Joining the Cadets you strived to get this certificate which came in two parts; Part 1 and Part 2. It was the way to getting a promotion although it took us all a year or more to get. This is a duplicate which I had to take with me on joining the Army at Brancepeth, the date is just before I joined although I had the full certificate in March 1945. On the back are the tasks we took, 4-6-7 and 10 for Part 1 plus the others. Part 2 we had to take the numbers 1-2-3-5-8-9 only in much quicker time. The swimming was at Billingham Baths.
Image and details courtesy of Frank P Mee.
This was a hard to come by as the regular army took all the tests.
For Part 1 we arrived on the field behind the William Newton to find the soldiers from Brancepeth has set up the tests. We were told if you are not fit do not waste their time and it started with the one hundred yard dash in set time, fail and you were out.
On completion of the static tests we had to do Infantry tactics each leading a set piece followed by weapons drill including stripping assembling the weapons then doing what ever immediate action they asked for (clearing the weapon after stoppage), at the end of a hard day we were told if we passed or not usually around half made it.
My part 2 came a year later taken at Darlington, it was all the set piece tests again in faster times than we did Infantry drills arms handling, I was a Bren gunner so had to do the stripping and clearing once more. In the afternoon we did Infantry advance against enemy positions each taking a turn to lead. We had a new officer among our group (we were mixed with other local units) coming under fire he froze, us long servers were gone to ground in an instant, he looked round and to his amazement his squad had vanished. The came a loud voice from the regular cadre ‘well do something even if it is just fall down dead’ fits of laughter from behind clumps of grass and from ditches followed. I was next up and ready to make it through.
On joining they asked for any Cert ‘A’ men and two of us stepped forward we became squad leaders getting the men where they had t be on time and it was all to the bugle we had to know every call, that Cert ‘A’ started me on the upward road ending as WO1 or ASM in the REME, Artificer Sergeant Major.
The Army Cadets always had a waiting list to join we were taught to be confident, make decisions on the hoof, cleanliness and looking after your mates and yourself, it all came good in later years. Lessons I never forgot.