Cambrian Patrol 2006

[Patrolman]

I was just wondering if anyone knew if Canada was sending any teams to Wales this year for the Cambrian Patrol competition? And if so from where?

 

[HItorMiss]

I'm pretty sure 3 RCR isn't and I know 1 RCR isn't

 

[orange.paint]

http://www.army.forces.gc.ca/lf/English/6_1_1.asp?id=1032

cheers

 

[Patrolman]

Thanks! I hope they do well. It is an excellent experience. I would do it again in an instant. Besides you can't beat anall expenses paid  3 three week trip to Great Britain. ;D Has anyone else on the forum done the Patrol?

 

[PPCLI Guy]

I think 1 VP might be up for the 2007 team.

 

[orange.paint]

Thanks! I hope they do well. It is an excellent experience. I would do it again in an instant. Besides you can't beat anall expenses paid  3 three week trip to Great Britain. ;D Has anyone else on the forum done the Patrol?

Sounds like an awesome go.Is there a limited "Canadian contingent" or is it up to the units?
(Don't call Wales GB..I married into em and they don't like it.Dam Taffy's) ;D

 

[youravatar]

I know they held Cambrian Patrol selection at CFB Pettawawa for next years team. Several members of the SD&G Highlanders went.

 

[R711]

Yeh I did it was the easiest thing I have ever done in my life, LOL. naw it was a great time and had alot of fun doing learned alot of skills, at the time that canadians were afraid to do.
R711 OUT

 

[Patrolman]

O.K. the Patrol has come and gone for another year. Has anyone heard the results of the Canadian team(s) that took part?

 

[R711]

I have no I dea if we even sent a team to the Cambrian patrol. But I would like to know as well if we even placed, its pretty hard to do. I should know LOL
R711 OUT

 

[Haggis]

So again has anyone heard the results?

I couldn't find any "official" Canadian results at work, so I used that Google thingy and came up empty as well.  I did find out that 64 of 95 teams completed the patrol, resulting in four gold medals awarded, 19 silvers, 26 bronzes and 15 certificates of merit. No nationalities were listed.

 

[Michael OLeary]

See the split tangent here: http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/53337.0.html

 

[Nfld Sapper]

I couldn't find any "official" Canadian results at work, so I used that Google thingy and came up empty as well.  I did find out that 64 of 95 teams completed the patrol, resulting in four gold medals awarded, 19 silvers, 26 bronzes and 15 certificates of merit. No nationalities were listed.

From http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/TrainingAndAdventure/ExerciseCambrianPatrolTestsSoldiersMettle.htm

Exercise Cambrian Patrol tests soldiers' mettle
13 Nov 06

95 teams have battled it out to complete this year's Exercise Cambrian Patrol in the Welsh mountains, one of the toughest patrolling exercises a modern soldier can face.

Tough terrain, gruelling tests and extreme fatigue faced the teams battling to complete this year's exercise and just four coveted gold medals were issued at the end of the challenge.

Successful teams are awarded a coveted gold, silver or bronze medal, or certificate of merit, depending on the number of points earned throughout.

During the exercise personnel were pushed to their limits. As part of an eight man team, each participant had to march 55 kilometres, carrying full personal kit and additional supplies, weighing up to 60lbs. The two day mission presents realistic scenarios, with teams encountering advancing enemy patrols.

Huntingdon soldier Bombardier Dougie Scott, aged 26, was part of the 14th Regiment's Royal Artillery team which achieved one of the four prestigious gold medals. Talking at the start line, Dougie, who was tackling the event for the first time, said:

"We've been hill walking in Devon to get us used to carrying the weight and to get some miles on our legs. We've had a team in the patrol for the last two or three years and the best they have done is silver, so we know it's quite extreme. This year, we have a new commanding officer who wants us to go for the gold."

At the start of the exercise, the teams were ferried by van to a drop-off point, to embark on the 48 hour patrol. They had to navigate through the night, linking up with friendly agents en route, and faced a number of difficult tasks along the way, including defensive shooting while under attack, accurate observation and reconnaissance of enemy forces and a deep river crossing with full kit, without access to boats.

Brigadier Iain Cholerton, Commander of the Army's 160 (Wales) Brigade and responsible for running the exercise, commented that despite very kind weather the exercise was as testing as ever:

"There were some very impressive performances but as always those who did well were well led, well prepared and physically and mentally robust.

"The exercise remains a great challenge and I congratulate all those who took part and encourage all those who did not do as well as they had hoped, or who have yet to enter, to start preparing for next year now."

The challenge was first set up more than 40 years ago, by a group of Welsh TA soldiers who designed the training event to feature long distance marching over the Cambrian Mountains and which culminated in a shooting match on the Sennybridge training area. Since then, the exercise has been rigorously updated to meet the challenges faced by modern soldiers.

This year's event, which ran from 27 October to 5 November 2006, attracted 95 teams from the British regular and Territorial Army and Royal Air Force. Foreign army teams from Canada, Lithuania, Latvia, Denmark, India, France and the Czech Republic also took part.

A total of 64 teams completed the exercise. As well as the four gold medals awarded, there were 19 silvers, 26 bronzes and 15 certificates of merit.

 

[Haggis]

Yep.  Same web site I found.  It does mention that Canada participated but not of how many teams participated or how well Canadian teams did.

 

[Nfld Sapper]

Ok, just posting so everyone can see it 

 

[downinOZ]

As part of an eight man team, each participant had to march 55 kilometres, carrying full personal kit and additional supplies, weighing up to 60lbs.

Sounds like a) it didn't rain and they used modern radios (mine weighed in at 104 lbs for final inspection) and b) they measured the shortest route (we walked 73 klicks).  Fantastic trip. 

 

[Kalatzi]

Hello, Captain Pitkin from The Royal Regiment of Canada was team leader. Apolgies, but I don't have the full breakdown on the team and units. I heard that the team completed the competiion, apparently eight other teams did not. I knowe that they all worked very hard.
In my opinion, extremly good!

 

[dapaterson]

More background info is available at:

http://www.army.mod.uk/160bde/cambrian_patrol/information.htm

and

http://www.army.mod.uk/160bde/cambrian_patrol/index.htm0

 

[Northern Touch]

2 guys from my unit went on the patrol with the reserve team from 32 brigade. 

They finished the patrol a recieved a merit for completion.

Job well done by everyone on the team, a good achievement.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Any advice for those units thinking about sending a team?