Shropshire Magazine

Market Drayton Army Cadets who in 2009 became Lucas Tooth champions for the third year in a row after proving their skills in a variety of disciplines over the previous 12 months.

Shirley Tart reports on a century-and-a-half of character-building success for the Army Cadet Force

The long and proud history of what began as a Volunteer Cadet Corps has always reflected its pioneer Octavia Hill’s simple, to-the-point and heartfelt aim: to instil ideals into every young lad, “before he gets in with a gang of loafers.”

Not that all boys (and now girls as well) between 12 and 18 need rescuing from the edge of disaster. But there are legions of stories down the years of how the cadets have thrown a lifeline to a youngster who could see no other worthwhile road ahead of him.

So now, 150 years since the organisation was founded, celebrations of that century-and-a-half are real and heartfelt. And the splendid organisation still operates by the highest principles and vision.

Cadets in action.

Indeed, today’s Army Cadet Force Charter says: “The aim is to inspire young people to achieve success in life with a spirit of service to the Queen, their country and their local community, and to develop in them the qualities of a good citizen.”

Octavia Hill — a great reformer who also helped to found the National Trust — knew what she was about.

That first group was established in Southwark with Octavia becoming its honorary Colonel. But this was an idea whose time had come, and it spread - if not exactly like wildfire, certainly with the more gentle flame of relentless progress.

In Shropshire it was Bridgnorth which took the county honours in establishing the very first open-to-all unit back in 1901. Initially known as the grammar school’s Cadet Company, the unit became part of the 1st Volunteer Battalion of the famous King’s Shropshire Light Infantry.

Then in 1906, following the Boer War which had led to a great wave of patriotism, the Shrewsbury Town Cadet Corps was raised and was also affiliated to the same battalion. Indeed, all those first cadet units were to become part of the 1st and 2nd Volunteer Battalions of the KSLI.

Now, to mark both the great national anniversary and nearly 110 years of Shropshire cadets, Lieutenant Colonel Larry Collins has put together a neat little booklet simply called A Proud History which actually starts even before social reformer Octavia Hill was putting that very first group into place.

Back in 1859, there were worries that the French were planning to invade Britain and that the Royal Navy might not have the time to put up a proper defence. The Army was largely busy policing the Empire.

Cadets in action.

So Lord Lieutenants of the shire counties were asked to form military Volunteer Corps which actually became the genesis of the Territorial Army. The following year, eight schools, one of them Shrewsbury, formed cadet companies as part of the Volunteers. Closed units to begin with, the school groups were later to become the Combined Cadet Force and then the Army Cadet Force. And so, today’s ACF, TA and CCF have this wonderful and strong shared heritage.

It was against such a background that Octavia Hill and eventually other social reformers saw the great potential for a bond between civilian and military with the secondary aim of teaching boys a sense of discipline and citizenship.

Colonel Mike Watkins is commandant of Shropshire’s Army Cadet Force and he is proud of the motto, ‘Inspire to Achieve’, which he believes still underpins everything that they do.

As it happens, Mike’s own life goes a good way to doing that as well.

He joined the cadets in Broseley back in 1966 as a 12-year-old, stayed the course, became a leader and literally worked his way faithfully to the role of county Commandant — he was appointed in 2007.

Lord Lieutenant Algernon Heber-Percy is President and Honorary Colonel of the Cadets, while his vice Lord Lieutenant, Colonel Edmund Thewles, was Shropshire’s Commandant from 1997 to 2000.

And I’m told that both men are off to visit cadets at their annual camp in west Wales this summer.

So support at the top of county life is safe and sure. And not for nothing do our leaders put their faith in the steadfast and well-rounded cadets.

In this modern age, there are all kinds of reasons why a young person may choose to join — right now, 550 young people across the county belong to one of the Shropshire units.

And while a service life does often follow from early introduction to cadet life, that isn’t always the case.

For instance, when he was 17, Colonel Mike went off determined to join the Marines. He says: “But I had a twitch in my right eye and they said I’d not be able to shoot properly. At that time, I was the 22nd best shot in the UK but it didn’t make any difference. So I always said they’d missed a good bloke that day!”

Indeed they had. But never mind. Because the ‘good bloke’ went on to a career in industrial management until 2004 when his true colours came through yet again — Mike Watkins joined West Mercia Police and the following year became one of those invaluable community support officers.

Colonel Mike Watkins.

That is the occupation in which I found him absorbed in Much Wenlock’s market town police station.In between times, Mike has devoted much of his life to the cadets and young people who might benefit from and contribute to the cadets.

Potential

He says: “We are not a recruiting arm of the Army but they do support us and figures show that a good 10 per cent of cadets do join the regular Army or the other services. And when they do, almost all do very well. We send the young people all over, including Sandhurst. But the thing the Cadets tries to do most of all is to help young people to achieve their potential and make the most of their lives, whatever they choose. We try to do it by good, progressive training.”

And, of course, once they believe in themselves, all manner of things are possible.

They may go on to do international sport, choose other top careers or just settle for a steady job back home. But almost always they will be fine citizens, have a sense of personal responsibility and greater confidence, and be involved in community life.

Many will also stay closely connected to the Cadets which helped them through so much.

Now the county’s leader reminisces: “I joined the Broseley detachment and the life as I worked up took me to places I never dreamed I’d go to. Yet I couldn’t have done any of it without my wife and family. When I got my MBE from the Queen in 2005, it was such a proud moment; yet if I could have given the medal to Iris my wife instead, I would have done so.”

What a lovely tribute to Mrs Watkins of Broseley from her own very special cadet!

But supportive family apart, what has motivated Colonel Mike all these years, runs through him like the proverbial stick of rock. Whether it is cadets or community policing, the principles can be very similar. Duty, discipline, often helping young people escape the drifter’s life and find their own place and future, a stake in a young and valued life. What can be more satisfying and worthwhile than that?

“If we can reach young people and help them see opportunities, so often we can engage with them and they change. Any support we get is so valuable and funding cuts can hit really hard. For instance I’ve got 12 mountain bikes they can’t use right now until somebody is trained to train them,” Mike says ruefully.

Best

But so far as his cadets are concerned, they get the best that can be organised from funds available, raised by well-wishers, but most of all, from the commitment, care and belief in them by people like Colonel Mike.

Cadets usually meet two evenings a week, with six to eight weekends away each year. The annual summer camp is sacrosanct and this time they are heading for the Penally Army Training Centre near Tenby.

In Shropshire, there is a residential cadet training centre on the Defence Training Estate at Nesscliffe where facilities include a parade square, obstacle course, climbing tower and lecture theatre. They take the Cadets seriously hereabouts.

There are much-valued and well-earned cadet awards, all of the young people get first-aid training, and Cadets are trained to make progress through the star-rated Army Cadet Proficiency Certificate. Many go on to gain more ambitious qualifications.

Mike Watkins has never wavered in his own belief in the goodness of young people, and robustly reinforces what the national charter says, that “We have a long and proud history where the aim has remained constant  — to inspire young people to success in life, with a spirit of service to the Queen, their country and their local community, and to develop in our cadets all those qualities of a good citizen.”

And so the very best about this organisation — which trains, encourages and supports, and was founded in a belief that if you offer young people a chance for a stake in a decent life, they will grab it with both hands — is that the faith of the founders is still being justified 150 years on.

Long may that remain. Happy birthday, Cadets, we salute you all!

Shropshire Army Cadets who formed a guard of honour for HM Queen Elizabeth II in October 1952.