From Field Success to Lasting Legacy
At the end of the last academic year, the Army Section embarked on a five-day training and competition adventure at Warcop Defence Training Establishment. The training experience was refreshingly different from previous years with a newly implemented syllabus. This was both a valuable reminder for the Year Eleven Cadets, who will be teaching these topics this academic year and an exciting challenge for the Year Ten Cadets, who faced their first fieldcraft training exercise.
Upon arrival, the Cadets underwent a weapons handling assessment and were briefed on a rigorous 36-hour field exercise. After checking their kit and receiving ration packs, the Cadets began training in fire control orders, stealth movements (stalking), range card creation, and sentry duties. They spent a damp and windy night in the field before a break in the weather on Thursday allowed for a stalk assessment, which all Cadets passed—the day continued with navigation and obstacle crossing instruction, culminating in a close-quarter battle paintball lane.
Friday brought a round-robin of activities, including laser shotgun, air rifle, tag archery, command tasks, STEM challenges, and Gun Run training, all crucial for the final day’s competition. A volunteer stepped up despite a minor setback with an injury, leaving the team one Cadet short for the Gun Run. The team delivered a near-perfect performance, setting the stage for the awards ceremony.
At the final parade, the awards were announced with great anticipation. Lance Corporal Euan Marsay-Jones triumphed in the laser shotgun event with an impressive score of 39 out of 40, while Alex Wesley’s air rifle shooting earned him a notable mention for a tight grouping of 8mm. The Gun Run team, led by Corporal Hopkins, achieved a remarkable victory with a 30-second lead over other teams, including Bromsgrove and Shrewsbury. This year’s team demonstrated that skill and teamwork can outshine sheer strength, embodying the true spirit of the event. Their win secured RGS as the Best Contingent on Camp for the second consecutive year.
‘Cherish the Past’: A Lasting Legacy
During the summer break, Major Howard Smith honoured Captain Francis Hemming by visiting his grave and laying a wreath. Captain Hemming attended RGS before serving in the First World War. The Hemming Cup, donated by his parents to the RGS Worcester CCF, is awarded annually to the leading Cadet in the Contingent.
Francis Hemming, the only son of James and Lucy Hemming of Cromer Road, Worcester, was deeply involved in School life as a pupil at RGS. He served as Secretary of the Debating Society, participated in Drama productions, and was a prominent figure in the 1st XI as an umpire. After leaving school in 1906 as Head Boy with a Maths Scholarship to Jesus College, Oxford, he pursued a career in Law and enlisted in the Worcestershire Territorials in 1912, specialising in signals.
Captain Hemming arrived in France with the 1/8th Battalion of the Worcestershire Regiment on 1 April 1915. After two years, on 24 April 1917, during an operation against the Hindenburg Line near Epehy, his battalion undertook a daring attack on Gillemont Farm. Despite heavy enemy fire, C and D companies captured and held the position until a counter-attack forced a withdrawal. The battle resulted in severe casualties, including Captain Hemming, who was wounded twice before being fatally shot.
In 1918, Captain Hemming’s father presented the Hemming Cup to the School in his son’s memory at a poignant ceremony in the new Perrins Hall. This Cup, awarded to the most deserving Cadet in the OTC, continues to be presented at the annual Sixth Form Graduation and Prize-Giving.
Dr Howard Smith, Head of Science and CCF Contingent Commander
