These photographs are all of the cadets officers from A Company Durham Light Infantry Cadets who went away to various camps including Rhyl and Skegness during 1950-54 with the whole Battalion, nearly 1000 cadets, as they were fully manned with a waiting list to join. Most of the Officers were ex or serving Army and they had the band. It was fantastic training for the young lads who learned to look after themselves and discipline, although not strict, was instilled into them. The yearly and weekend camps were normally at Army bases though at Rhyl they took their own caterers with them and a good time was had by all.
Photoraphs and information courtesy of Frank Mee.
Harry Rigg, of course the name just would not come as with some of the others. I remember Ollerton but was fairly sure we were at Skegness when the plane crashed. It flew in to a field with a single mown strip of grass the rest was very long. It was a bumpy take off and landing with a slight slope and the Pilot had been flying for some time. It was an Artillery spotter plane and a few of us Officers were map reading from the air as practice. At the end of my session he flew along the beach very low scattering some girls. We landed back with him saying “thank goodness” but another Officer asked for a flight. He was not one of ours so I did not really know him. The plane crashed as it returned. To my knowledge there were no survivors.
Was the plane crash at Ollerton camp? I remember one when I was camped there. 4th photo, 1st Harry Rigg later Major c.o. A coy. Knew Bob Percy well, I will try and find photo to send.
One of the people on these photo’s is Bob Percy who many people have mentioned on this site. Bob could cheer us all up on the coldest wettest day, usually with his take off Morris Dancing. At one of these camps I had been up in the plane and we were finished when another officer asked for a flight. The Pilot was tired, I knew, but he did take off. Coming in to land they crashed and to my knowledge both were fatalities. 1st picture – Myself, Frank Mee, just after landing. The plane did take off again and crashed. 2nd – Unknown, Bob Percy, I think Thorburn (but not sure) and Unknown. 3rd – Alan King and unknown 4th – Unknown, Myself. Officers cleaned their own gear 5th – Major Fiddess 6th – Relaxing at Rhyl unknown, Padre, Trevor Guteridge, Major Fiddess with the stick, Bob Percy with two pair of shoes, Bill Percy wearing hat and unknown. 7th – unknown at Skegness 8th – Alan King, Trevor Guteridge and myself 9th – Myself dishing pocket money out to the lads.