Halfway Through

[YoungTheland_1]

I'm nearly at the beginning at week 5 of my naval training . Been some major highs and lows but I've made some great friends and absolutely loving it.
Im Missing my family like crazy but just got to keep going and going. Never been stood up for so long and so often in my life but it feels normal now...

[theshedman]

Well done, your dad would be so proud of you and that you are doing what you wanted to do. I joined HMS Raleigh in the early seventies when we lived 40 to one of the long buildings they had then, it changed towards the end of the decade. Although it was hard at first you do get used to it and all the rules. I remember much of my training even to this day ( but not what I did 2 days ago) and it is all part of life the good and the bad. The worse part was if we hadn't ironed or folded each item of kit properly it was thrown out of the window rain or shine for us to find when we got back from morning training and it was the whole kit not just the thing that was wrong. As you say you make some great friends and will have many good memories. Hopefully you will get to visit many places too. Just enjoy it as not many people will get this chance.

[10ClarionSt]

Theshedman, I was in Barnstaple Market, Devon a couple of weeks ago, just browsing, when a medal caught my eye that, at first, I thought was something to do with HMS Glorious, as it had the pentagon-shaped ships badge, but it turned out to be from HMS Raleigh. Round the edge of the badge on one side, it said; "Part 1 Highest Individual Award". On the other side of the medal it was engraved on a centre block, surrounded by leaves, which said; "PCT EMERY D226535T D26"
I bought it for a fiver and gave it to a friend of mine called Emery. I don't know if there's a connection, and I don't know what the medal refers to. Perhaps you do?

[10ClarionSt]

I think the medal was something to with Communications Training.

[10ClarionSt]

^^ "to do with" ^^

[theshedman]

10ClarionSt, HMS Raleigh was only a first part training establishment when I was there, did just the basics then you went on to somewhere else to do your proper training for the branch you were in. From what you have put on whoever it was got the top cadet in training award and the rest is his name and royal navy number. The number is something you never forget as you wouldn't get paid without reciting it to the pay clerk. Probably different these days as we got paid in cash back then.

[10ClarionSt]

Thanks for that.