Self-Reliance Expedition

Fifty cadets from the Third Year gave up the last weekend of May half-term for a rigorous assessment of their skills in navigation, campcraft and self-reliance. After kit checks and nav revision, the cadets headed out onto the North Downs in callsigns of eight, carrying all they needed (in some cases a good deal more) on their backs. Passing through a sequence of checkpoints, sometimes even in the right order, and under the beady-eyed supervision of assessing staff, most groups made good progress, others’ routes took them past floating ice sheets or steaming mangrove swamps. Well before sunset, however, all groups had reached camp for a feast of nutritious fare from their military ration packs, some inter-section games and a chance to rest their tattered feet around the campfire.

All told the recruits showed no little competence with the map and compass and plenty of fortitude in the heat – exhausted, blistered, sun-baked but satisfied, the recruits can be very proud of a strong showing in this stiff test of their skills and mettle.

Capt. Mathew Owen

OC Army Section