The Abingdonian 2019

60 The Abingdonian CCF The CCF have experienced an incredibly hectic year, competing in numerous challenges. These have included a recruit cadre at Longmoor, a charity event that took us to Germany, bushcraft at Bramley, a museum trip to Winchester, ‘kip on a ship’ on HMS Belfast, the annual Christmas dinner, and visits to MOD Lyneham and RAF Duxford. We welcomed 60 new starters into the CCF at the beginning of the Michaelmas Term. In November, the cadets conducted two Remembrance parades, one at school and one at the town’s cenotaph. One Upper Sixth pupil, Max Martin, was nominated for and then appointed a Lord Lieutenant’s Cadet, a hugely prestigious award. Max is the first for several years to be appointed from the ranks of Abingdon CCF. Other highlights included the Easter camp, CTT central camp and a live firing range weekend conducted at Longmoor ranges. The annual adventurous training expedition took place in Yorkshire, where 20 cadets faced a via ferrata, scaling heights of over 200 metres, and white water rafting down the River Doe. We opened a new flight simulator room with state- of-the-art, side-by-side, dual simulators and had Sqn Ldr Benny Goodman (The Last of the Few) open the room that had been named after him. This year’s sponsored event was to run, cycle, swim and walk (virtually) from Abingdon to our sister town of Shongau in Germany, a total of 1253km. Upper and Lower Sixth boys participated, and completed the task in under 20 hours. This was a fantastic achievement, raising £1,400 for Parkinson’s UK. The CCF bid a fond farewell to the Upper Sixth cohort, dining them out at Edward Brooks Barracks with a traditional regimental dinner, and welcomed Mr Moore, Mrs Simpson and Sgt Stan Mathews onto the contingent books as volunteers. As yet another sun sets on an extremely gratifying year of activities for the CCF, we look forward to next year’s challenges, and the fulfillment of conquering all that is put in our way… Captain Lee Edwards