Andrew Hemsley
Hi , Iwas a a member of the the army cadets force in Whitstable Kent the buffs,
And received my gold award in 1964 at the palace together with six of my army cadets friends and was awarded by Prince Phillip with my gold award with Prince Charles and princess Ann in attendance during the investiture
, I remember the army gave us made to measure new uniforms beautifully Taylored regrettably we only wore them the once ,and these had to be handed to the quartermaster after the event and none of us saw them again ,
My mother came with me as my one allowed guest,,
our public service was attached to the Kent firebrigade with a minimum
14 weeks of attendance,minimum five hours per visit
my hobby was keeping and breeding tropical fish and was examined by the editor of a national publication for both my silver and gold, ,
I never forgot our gold expedition as it was held in the Brecon Beacons on a very wet three day 50 mile across open country using only maps and compass being supervised by the SAS , carrying tent and all food for three days we were not allowed to use tarmaced roads and slept out wet through every night as there was-no gortex clothes then , only wool World War Two battle dress and leather hobnail boots and ponchos
In the army cadets we met three nights a week Monday Wednesday and Friday, with events such as shooting, yes real rifles , hand Grenades and machine guns ,and camps at the weekend throughout the year, and got very skilled in survival craft , map reading and living in the rough,
The duke of Edinburgh award changed my life ,
in 1963 aged 15 I joined HM forestry commission and was supported throughout my gold award by them , gaining an extra three weeks paid holiday for annual camp and of course DofE Expeditions ,the strong support of my army cadet detachment leader capt taber , enabled me to go on and have an early career in forestry , later to start my own business in 1975 selling renewable energy till present day
And received my gold award in 1964 at the palace together with six of my army cadets friends and was awarded by Prince Phillip with my gold award with Prince Charles and princess Ann in attendance during the investiture
, I remember the army gave us made to measure new uniforms beautifully Taylored regrettably we only wore them the once ,and these had to be handed to the quartermaster after the event and none of us saw them again ,
My mother came with me as my one allowed guest,,
our public service was attached to the Kent firebrigade with a minimum
14 weeks of attendance,minimum five hours per visit
my hobby was keeping and breeding tropical fish and was examined by the editor of a national publication for both my silver and gold, ,
I never forgot our gold expedition as it was held in the Brecon Beacons on a very wet three day 50 mile across open country using only maps and compass being supervised by the SAS , carrying tent and all food for three days we were not allowed to use tarmaced roads and slept out wet through every night as there was-no gortex clothes then , only wool World War Two battle dress and leather hobnail boots and ponchos
In the army cadets we met three nights a week Monday Wednesday and Friday, with events such as shooting, yes real rifles , hand Grenades and machine guns ,and camps at the weekend throughout the year, and got very skilled in survival craft , map reading and living in the rough,
The duke of Edinburgh award changed my life ,
in 1963 aged 15 I joined HM forestry commission and was supported throughout my gold award by them , gaining an extra three weeks paid holiday for annual camp and of course DofE Expeditions ,the strong support of my army cadet detachment leader capt taber , enabled me to go on and have an early career in forestry , later to start my own business in 1975 selling renewable energy till present day
