March and Shoot Training
20th - 21st May 1978
Bisley - Surrey

After always being a member of a scratch team for any competition for The London Scottish, it was very refreshing to find that Mr Cairns was willing to spend a weekend away at Bisley, training for the Bn March and Shoot Competition.  So on Friday, May 19, some ten bodies arrived at 59 awaiting orders and the like for the move down to the Clubhouse.  After some chaos concerning the finding of a Landrover, the motley crew was ready to move - and did, spending a very pleasant drive down to Bisley, marred only by the fact that Dave Groombridge's Landrover wanted to steer itself, causing the steering wheel to judder like mad and making Dave sort in his kitbag for his clean underwear.

We arrived at the Clubhouse to find the bar open and fish and chips in the offing if you wanted them. Since the new stewardess there was offering them at 20p cheaper than the Brookwood chippie, we took them - and very nice they were too!  Most of us went to our pits at about 12 o'clock, though Groombridge and L/Cpl Hirlehey decided that the bar stocks were too high and, with a couple of other Jocks whose names are unknown to me, decided to clear as much as they could, thus getting to bed around the 4 o'clock mark - or not bothering at all.  Groombridge, who was C.O.S. (mistake on Cpl Granger's part) decided that since he was up at 5 o'clock everyone else would be too.  After much muttering and grumbling we found ourselves formed up outside the Clubhouse for the daily masochism lesson.  We jogged through the grounds aiming for the concrete square to find it occupied by a caravan; thus we had to do our physical jerks along the road a little, in a lay-by of all places!  We got our own back on the occupants of the van by wishing them a good morning at about five minutes to six.

On arrival back at the Clubhouse from our monumental run we decided that a game of murderball was in order - and as if by order, Sgt Hunter turned up to lend his expertise, skill and brute strength (not to mention dirty fighting) to the proceedings.  After beating each other up for about 20 minutes we departed in various directions for showers and other types of ablutions.

An excellent breakfast was eaten by all, after which Groombridge and Cpl Granger drove to the range and the rest of the Jocks under Sgt Hunter and Mr Cairns force-marched to Pirbright No 1. When the Jocks arrived at the range "Split" Waterman and Pte Graham Baigrie had it set up ready to start zeroing; which under "Split" and Lt Sanchez's organisation was completed very quickly.

Next on the agenda was the Pirbright Assault Course of "Willy and the Major go swimming" fame.  For this we needed a PTI, namely L/Cpl Phelps, who fortunately turned up in the nick of time with Sgt Welsh and their two camp followers.  We moved over the course to find - not for the first time - our bookings had gone astray, but undeterred we took an early lunch and prepared ourselves for the assault course at 1 o'clock.

Under L/Cpl Phelp's supervision we ambled around the assault course admiring all the wonderful obstacles and making gallant attempts to get over them.  On the whole we didn't do a had job except when it came to the 12 ft wall.  Instead of people putting their feet on Andy Hunter's shoulders most were finding their feet and his head, trying to rip his ears off with their boots.  Moving back to the start we prepared to do the course for real, going through in a very reasonable 7 minutes 30 seconds.  After the assault course we moved back to the range where "Split" had again devised some excellent shooting practice - most of which was from 300m with some from 200m - and I think most people shot quite well.  So with the shooting completed, Cpl Granger and Groombridge again drove back to the Clubhouse and the Jocks marched, except that Pte McPherson-Lawley's new boots were too much of a strain, causing blister upon blister so he took the wheel and Cpl Granger took to the roads - much to his disappointment. On arrival back at the Clubhouse, Sgt Hunter decided we still hadn't had enough exercise and so caused us great pain and discomfort with a series of sit-ups, push-ups and squats.

We next cleaned weapons, then ourselves and sat down to tea after which we moved to the confines of the "White Hart" pub in Pirbright village to quaff several pints of excellent beer.  We were driven back to the Clubhouse from the pub under very dubious circumstances - which I won't expand on here.

Pte Dawson awoke us next morning at the correct time (here, here) but the enthusiasm was lacking for the run; and even more for the PT, meaning that murderball was given a miss.  Breakfast was taken and again two drove and the rest marched / ran to the range.  On arrival there the Guard's duty PTI took us to the start of the Guards' March and Shoot course, which incorporated a three mile run; the assault course and then a shoot at 300m. He told us that the Guards did the run in 28 minutes. We, in fact, took 30 but part of the course consisted of four extremely steep hills which were very close together - so as soon as you finished one you started on the next one.  We arrived puffing and panting at the assault course to find that their PTI's way of getting over was totally different from our PTI's way.  So it in fact took us 17 minutes to get across - the least said the better.  We then moved to the shoot in which Mr Cairn's section shot against Mr Sanchez's section, with Mr Cairn's section coming out on top (probably because Sgt Hunter knew how to steal more rounds than the rest of us).  We then packed up and moved back to the Clubhouse - this time in vehicles and after an excellent lunch we moved back to 59, making good time except being stopped by a demonstration for 20 minutes at Hyde Park Corner.

We got into 59 and amazed C/Sgt Norton by the fact we had actually arrived back early and putting everything away neat and tidy. We decided to put a few pints away as well in the Cpls'Club.

Thus the week-end had finished with Mr Cairns knowing that at least he had seven or eight good bodies who could represent G Coy in the March and Shoot.  This was 100% better than last year and I hope this is a trend we are going to adopt.more and more.

 

FOOTNOTE:

As it happens, at Camp the March and Shoot Competition was cancelled.  However, the week-end was not a total loss because with the Military Skills Competition at Barry Buddon looming on the horizon the training was helpful to form the nucleus of a tears to take part in this.