THE ARMY BOYS EXPEDITION TO CORSICA
1964

A General Account of the Expedition
by the Leader:

Major I.A.P-G LEIGH MBE, RE.

There was no dearth of suitably qualified mountaineers although many of them
were unfortunately unable to attend the Meet. But of course more than ability
was required, and the most important qualification was probably compatibility of
temperament. In the end, I chose Major E.M. Warrick of The Junior Leaders’
Regiment RE, Captain G.R. Owens of the All Arms Junior Leaders’ Regiment,
Captain E.C. Chamberlain of the Junior Leaders’ Regiment R.A. and Lieutenant
D.H. Philpott who was just completing a course at Shirvenham and due to go to
The Gurkha Brigade in Malaya. I was also in communication with Lieutenant J.
Gawne-Cain of The Malta Fortress Squadron who proposed to join us in Corsica
with two of his young soldiers.

One appointment I had the greatest difficulty in filling was that of Medical
Officer. Apparently the Army had no one who was available and prepared to join
us. This seems to me to be rather a strange state of affairs. Eventually I was
forced to search outside the Army. A letter to several of the London teaching
hospitals brought a reply from Peter Hobson, a final year student at Charing
Cross. Peter is an experienced climber and we were very fortunate in having him
on the expedition.

At about this time Peter O’Brien, a staff photographer of Soldier Magazine,
visited Chepstow for an official occasion and, meeting him in the Mess, I told
him of our expedition. He was very interested and said how much he would have
liked to join us. A few days previously David Philpott had reluctantly to drop
out as his Regiment required him urgently in Malaya. On the spur of the moment I
offered his vacancy to Peter, who said he would speak with his Editor. Later,
Peter Wood, Editor of Soldier Magazine, telephoned to confirm their interest in
covering the expedition photographically. Peter O’Brien is an old soldier who
has knocked around the world for many years as a photographer, and the
discomforts of our expedition were no hardship to him.

Fortuitously, the expedition ran smoothly and there was little excuse for
strained nerves or temperamental lapses. Nevertheless it is pleasant to recall
that at all times the adults of the expedition were in pleasant accord and
enjoyed each others' company.

It was now time to decide the composition of the remainder of the expedition. In
early May a letter to all units requested applications by the end of the month.
This resulted in 73 applications from 17 Units and a further selection Meet was
held in Wales in early July. Only 40 of the applicants attended this Meet which
facilitated the work of selection considerably. Subsequently a few of those
chosen had to drop out for various unforeseen reasons; but the 30 boys finally
selected were of a high standard.

Expedition kit was provided mainly by three units; AAS Chepstow, All Arms Junior
Leaders' Regiment and Junior Leaders' Regiment R.A.. The vehicles in which the
expedition was to travel were both owned by Chepstow.

I planned that an Advance Party travelling in the minibus should precede
the Main Party in the coach by about two days. The expedition formed up during the
period 9–11 August at the Junior Leaders' Regiment RE, Dover, who are accustomed
to being imposed upon by just about every military group going to the continent,
and take it all in their stride. They were very kind and went out of their way
to look after us. Our timetable allowed for kit checks and trial loadings at
Dover before leaving for Boulogne on the early morning ferry.

Army Apprentices School,
Chepstow,
Mon.
September 1964