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Leader Magazine
SPRING 1962.
COMPANY NOTES.
'A' COMPANY NOTES
Since the last edition of this worthy magazine the Company has had innumerable successes in all spheres. In the sporting world the following have upheld the true traditions of their respective games: RUGBY - J/Sgts. Harris and Townsend, J/Cpl. Leigh, J/Pte. Derrick, J/Gnr. Jones, D.F., and J/L/Cpl. Bamber. HOCKEY - J/CSM. Banham (Captain of the Regimental XI), J/Cpl. Dutton, J/Sig. Browning. SOCCER - J/Sig. Mawhinney, J/L/Cpl. Hewitt. BASKETBALL - J/Ptes. Hoyle and Delahaye. FENCING - J/Tpr. Thorne and J/Pte. Kenny. CROSS COUNTRY - J/Cpl. Shields, J/L/Cpls. Percival and Wills. BOXING J/L/Cpl. Stapleton, J/L/Bdr. Shuker, J/Ptes. Mitchell (45) Lyons and Long.
Special mention must be made of the outstanding performance of J/L/Cpl. Stapleton who not only won an Army Junior Boxing title but went on to win his weight at the I.S.B.A. meeting and now proceeds to the semi-final of the Junior Amateur Boxing Association Championships which will be held at Crookham in the near future. We all wish him the best of luck.
After many heroic struggles Knightsbridge platoon emerged as THE Company rugger XV, in spite of constant lobbying by Falaise who insisted that their whole platoon were members of the XL Club and so were ineligible to win the championship. However Falaise did manage to win the final of the Regimental Soccer Competition - a well deserved victory.
At the time of going to press the outcome of the semi-final of the Regimental Rugby League between Minden and Knightsbridge is eagerly awaited.
Balaclava platoon can now boast that they possess a real drum major in the form of J/Pte. Long - may his confidence be upheld for the Graduation Parade!
Imphal Platoon were pleased to welcome J/Sig. McGurk who arrived at the beginning of this term with a full Gold Award gained before he joined the Army.
The Company is due to visit Menai Camp on the week-end 10-11th March, and we have indented for decent weather but so far the outlook is rather bleak. It doesn't seem as though we shall be requiring the services of J/Tpr. Knowles or J/L/Cpl. Boon who distinguished themselves by gaining qualifications awarded by the National Life Saving Association.
There have been two additions to the fighting strength of the Permanent Staff element of the Company, namely Sgts. Cross and Lowery.
The Company can advertise the fact that the brains of the Regiment reside here as they successfully outwitted 'B' Company in the final of the inter-company quiz.
'B' COMPANY
As we are enjoying a relatively uneventful term, our new arrivals among the Permanent Staff have had time to settle down. They are Captain Newton, Lt. de Bretton Gordon and Sgts. Winkless and Knight. We have unfortunately lost Captain Benbow after only a short time amongst us, though some members of the Company are probably not very anxious to meet him again in his new job. At the end of term we also lose Lt. MacDonnell and Sgt. Laming and we will be very sorry to see them go.
Gallipoli have battled their way through to the semi-finals of the Inter-Platoon Rugby Competition leaving corpses and referees strewn in their wake. The Company had cold and windy, but on the whole enjoyable week-end at Menai in February in spite of the canteen running out on Saturday night owing to the consumption of four times as much chocolate as last time. J/Cpl. Donald has been working hard as captain of the Regimental Rugby team and our hockey players have reputedly been living, or at least travelling, in luxury.
Finally the whole Company would like to wish the Company Commander a safe and speedy recovery from his present illness.
This term has passed so quickly that it is difficult to realise that the end of term is already in sight.;
It has been a particularly happy term. Why? We are not sure. It may perhaps be because we are a very young Company both in age and service for we lost almost fifty boys to Man's Service at the end of last term and this has meant that many more boys have had an opportunity to show their worth. We have well over a hundred boys who will be with us at this time next year and we hope that this will mean we shall be able to repeat at least once our performance of last term when boys of this Company were awarded nineteen out of the forty prizes presented on Graduation Day.
It is too early as yet to report on the inter-company activities. Tunisia Platoon is to represent us in the semi-finals of the Rugby League and we also have high hopes of winning the Riches Cup.
