THE GOLDONIAN
2nd COY. 1st "C" BATTALION.
 HERTFORDSHIRE REGIMENT.
 COMPANY NOTES

We celebrated our seventh year of service with the Battalion on Friday, 5th December, with a visit from our commanding officer Lieut.-Col. Marshall; he was accompanied by Major Wilton and Boy R. S. M. Richardson. The Company paraded 104 strong at 1800 hrs. and after roll call and inspection we sat down to a splendid anniversary supper. Our thanks are due to the Headmaster who was for a time our Company Commander and to the head chef, Mr. Tyler, for the good things provided. After all had eaten to repletion Capt. Culver spoke of the past activities of the Company and of its early days; he said that it was only through the loyal co-operation of all ranks that he had been able to carry on without the aid of adult officers and felt  sure that he would receive the continued support of all. Lieut.-Col. Marshall then spoke of the help the Battalion had received from the Company in sport and especially the Band and said he knew that they would go on doing their bit to keep the Battalion in the fore front.

The Headmaster then spoke of the activities of the Company and said that although he was no longer the Company Commander he had the interest of the Company at heart and he felt sure that all Ranks would give loyal service to Captain Culver.

Lieut. Gunning officially said goodbye to the Company as he was being transferred to the 4th Battalion and said that he had enjoyed working with us. and would not forget to come along and see us whenever possible. The Colonel was then invited to make the promotions to the ranks that had become vacant owing to several members having left the Company to go into situations. L/Cpl. Woods was promoted to Drum Major in place of Drum Major Welch; S/Sgt. Fox was promoted to C.S.M. in place of C.S.M. Warren who attended our supper. Sgt. Crampton was promoted to S/Sgt. in place of S/Sgt. Fox; Cpl. Boddy was promoted to Sgt. in place of Sgt. Crampton; L/Cpl. England was promoted to Cpl in place of Cpl Boddy; Cdt. Steeples was promoted to L/Cpl i/c 5 section; Cdt. Hawkins was promoted to L/Cpl. i/c 2 section. The section efficiency shield was presented to L/Cpl. Turnbull i/c 6 Section which won the contest for 1952. L/Cpl. Turnbull has since left us for a situation. Finaly, a box of chocolates was presented to Captain Culver on behalf of the Company as a small token of appreciation.

We have got well into our Spring. term training and soon the lighter evenings will be with us when we shall be able to get out and practise more actively. The ·Cert. A exams will take place in April and it is expected that the senior boys will enter for their Cert. A part I and part 2. ' Through the services of this Company the Battalion were able to win the Inter-Battalion junior football competition as we had eight cadets playing. We have two playing for the senior team and they look like winning the senior cup also.

We had 26 entries for the Cadet Boxing which started last November and had I5 wins out of 20 bouts in the Inter-Company boxing. Mention must be made of Cadets Maxim M. and Maxim C. also of cadets Goodger and Fox T. who boxed very well and no doubt would have gone far had they not been boxing our own boys; this was unavoidable.

L/Cpl. Parry has won every bout throughout the Championships except the Eastern Command finals when he' received a walk over owing to the non-appearance of his opponent. L/I Cpl Parry now goes into the National Semi-Finals at Chelsea on 7th March, and we wish him every success; may he go to the National Finals at Cardiff. Cpl. England was. unable to box in the Eastern Command Finals owing to being 6lb. underweight; this was due no doubt to the recent flu epidemic of which he was a victim.

An N.C.O.'s course is being run at the Territorial H.Q. Hertford and the following cadets are taking part: S/Sgt. Crampton, Cpl's. Rains and England, L/Cpl's; Steeples and Hawkins, Drum Major Woods and Cadet Hammond. We wish them all success and may they be bursting with knowledge at the end of the course.

In the Inter-Company Cross Country which was held on the 22nd February, we came second in the Juniors and second in the seniors. Cadets Ferris, Wheeler, Tozer and Gaffney Deceived medals in the Juniors and in the Seniors C.Q.M.S. Eeles, Cadets Upcher, Piper and Kemp received medals. These boys will run for the Battalion: Well done, lads! The Southern Area Finals and the National Semi-finals of the Cadet Boxing were held at The Duke of York Barracks on Saturday, 7th March. L/Cpl. Parry, representing Hertfordshire, won his bout and now boxes at the National Finals at Cardiff on the 28th March At the Inter-Battalion Cross-Country No. 1 Battalion was first in the Seniors and No. 1 Battalion was, first in the juniors On the 20th March, Cadets Maxim M. and Maxim C. and L/Cpl. Parry are boxing in the contest between the Combined Pre-Services and the N.A.B.C. at Bishop's Stortford.

At the Cert. "A" Examinations at Broxboume, on 18th April, we shall have twelve Cert. "A" I and four Cert. "A:' 2 candidates. Unfortunately we shall soon be losing C.Q.M.S. Eeles and Sgt. Cunningham who are becoming apprenticed printers but this should spur on the younger Cadets for some of them will be the N.C.O.'s of the future. It is not just wearing stripes that counts" it is being capable of leading and teaching and it is to the holders of 'A' certificates' that I look to for N.C.O.'s. Promotion comes by merit and ability and not because you may have a nice face.

The Army Kinema Corporation continues to send us excellent training and documentary films at the end of each month and this is a great help in training.

We have enrolled many new boys and I welcome them to the Company by asking them to be loyal and give of their best and so keep up the high standard of number 2 Company.

A. P. CULVER, Captain, O.I.C

From Company notes The Goldonian Spring 1953