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The Combined Cadet ForceLieutenant Commander Peter Nicholson RD* RNR, now CCF Staff Officer in the MoD
One of the factors leading to the start of the cadet movement was, to a certain extent, the losses the country sustained in the Crimean War. Even more significant was the renewed threat from across the Channel, with Napoleon III (bolstered by the Franco-British victory in the Crimea) becoming unduly assertive, for example by entering into an agreement with Italy to attempt to push the Austrians out of those northern parts of Italy under Austrian occupation. The British Army, recovering from the Crimea and the Indian Mutiny (1857) was still formidable in size and effectiveness, but it was widely dispersed around the world with few regiments in Britain to defend the homeland. It is likely that Napoleon III never seriously entertained plans to invade Britain, where he spent some years before coming to power in France, and where he retired and stayed for the rest of his life following defeat in the Franco-Prussian War (1871). However, it is easy to say this with hindsight – that is not how it looked at the time, and this was the major cause of the creation of the various Officers’ Training Corps, Rifle Corps and so forth, which in time became the present-day ACF and CCF.
The government called for 100,000 volunteers. ‘Storm! Storm! Riflemen, form!’ wrote Tennyson, the Poet Laureate. The response was dramatic. Within a month volunteers had been recruited and armed, and training began. Cadet Corps were quickly formed in schools to augment the adult volunteers. Founder schools were Eton, Harrow, Winchester, Marlborough, Rugby, Tonbridge, Felsted, Rossall and Hurstpierpoint. Today’s CCF is no longer a training establishment for war but is a voluntary youth organisation run on military lines. It serves to encourage self-reliance and cooperation in young people, and prepares them to be better citizens by giving them the opportunity to take part in adventurous and challenging activities, as well as taking part in community work. A well-run CCF has a lot to offer, and considerably broadens the horizons of its cadets. At a time when lack of social cohesion is producing a weakening of traditional family values, it gives a boy or girl an opportunity to belong to a disciplined organisation in which they can take pride, and in which they can develop their qualities to the maximum. Today, 257 schools have CCF contingents. Of these contingents, 58 are in state schools and the remainder in independent schools. A CCF can comprise one or more sections or detachments – Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Army and Air Force – but will always have an Army section. As one might expect, the RN sections do a lot of boat work, while the RAF sections place a lot of emphasis on gliding and powered flight. All sections are given the opportunity to undergo adventurous training in a variety of locations, including overseas. In some schools CCF membership is compulsory for at least a year, and in others it is voluntary. To join the CCF a pupil must be 13 years old, and cadets must leave by the age of 18 or by the end of the summer holiday in which they leave school. If you are interested in joining the CCF you can usually find out if the school you are going to has one by checking on its website. The head has overall responsibility for the CCF in the school, but will normally appoint a Contingent Commander from among the staff to run the contingent. The school will also appoint a School Staff Instructor to manage the training and administration on a day-to-day basis. The officers who instruct in the contingent are mostly, though not exclusively, drawn from the school staff, and both they and the cadets will wear the uniform of whichever arm of the CCF they are in. The MOD supports schools by providing a certain amount of financial and equipment support, as well as facilities for camps and a wide range of activities, from abseiling, gliding and mountaineering to canoeing, sailing and shooting. Special teams from the Regular Forces are also available to provide expert tuition. In addition to the well-known Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme, there are various other vocational qualifications that can be earned by both cadets and adult volunteers. Full details may be obtained from the CVQO (Cadet Vocational Qualifications Organisation). Lieutenant Commander Peter Nicholson RD* RNR, now CCF Staff Officer in the MoD, was originally commissioned as a Reservist, and transferred to full-time service in 2002 following the unexpected end of his civilian occupation. Both during his Reserve service and since going full-time he has been able to put his fluent Japanese to good use (he read Japanese at London University) for HM Ship visits to Japan, visits to the UK by senior Japanese Naval officers (including, over the years, no fewer than four Chiefs of Naval Staff) and other delegations. In 2002 he was the escort and interpreter for Sir Alan West (as he then was), the First Sea Lord, and Lady West during their visit to Japan at the time of the International Fleet Review in Tokyo Bay. His last position before transferring to the Reserves & Cadets Division of the MoD was in 2002/3 as Deputy Director of RNR100, being the organiser of the Public Military Events celebrating the centenary of the founding of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR) in 1903, which gained him a Commander-in-Chief’s Commendation. |
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