Last month Stover School Combined Cadet Force had a busy Royal British Legion Remembrance period attending four memorial events over consecutive days and supported the Schools annual remembrance service.
Wreaths were laid by Cadets at the Newton Abbot Town Council parade where they joined veterans from the Schools affiliated Royal British Legion branch on Sunday the 9th of November, followed on Monday the 10th by attending the Citadel on Plymouth Hoe, home to the Schools CCF affiliated Regiment, 29 Commando Royal Artillery where the Colour party were joined by members of 79 “Kirkee” battery and the Battery Sergeant Major, who after the Cadets paraded the School Standard and Colour to the 29 Commando memorial and laid a wreath, then presented a Royal Artillery Sergeant Majors “Swagger Stick” to our first ever Cadet to attain the rank of Cadet Warrant Officer 2 and can now use the title of Cadet Battery Sergeant Major.
On Tuesday the 11th the schools Cadets were an integral part of the annual whole school remembrance assembly and service, conducted by the Cadets honorary padre, the reverend Fiona WIMSETT, with guests Colonel Jon BEAKE ACF Commandant for Bristol and the Channel Islands, who later laid a wreath at the Canadian Forestry Corps memorial situated within the grounds of the School on behalf of the Canadian High Commission and Major Mike HAWKE a retired former member of 29 Commando Regiment who now serves with the Combined cadet Force in Plymouth and gave an inspiring talk to the assembled school on his “gun battery” in action during the Falklands War.
During the service the school choir performed Celtic songs and led the communal singing, whilst two students gave sterling solo performances on the bugle playing the last post, and bagpipes playing Scottish laments.
At the end of the service the head teacher, Ms Caroline WARD led the guests and parents to the Canadian Forestry Memorial situated within the grounds, dedicated to the men of the Corps who were stationed at Stover Estate during 1916 leaving for Western France in 1917, a short service of committal was given and wreaths laid, due to the weather the Cadets parade to the memorial followed shortly after and their wreath laid.
For the first time, and following research into the Canadian Forestry Corps company based at Stover, Cadets from the Combined Cadet Force from Gordons (Military Memorial) School situated in West End, Near Cobham in Surrey attended the Commonwealth War Graves Commission plot in Englefield Green also laying a wreath on behalf of the Canadian High Commission and Stover School Cadets, then placed crosses on the 30 graves of men from the Corps who died as a result of their service in both England and France whilst one of their School bagpipers played Scottish laments.
Following the dismissal the Cadets made their way via the rear estate lane to the former estate church of St. Peter and St. Paul where they paraded to the church and after a short service laid a wreath to the 7 men of Teigngrace listed on a memorial situated by the alter who died in military service during World War One and, anecdotal evidence suggests, had either worked or had family with connections to the Stover Estate.
