News

On Saturday 8 March, Southampton Sea Cadets and volunteers joined forces to clear the River Itchen foreshore at Bitterne Manor Park of cans, bottles, bricks and other rubbish to improve the area for the local community.  A motorbike, car seats and shopping trolleys were hauled out of the mud! Helping their neighbouring community was part of an agreement with Southampton City Council and Natural England for Sea Cadets to improve their own unit facilities.

Cadets from the Unit went forward to compete at Area level Drill Competition, held this year at a new venue RAF Halton near Aylesbury, the RAF’s recruit training school.

The Unit represented Wessex District in the:

Continuity Drill Competition

Individual Piping (Two Competitors)

The Continuity Drill, which is a new competition class for 2014 gained the Bronze Medal position.

Well done to you all a sterling effort from you all.

Wessex District Drill Competition

The competition was held at Thorney Island Army Barracks, the Unit entered he following disciplines,

Continuity Drill Team               Gold Medal - Winners

Colour Party Drill                     Bronze Medal – Third Place

Individual Piping                      Gold Medal – Winner

                                              Bronze Medal – Third Place

Team Piping                             Silver Medal - Runner UP

Junior Sea Cadet Team Piping    Silver Medal - Runner UP

Excellent results for all their placings are listed alongside each category.

Today 50 years ago the town of Southampton was granted City status and to celebrate this a Church Service of Celebration was held at St Mary's Church. Each of the Cadet forces played a part in this service and our Unit was represented by Leading Cadet Leadbitter who was called upon to read to the masses.

Today the Unit remembered those who gave their lives during the First World War in a tragic shipping disaster the sinking of the SS Mendi. The service was held at the Commonwealth War Graves Memorial in Holybrook Cemetery. The tale of the Mendi is outlined below.
On January 16, 1917 the Mendi troopship sailed from Cape Town en route to La Havre in France carrying the last contingent of the SANLC comprising 805 black private, 5 white officers and 17 non-commissioned officers as well as 33 crewmembers. 
On the morning of 21 February 1917, another ship, the SS Darro (10 0000 tons) travelling at full speed and emitting no warning signals, rammed the SS Mendi (4 230 tons), which sank in 20 minutes. No steps were taken by the SS Darro to lower boats or rescue the survivors. She stood off and floated nearby while lifeboats from the SS Mendi's escorting destroyer, HMS Brisk, rowed among the survivors, trying to rescue them.

The Last Post during the service was played by Adult Buglers from the Unit Band.