We have again supplied a large number of players for the Regimental Football and Rugby teams, indeed Normandy Platoon can boast no fewer than eleven of the Regimental Rugby Team.
At the end of this term we lose two of our Permanent Staff, 2/Lt. Askew who leaves for civilian life and CSM Evis who is off to Singapore. Mr. Askew has been with the Regiment for nearly a year and is our last surviving National Serviceman. He takes with him our best wishes and thanks. CSM. Evis was one of the founders of the Regiment having been here over three years. The Junior Leaders will undoubtedly miss his kindly and always sound advice and the Permanent Staff his encyclopaedic knowledge of the Regiment and of the ways of Junior Leaders. We wish him and Mrs. Evis good luck for the future.
'D' COMPANY NOTES
The term began with a change of Company Commander. Major Walenn on his appointment to Lt. Colonel left us to command the new Junior Tradesman's Regiment at Rhyl. We wish him our heartiest congratulations and every success in his new job. Major Durcan arrived to take his place and to him we extend our warmest welcome. In company headquarters Mrs. Cook continues to hold the fort and the age old sayings of "Shut the door" and "Who's taken my duster again?" still ring strong in the ears of frustrated platoon commanders. The 'Q' and Jack as always tirelessly pour cups of tea for dejected permanent staff seeking refuge in the solitude and peace of the company stores. The spirit is, however, high and we always like to believe that we are getting better as the terms go by, despite what others tell us.
As for the platoons let them speak for themselves: MINDEN - We are very glad to welcome back Lt. Gordon after his long stay in hospital. The Platoon were congratulated on the high standard of turnout of Junior Leaders and barrack blocks on Commandant's inspection. In the sporting world the following are congratulated on getting their regimental colours: J/Sgt. Plowright, J/Bdr. Burke, J/L/Cpl. Cosby, J/L/Bdr. Purvis, J/Ldrs. R. Jones and Connick. J/Cpl Hornby, as well as attaining his colours, reached the semi-finals of Army Junior Individual Boxing Championships. We have under the platoon commander's careful guidance from the touchline and Sgt. Brown's on the field, won the Company Rugby and hope to go on now and win against 'A' Company. WATERLOO - The platoon arrived back after a well-earned rest, and were faced with preparations for Commandant's inspection during which time our billets were re-decorated. We were knocked out of the Rugby League by Cambrai and intend to go into secret practice for next year. We 'old sweats' of Waterloo wish to extend a hearty welcome to the new boys who joined us and bid them good luck in the coming terms. CAMBRAI - We say goodbye to Lt. Plewman and Sgt. Ainsworth to 'A' Company and the Adventure Training Wing respectively, and welcome Lt. Neil and Sgt. White. Our main effort this term has been achieved in painting all our rooms with considerable success, in fact we are considering letting ourselves out on contract to other troops. Our supporters in the Regimental field are J/Sgt. Cunliffe, J/L/Cpl. Levell, J/Ldrs. Gomez, Dack, Oram and Lamb. Well done. DETTINGEN - We have spent most of this term in 'isolation' having moved out of our billets for the painters. We return home after Menai Camp and although the life in a barrack block is good we prefer, I think, our own rooms. Sgt. Ramsey has been away in hospital for some time - we hope we are not working him too hard. Although in the sporting world we have not shone, we have kept our head above water in all activities.
RECRUIT COMPANY NOTES
Since the last notes, Lts. Neil, Ross and Cohen and Sgts. Winkless, Cross and Lowerie have left us, to be replaced by Lts. Barker, Theis and Webb, and Sgt. Hollings. Although with these changes we come down to three platoons, our 'Empire' is still on the increase as we now have our own permanent team of 'schoolies', Capt. Mitchell and Sgt. Walmesley. This has noticeably raised the number of boys leaving with Junior behind them.
The Company is gradually acquiring a new look. Each barrack room is being freshly painted by self-help, and we trust that the new existentialist colour schemes will not give anyone nightmares on arrival.
The standard of sporting instruction is as high as ever; the boys' football team attaining such perfection that it beat the vaunted company permanent staff team by seven goals to one. In conclusion it is interesting to note that J/Pte. Sloan of the present intake is the 1200th boy to have passed through the company.
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