News

The Unit is taking part in the Waitrose, St Katharine Docks, “Green Token” Scheme during the month of March. If you do visit this store, please consider putting a green token from the checkouts into the City of London SCC box near the exits.

The pace of training has picked up in February, for both cadets and adults. The two outcomes that really stand out are Alex S competing his RYA Day Skipper Theory course and James achieving Marine Engineering 1^st Class Electrical, well done both!

Other cadet training successes were Jonathan- CIS Basic, Alex S- First Aid 3^rd Class, India- Cook Steward 3^rd Class, Steven- Piping Basic and Dawid- Piping Proficiency.

Adults also had a busy month of improving the skills that they pass on to the cadets. Two trustees and one member of staff passed the data protection course. One trustee and three members of staff completed the first of four weekends that lead to the award of the Basic Expedition Leader qualification. One member of staff passed the Youth Development Core Skills course and another the Basic Seamanship course.

For a bit of light relief 15 cadets and four adults had a pleasant half-term day out at the Chatham Historic Dockyard- where our Commanding Officer was once based.

Photo: In the Rope Shed at Chatham

See more pictures on our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CityofLondonSCC?fref=ts

Dedication Ceremony HMS President, Tuesday 13^th

Leading Cadet Alex attended a ceremony to dedicate a “new” figurehead for the Royal Navy Reserve establishment HMS President. The occasion was the 200^th anniversary of the capture of the American heavy frigate USS President, at the tail end of the Anglo-American War of 1812 (actually went on for three years). Taken into RN service, this second HMS President (the first was HMS Président- captured from the French in 1806) was scrapped after a few years to be succeeded by HMS President (1829). This third HMS President ended her days as the drill ship for the London RNR. The “new” figurehead for the RNR was from HMS President (1829) and was donated by the Worshipful Company of Fishmongers. This started a long line of ships, which after active service were renamed HMS President and then served the London RNR. This continued to 1988 when the RNR took possession of the current HMS President- a shore establishment or “stone frigate” near St Katharine’s Dock.

District 5-A-Side, Sunday 18^th.

The U18 and U15 boys did well, both coming second. PASA ran a snack bar for the event.

Visit by Rear Admiral John Kingwell, Friday 23^rd.

John is currently the Director of the Development, Concepts and Doctrine Centre- the MoD’s in-house think tank. John was a City of London Sea Cadet in the early 1980s; he joined the Royal Navy in 1984. John’s major seagoing commands have been the Type 23 frigate HMS Argyll, the assault ship HMS Albion and, most recently, John commanded the Response Force Task Group off the coast of Libya in 2011, enforcing the “no-fly” zone.

This was an informal visit. John spent the first half of the evening participating in the cadet classes and then gave an inspirational talk to the cadets on RN careers. At colours John presented some awards to cadets.

Training Outcomes:

Well done to Imogen, Dawid and James for gaining their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Awards. Very well done to Alex, for achieving his Silver Award. Imogen also got her basic piping award.

Photo: John Kingwell presents Lorna with three years’ good conduct stripes. 

Since the last report training has slowed down to make way for a plethora of ceremonial and fund raising events.

Nevertheless Cadets Jonathan G, Steven and Malanie V and Callum N have all attended and passed an Area Physical Training weekend. Adult staff have passed eight modules of the adult syllabus.

The Unit has been well represented at carpet guards for the Worshipful Company of Shipwrights, The Maritime Media Awards and the Honourable Society of the Knights of the Round Table. In a first for the Unit, the Unit had a respectable presence at the Mission to Sea Farers Carol Service held in St Michael Paternoster church.

On Saturday 13^th December the cadets enjoyed an evening of ice skating and pizza funded by PASA as their Christmas treat. The following day we had a excellent turnout for a very successful bag pack at the Isle of Dogs ASDA. The money raised will be put towards boating activities for 2015.

Finally on Monday 22^nd December a group of Cadets accompanied by members of the UMT and PASA held a cake raffle at various City of London maritime companies. Thank you to Barbara Smith for the wonderful cakes and to our Chair and Deputy Chair, Captain John L David and Graham Smith for organising the event. Thanks are due to the staff at Catlin, Britannia, Walton and Morse, Thomas Copper, CNA Hardy and Lloyds for their generosity.

Photo: Cadets at CNA Hardy

As always this was a busy day for the Unit. The cadets, most of them having slept aboard Belfast, took a full part in the Service of Remembrance. PASA played its usual role- catering for the cadets and the Coastal Forces Veterans Association (CFVA) London branch.

The Service was for all the fallen and passed, it is all too easy to focus on the big battles. In the case of HMS Belfast, for example, to focus on D-Day. On the 5^th September two cadets, a member of staff and two PASA members attended the funeral of the late CFVA branch Chairman Charlie Smorthit. With the possible exception of the raid on St Nazaire (see web posting 21^st July 2013) the CFVA’s members’ war is largely forgotten. They fought in Motor Torpedo Boats (MTBs) and Motor Gun Boats (MGBs), with ply wood hulls and petrol fuel (see web posting 8^th February 2014), at a severe disadvantage to the steel-hulled, diesel fuelled German E-Boats, Flak-Barges and Flak-Lighters.

Charlie was a stoker (engineer) aboard MTB 638 in the Adriatic in the latter part of the War. On the night of 11^th/12^th October 1944 a force from the 57^th MTB Flotilla, composed of MGB 662 and MTBs 634, 637 and 638, intercepted a German convey off the Croatian coast. This is an extract from MGB 662’s commander’s report.

“MGB 662 had drawn ahead of MTB 634, who had manoeuvred for a torpedo attack, and was engaging many targets on the port side, including F-Lighters, Pi-L Boats and E-Boats. Very heavy 88mm and 20mm fire was coming our way, all high, from a variety of enemy vessels and this fire had a strong blinding effect on my bridge. Nevertheless, I saw a Pi-L Boat hit by the 6 pounder and blow up…..

In the light of MTB 638’s starshell ahead, I saw F-Lighters being hit by my pom-pom and Oerlikon. I saw an E-Boat in the light of the petrol fire, hit, set alight and blow up- a victory achieved by the bridge .303 Vickers, and on the port quarter I saw an impressive display of 6 pounder gunnery.”

Small, little-remembered actions such this were the CFVA’s war.

Photo: Able Cadet Ambler, Cadet 1^st Class Steel and PO Salawu with CFVA members at Charlie’s funeral.

For more photos of the Lord Mayor’s Show and Remembrance Sunday see our Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/CityofLondonSCC

Cadets from the Unit took part in the Lord Mayor’s Show, with seniors taking part in the parade and a group of juniors cheering them on.

The new Lord Mayor of London, Alan Yarrow, was presented with his City of London “Lord Mayor’s Cadet”- Leading Cadet “Smudge” Smith. Smudge is the most senior cadet in the Unit and an avid and accomplished sailor, representing London Area in the Race Squad.

Photo: Aboard the Lord Mayor’s Barge- our Commanding Officer CPO Paul Townsend and Smudge with his parents.