Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 18, 2020 13:56:56 GMT 12
YOUNG COMMANDOS
AIR TRAINING CORPS
LEARNING THE PRACTICAL WAY
Shooting as snipers with P17 rifles and establishing signal stations on the tops of mountains all reads like realistic warfare,but that and more was done recently by the Eastbourne Detached Flight of the Air Training Corps, which undertook a realistic "commando" course at Baring Head. During intensive training the cadets in four days covered 40 miles in very hilly country, and apart from physical fitness they gained no small amount of knowledge related to the complicated intricacies that are a parts of modern warfare.
One small section proceeded to the top of Mount Mathers, overlooking the Wairarapa, and established a signal station. Lamp communication was not made because of misty conditions, but until they rejoined the flight on the third day, the section kept a log of their activities.
Other cadets established a telegraph land-telephone system between two bivouacs which were three miles apart; one was 600 feet above sea level, and the other was 1000 feet. Once the line was established the cadets became enthusiastic about learning Morse, which, sometimes is justifiably regarded as a dry subject.
POINTS ABOUT NAVIGATION.
Many peculiar points about navigation were practically demonstrated when the flight worked from a "trig" station on top of a knoll along Baring Ridge, 1000 feet above the sea. The position commanded an excellent view of the coastline and the sea right across to the South Island. Bearings of main headlands and lighthouses were taken to true and laid off there and then on a chart. For that purpose, a table was rigged out on top of the knoll. The height of the Baring Ridge knoll gave the impression of being up in an aircraft doing a real job, and such an impression naturally raised a considerable amount of enthusiasm amongst air training cadets.
In fact, the chart happened to be an old military map without a compass rose, and before setting to work, they accurately constructed a compass rose on it by means of a Douglas protractor.
CHART OF DISTRICT.
With the high knoll as their vantage point, the cadets constructed a chart of the whole district by using triangulation. Each cadet contributed something. The finished chart was a surprisingly accurate piece of work. Apart from taking land bearings, astronomical position lines were taken from shots with a sextant. A novel feature of the chart is that the base line position as regards latitude and longitude, was established by the cadets themselves. Altogether, the result of the work done on the knoll was that many of the navigational pre-entry assignments were covered in a very thorough and practical way. When the boys discovered that navigational theory really worked, they wanted more and more. Up on that knoll it was easier to realise just how giant bombers winged their way unerringly to Berlin and how their bombs were dropped with such devastating accuracy. When the flight returned to headquarters on the flat, a pilot compass was set in a steel basket on a bicycle and mounted so that the "lubber" line was in the fore and aft line of the cycle. As a result, a practical demonstration of deviation as the result of the iron in the bicycle, was given. The cycle was swung on eight pre-arranged bearings and a deviation card was made up. On the next "commando" course it is proposed to take more problems into practical consideration.
TOUGH GOING.
Quite apart from the practical demonstration of essential warfare theories, the boys successfully carried out a toughening-up programme. They covered long distances at night through swamps, more often than not sinking over the knees in mud; and, like real "commandos," they had no torches to guide them. A great spirit of cooperation and enthusiasm existed right through the course, and the general opinion of each cadet was that they were far too interested in what they were doing ever to notice that the going was really tough.
Cadets of the Eastbourne detached flight of the Air Training Corps making a chart on a knoll on Baring Ridge, where they recently undertook a special four-day course. One cadet is taking a shot at the sun, using a pannikin of water as an artificial horizon. Others are identifying points, recording bearings, and plotting on the chart.
EVENING POST, 3 MAY 1944
AIR TRAINING CORPS
LEARNING THE PRACTICAL WAY
Shooting as snipers with P17 rifles and establishing signal stations on the tops of mountains all reads like realistic warfare,but that and more was done recently by the Eastbourne Detached Flight of the Air Training Corps, which undertook a realistic "commando" course at Baring Head. During intensive training the cadets in four days covered 40 miles in very hilly country, and apart from physical fitness they gained no small amount of knowledge related to the complicated intricacies that are a parts of modern warfare.
One small section proceeded to the top of Mount Mathers, overlooking the Wairarapa, and established a signal station. Lamp communication was not made because of misty conditions, but until they rejoined the flight on the third day, the section kept a log of their activities.
Other cadets established a telegraph land-telephone system between two bivouacs which were three miles apart; one was 600 feet above sea level, and the other was 1000 feet. Once the line was established the cadets became enthusiastic about learning Morse, which, sometimes is justifiably regarded as a dry subject.
POINTS ABOUT NAVIGATION.
Many peculiar points about navigation were practically demonstrated when the flight worked from a "trig" station on top of a knoll along Baring Ridge, 1000 feet above the sea. The position commanded an excellent view of the coastline and the sea right across to the South Island. Bearings of main headlands and lighthouses were taken to true and laid off there and then on a chart. For that purpose, a table was rigged out on top of the knoll. The height of the Baring Ridge knoll gave the impression of being up in an aircraft doing a real job, and such an impression naturally raised a considerable amount of enthusiasm amongst air training cadets.
In fact, the chart happened to be an old military map without a compass rose, and before setting to work, they accurately constructed a compass rose on it by means of a Douglas protractor.
CHART OF DISTRICT.
With the high knoll as their vantage point, the cadets constructed a chart of the whole district by using triangulation. Each cadet contributed something. The finished chart was a surprisingly accurate piece of work. Apart from taking land bearings, astronomical position lines were taken from shots with a sextant. A novel feature of the chart is that the base line position as regards latitude and longitude, was established by the cadets themselves. Altogether, the result of the work done on the knoll was that many of the navigational pre-entry assignments were covered in a very thorough and practical way. When the boys discovered that navigational theory really worked, they wanted more and more. Up on that knoll it was easier to realise just how giant bombers winged their way unerringly to Berlin and how their bombs were dropped with such devastating accuracy. When the flight returned to headquarters on the flat, a pilot compass was set in a steel basket on a bicycle and mounted so that the "lubber" line was in the fore and aft line of the cycle. As a result, a practical demonstration of deviation as the result of the iron in the bicycle, was given. The cycle was swung on eight pre-arranged bearings and a deviation card was made up. On the next "commando" course it is proposed to take more problems into practical consideration.
TOUGH GOING.
Quite apart from the practical demonstration of essential warfare theories, the boys successfully carried out a toughening-up programme. They covered long distances at night through swamps, more often than not sinking over the knees in mud; and, like real "commandos," they had no torches to guide them. A great spirit of cooperation and enthusiasm existed right through the course, and the general opinion of each cadet was that they were far too interested in what they were doing ever to notice that the going was really tough.
Cadets of the Eastbourne detached flight of the Air Training Corps making a chart on a knoll on Baring Ridge, where they recently undertook a special four-day course. One cadet is taking a shot at the sun, using a pannikin of water as an artificial horizon. Others are identifying points, recording bearings, and plotting on the chart.
EVENING POST, 3 MAY 1944
