AN army cadet force from an independent school near Newton Abbot recently welcomed two members of their affiliated regiment for an inspection.

Stover School Combined Cadet Force (CCF) welcomed Captain Stuart Parkin and Battery Sergeant Major Ryan Maggs of 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery to their official Ministry of Defence biennial inspection.

Serving army personnel from the Taunton-based training support team were also in attendance.

The guests were greeted in the library by the Head of School, Mrs Caroline Ward, before enjoying a short presentation by detachment staff and cadets into the history, achievements, ongoing work and future plans of CCF.

During the visit, the inspection party observed the cadets as they performed a series of activities, including target shooting on the schools air rifle range.

With the MOD supplied Scorpion air rifle in hand, cadets demonstrated their proficiency, with three achieving the top score of 40 points; they were awarded a medal in recognition of their marksmanship by Captain Parkin and Battery Sergeant Major Maggs presented them all with a ‘29 Commando Challenge Coin’.

Another activity was a casualty evacuation exercise, conducted while on a mock section patrol through woodland.

It was designed to demonstrate how the CCF educational syllabus prepares cadets to work as an efficient team, applying their training in first aid to both military and civilian situations under pressure in a realistic exercise and physically demanding environment.

In recognition of the detachment’s progress, Captain Parkin presented the school with two commemorative bugles - Reed VC Bugle and the Nurse VC Bugle.

The bugles are named after the only two Royal Artillery ‘Gunners’ to receive the Victoria Cross for their actions at the Battle of Colenso.

They also represent the actions of Boy Bugler Dunn, who, aged just fifteen, repeatedly sounded the advance having been both shot and wounded by shrapnel which led the ‘Gunners’ to recapture two of the lost guns during the battle.

He was presented with a specially commissioned bugle by Queen Victoria for his actions.