayparade at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, 2006ALLEYN’S SCHOOLCOMBINEDCADETFORCE.1994Sgt. Major Lambert inaugurated the Regimental Dinner.1997Major Emma Peters was the first Alleyn Old Girl to be the inspectingofficer for the Annual Inspection. Four girls from James Allen’s Girls’School joined the Alleyn’s School CCF. The CCF adopted a goatas its mascot.2002Lt. Col. Jones became the longest-serving Commanding Officer of the CCF.2005After 12 years distinguished service, Paul Lambert retired. He hadsucceeded Eric Randall as School Sergeant. His rank on retirement wasRegimental Sergeant Major (Warrant Officer First Class), the highestnon-commissioned officer rank, and he had been an outstandingSchool Staff Instructor, whose commitment and hard work was highlyregarded by all who had worked with him.2007Col. KV Ellen installed as Commanding Officer.2010Alleyn’s School CCF sustains all three service sections. It is one ofthe largest voluntary contingents in the country, numbering some 240cadets and 12 commissioned officers. One Sergeant Staff Instructorand ten other adult members of staff assist.It is hoped that readers of these pages willhave enjoyed learning something of thestory behind the CCF at Alleyn’s School.It can be no more than an introductionto the history of the Corps, but it will beused as the basis for an exhibition onFounder’s Day this year on July 3rd. Inaddition to further photographs, there willbe other interesting artefacts and items ofmemorabilia that have been collected overthe past more than one hundred years intothe School Archive. We look forward toseeing many former and present membersof the CCF at that event and wouldwelcome any further items or informationthat you can make available to us.Neil A French, Honorary Archivist.AcknowledgmentsThis chronology and the most of the historicaldetails have been extracted from Alleyn’s: The Co-Educational School, written by Arthur R Chandlerand published in 1998 by Gresham Books.The research into, and selection of material from,the Alleyn’s School Archives and the provision ofadditional text was carried out by the HonoraryArchivist Neil French (Cribb’s 1954-61) and hisAssistant Robert Holden (Spurgeon’s 1956-62).The Hon Archivist would welcome any informationfrom readers on the many unidentified or undatedphotographs featured in the booklet. Also, all thedates and the details are subject to revision orcorrection, and if you wish to correct any items,please feel free to get in touch.Design: Tom Keates-Miles / Mick Keates Design