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28th June 2005

Shock and Awe!

Over the weekend of 25th to 26th June 2005 Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire Wing held its annual wing adventure training competition (Field Day) and Wing Parade at RAF Wyton, Cambridgeshire. A team from 134 (Bedford) Sqn attended with spectacular results.

Ask any cadet who has seen a period of service within the Corps what one of the biggest honours is and they will probably suggest that it is a chance to represent their unit at the annual Wing Field Day, this year was no exception with places in the 12 strong team being contested for at the beginning of the year. The process began in March when the Squadron held its field team selection weekend, during the course cadets were selected after completing leadership tasks, drill tests, initiative exercises and culminated with an interview board. Since then the team has formed a close bond during their training, which ran in parallel with normal Squadron operations. Working hard to perfect the skills that they had been taught both as problem solvers and on the drill square the team were practising at up to 4 nights per week as Field Day drew near. Mean while behind the scenes other members of the squadron had been working hard to fine tune and adjust the already award winning squadron website ready to enter the Wing Corporate Communications Competition also judged during the Wing Adventure Training weekend.

The weekend began with a 0730hrs departure from Bedford ready to arrive and set up Camp Gemini on RAF Wyton at 0800hrs, which would act as the Squadron forward deployment base for the duration of the competition. As well as setting up camp a rope bridge was also constructed which would act as the central component of Operation Navarone, this was one of the 15 exercises that make up the Field Day competition. Op Navarone simulated a ravine crossing over which competing teams had to transport a field gun to offer support at a theoretical front line, the task tested each team for their ability in leadership, physical approach, knots and lashings work and communication, all elements that go to make a successful team in any scenario.

With the camp set up the competition began on Saturday morning and included the coveted drill competition, which was won by the Squadron last year. The cadets from 134 (Bedford) Sqn approached the exercises not knowing what to expect within each task, some were fun, some had a more serious element to them but each demanded concentration and professionalism for which the team drew upon all of its training over the last few months. With positive feed back from several events, spirits among the cadets were high, and with each exercise completed the team felt more and more confident. Field day is a demanding event with so many activities taking place all over RAF Wyton and a good team alliance is essential to keep the team concentrated and working at peak performance. Each team had completed more than half the 15 exercises by the time play was suspending for the night.

With Saturday under their belts and everybody feeling positive, the team settled down for the evening within Camp Gemini where an excellent sit down meal had been prepared by Mr and Mrs Croft of the Squadron Civilian Committee, the 3 course meal which is now part of the tradition of field day for 134 (Bedford) Sqn was warmly appreciated by cadets and staff alike. After dinner the mess tent converted to the cinema for the evening film showing. The evening is also an important time for the staff when Camp Gemini is used to entertain other invited members of the Air Training Corps and Royal Air Force and discuss future activities and events.

Sunday began with a 0600hrs reveille followed by bacon and egg banjos, which as with the evening meal the night before were cooked to perfection by Mr and Mrs Croft. After breakfast all the usual camp duties were carried out before the cadets once again focused their thoughts on the day of exercises that lay ahead. Setting off from camp the team moved around RAF Wyton from task to task, and with each one completed the mood within the group appeared to rise to new heights each time. Following their last tasking all of the cadets jumped straight in to assist with the dismantling of Op Naverone before having lunch and getting ready for the Wing Parade.

With over 350 cadets on parade the salute was taken by the station commander of RAF Brampton, Wyton, Henlow, as a Spitfire of the BBMF performed a flypast. Having inspected the cadet on parade the reviewing officer made the presentations for a number of trophies that are awarded annually. Bedford’s first success came in the form of the Enterprise Trophy which was awarded for the Squadron’s efforts in promoting not only the Air Cadets but also the RAF by taking part in last years Red Bull Soap Box Race in front of a live audience of 50,000 as well as both national and regional TV coverage on both BBC and ITV. The next presentation went to the Civilian Instructor who has performed above his/her call of duty in their specialist field, Mr C Wiggins of 134 (Bedford) Sqn collected the Davis Cup for producing and maintaining the high quality Squadron Web Site. The Public Relations Trophy was this year awarded to 134 (Bedford) Sqn for having the best judged website in the wing and was again collected by Mr C Wiggins. Then the results that the cadets themselves had all been waiting for were announced, first the Drill competition which saw 1985 (Flitwick) Sqn in 3rd position, 2465 (Icknield) Sqn in 2nd and 134 (Bedford) Sqn in 1st and crowned as winners for the second year running. Lastly the main trophy of the day, The Field Day Shield. Just as he returned to his position on parade having collected the Drill Trophy, CWO Steve Croft again found himself marching out to collect what he and his team had trained so hard for, 134 (Bedford) Squadron were awarded 1st Place for Wing Field Day 2005.

Following the parade the scene resembled an FA Cup final as the cadets were at last able to celebrate their success, which included personal congratulations from Officer Commanding Bedfordshire & Cambridgeshire, Wg Cdr P Bower. As the Cheering, chanting and dancing rang out from Camp Gemini Flt Lt I Whittaker, the Squadron Commanding Officer said “I am immensely proud of the hard work and determination shown by all the cadets and staff in order to achieve this fabulous result. It’s been a long time since a Squadron won both the Drill and Field Day in the same year and its fantastic to be a part of that success”

With its achievements the squadron can now look forward to taking its drill team and website to RAF Wittering to represent Bedfordshire & Cambridgeshire Wing at the Central & Eastern Regional Field Day in September. The squadron would like to thank everyone involved in helping the team achieve its success and to all those who congratulated the team on the result.

• See More Photos from the Day
• Watch the drill team in action.