Duke of Edinburgh

[Ark79]

Signing the boy up for his duke of Edinburgh today do him the world of good

Suppose I must buy him all the gear such a happy coincidence

 

[Sharpfinger]

Yes it will do him good. Great character building activity. I hope he has some good instructors.

 

[Madriverrob]

Cant beat DofE , should be compulsory in school and college

 

[Sharpfinger]

Cant beat DofE , should be compulsory in school and college

I agree but I’m not sure it would be viable simply on student/trainer numbers.

It used to be available to army cadets and the CCF. In fact at one time a public school having a CCF had been a major draw to parents thinking of sending their kids there. In both those instances there had been a regular army input. I’m not sure if any of it still happens. Shame if it doesn’t.

 

[Madriverrob]

My understanding it is available in schools and colleges as enrichment and to kids doing public service/sports type courses , both my daughters and step daughter did it in school and my son In law in the Air Cadets . I was an expedition trainer/ assessor for D of E for a while and whilst I appreciate access may be in limited numbers through school it is a set of valuable skills and worthy of note on a young person's CV plus it gets them outside as opposed to watching Tik Tok all day

 

[Sharpfinger]

My understanding it is available in schools and colleges as enrichment and to kids doing public service/sports type courses , both my daughters and step daughter did it in school and my son In law in the Air Cadets . I was an expedition trainer/ assessor for D of E for a while and whilst I appreciate access may be in limited numbers through school it is a set of valuable skills and worthy of note on a young person's CV plus it gets them outside as opposed to watching Tik Tok all day

Totally agree.
As a former JSMEL (W) and SMLTB qualified trainer I too have previously been involved in DofE training and thoroughly enjoyed it. I‘ve just nipped out to my garage to see if I had kept a copy of the guide from my time.
It was still there sitting alongside an edition of Langmuirs!

Incidentally Rob - there was an old Basic Field Engineering book, an NI Ops Aide memoire AND an REPB!!!!

 

[Ystranc]

View attachment 40654Signing the boy up for his duke of Edinburgh today do him the world of good

Suppose I must buy him all the gear such a happy coincidence

I hope he enjoys it, as a kid, I thought it was fantastic.

 

[Madriverrob]

Totally agree.
As a former JSMEL (W) and SMLTB qualified trainer I too have previously been involved in DofE training and thoroughly enjoyed it. I‘ve just nipped out to my garage to see if I had kept a copy of the guide from my time.
It was still there sitting alongside an edition of Langmuirs!
View attachment 40658

Incidentally Rob - there was an old Basic Field Engineering book, an NI Ops Aide memoire AND an REPB!!!!

I still recommend Langmuir’s book to people today , I’m reminded I lent my copy to son in law as he was doing a walking group leader course ( he’s a high school teacher doing Dof E

 

[Ark79]

Cheers mike He should enjoy it …. And if he doesn’t am sure I will get a laugh out of it

 

[Madriverrob]

Totally agree.
As a former JSMEL (W) and SMLTB qualified trainer I too have previously been involved in DofE training and thoroughly enjoyed it. I‘ve just nipped out to my garage to see if I had kept a copy of the guide from my time.
It was still there sitting alongside an edition of Langmuirs!
View attachment 40658

Incidentally Rob - there was an old Basic Field Engineering book, an NI Ops Aide memoire AND an REPB!!!!

I’d be interested to see the field engineering book , was on Army Rumour Service forum earlier on a really good thread about military bridging from Rorke’s Drift to Gulf War 1 . Apparently Chards notebooks have been bought by the RE museum …..Even then they would have had a military specification to work to from the field manual ….

 

[Sharpfinger]

I’d be interested to see the field engineering book , was on Army Rumour Service forum earlier on a really good thread about military bridging from Rorke’s Drift to Gulf War 1 . Apparently Chards notebooks have been bought by the RE museum …..Even then they would have had a military specification to work to from the field manual ….

