Document from Eric A. Cleaver

PLEASE QUOTE REF: docs175

Letter To Parents From C.O. (Page 1).

From:	Colonel T. Lash, OBE
		Commandant,
		All Arms Junior Leaders Regiment,
		Tonfanau Camp. TOWYN,
		Merionethshire, N. Wales,
		Tel: Towyn 376
		Extension 1

		1304

		Date: 23 Jan 1964

Dear	Mr Cleaver
	As the Commanding Officer of your son/~~ward~~ Eric
I welcome this opportunity of writing to you and giving you some general
information on how he will spend his time now that he has arrived safely in
my Regiment.

	Tonfanau Camp lies on the coast of Cardigan Bay in West Wales, between
Aberdovey and Barmouth. The Camp lies at the foot of the lovely Welsh hills
and its own beach is within easy walking distance. Cader Idris is about 14
miles to the East and Snowdon lies to the North.

	Your son will at first undergo a special programme of training designed to
make it easy for him to settle down in his new surroundings and in the army way
of life.

	Thereafter, his training is designed to develop the mental and physical
qualities required to enable him to reach the rank of a senior non-commissioned
officer or warrant officer of the Regular Army. A great deal of this training
will be educational. He will be taught and coached by fully qualified
instructors so that during his stay here he has chance to pass the
examinations necessary for his future promotion. As you will no doubt realise
this is primarily an NCO producing unit. In order that a minimum standard is
maintained, all boys must qualify educationally and medically and that must
gain a certain degree of proficiency in a number of military subjects. If
your son fails to reach or seems unlikely to reach the required standard he will
be considered for discharge. Initially, the Recruit Company Commander will
inform you during the first term if your son's work is not up to standard, in
order that you can spur him on to make the extra effort needed to qualify for
further training at Tonfanau. A report on your boy's progress will be forwarded
to you at the end of each term.

	He will also get a thorough grounding in military subjects which include
drill and weapon training. Leadership qualities will be developed by walks,
climbs and minor expeditions in the surrounding hills.

	In addition to his work, he will be encouraged to take part in sporting
activities in which he will again be coached by experts. The Camp has two
gymnasia, many sports fields and a large amount of sports equipment.

	I am sure you will be interested in your boy's pay. On joining he gets
a gross pay of 50/8d a week. Out of this is deducted 3/-d a month for hair
cutting, 6/6d a week National Health Insurance and after his recruit training
1/-d a week is charged as a sport subscription. He will get as a recruit
15/-d paid to him in cash each week. I open a Post Office Savings Account
for each boy and he saves 7/-d a week in this account. He is only allowed
to withdraw money from the Post Office with my permission. The intention of
this is to teach a boy to save and to build up a Savings Account for him before
he leaves my Regiment. When he has completed his recruit training he will
receive £1 a week. Further pay rises are given for qualifying at various
subjects, for length of service and for promotion when he reaches NCO rank.

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