I find that really interesting about John Chard VC’s notebooks.
Great film too - especially the line, “why is it us, why us? ‘Cause we’re ‘ere, no one else’.
It was oft quoted in my time (with variations) by troops and SNCOs on many a bridge gallop or minefield exercise!.

The Basic Field Engineering book was gifted to me by a Trng Rgt NCO when I left 3TRE in 1977.
It’s dated 1960 and had at the time been superseded by a newer version which I was subsequently issued with for my B1/A1 Field Engineer qual. (Don’t know where that went?).

Much of the stuff in the older book was still in use during my time - AEH sets and the improvised bridging and the gin and shears stuff was still taught though rarely used.

By the time my sons went that route almost everything to do with field engineering had changed.
I once started talking to them about mudsills and groundsills and they looked at me gone out!

 

[Madriverrob]

Bridge Gallop … now there’s a phrase only a dapper will know

 

[Madriverrob]

Bridge Gallop … now there’s a phrase only a dapper will know

Missed the typo there .... Obviously should read Sapper

 

[Sharpfinger]

Bridge Gallop … now there’s a phrase only a dapper will know

Perhaps I should expand for the benefit of others Rob:

A military field exercise lasting over several weeks where Combat Engineers are tasked to recce locations for wet and/or dry gap crossings (e.g rivers, ravines, or upgrade of existing bridges (over bridging) etc) and then build under simulated battle conditions (mostly at night) equipment bridges at the recce’d sites - one after the other!
It would also often include the laying of different types of trackway to and from the bridged site with perimeter barbed wire and picket fencing.
It was extremely physical, many of the individual elements of the equipment bridges weighing hundreds of pounds; mentally demanding - the more so as an individual rose up through the ranks and becoming responsible for directing the building processes;
dangerous - in addition to the manhandling of bridge pieces there would also be armoured and plant vehicles moving around the site, in the dark!
and it was absolutely knackering - recces and briefings often had to be carried out during the day, bridge builds by night so you only got snatched sleep periods.
The exercises were based on different scenarios- an advance to contact with an enemy or a fighting withdrawal to disengage from one.

The most I was involved in had been the construction of 3 medium girder assault bridges (30m); 2 40m single/double Baily comms bridges and 2 Heavy Girder Over Bridges - (plus all the other route clearance and route denial tasks that accompany the former - plus the patrol and guard routines) - all within 3 weeks.
By the end of it I was literally ‘on my chin strap!

But just like DofE it was exciting and character building and looking back () I wouldn’t have missed it for the world!

 

[Madriverrob]

"Towards the Gap "

I was on Ex Iron Hammer in November1988 with 28 Amph Engr Regt , we galloped the River Weser when we weren't freezing to death

 

[Sharpfinger]

Missed the typo there .... Obviously should read Sapper

I took it as a favourable adjective for the boys of the CRE!

 

[Sharpfinger]

View attachment 40662

"Towards the Gap "

I was on Ex Iron Hammer in November1988 with 28 Amph Engr Regt , we galloped the River Weser when we weren't freezing to death

Rubber Ducks eh? That was Hameln wasn’t it? Lovely town.

I forgot to add to the bridge gallop description the mud; the weather; the filth from the greasy bridge pins

Aaaah the Weser. Bridged it; rafted it; swam it; drank it! I was at 21 Engr Rgt, Nienburg Weser 83-86.
Happy Days.

 

[Sharpfinger]

Back to DofE -

Where do the instructors come from these days?

 

[Madriverrob]

Rubber Ducks eh? That was Hameln wasn’t it? Lovely town.

I forgot to add to the bridge gallop description the mud; the weather; the filth from the greasy bridge pins

Aaaah the Weser. Bridged it; rafted it; swam it; drank it! I was at 21 Engr Rgt, Nienburg Weser 83-86.
Happy Days.

Did my time in Field Sections too

 

[Madriverrob]

Back to DofE -

Where do the instructors come from these days?

Mostly freelance or affiliated to a group or school . You can do accredited training with them .
I volunteered with a charity that paid from my ML ( S) training so did it through them , I think we asked groups to make a donation to the charity for our time ( I did it out of love not for money ).