Army cadets and Lee Enfields

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Now her's something that took me by surprise. I came across the web site of my old cadet corps in Woodstock Ontario. When we did our summer camps, we were issued and trained with FN C1s. The photos I came across, the cadets are now useing #4s (orC7s) Now that is something new to me.


The last time I used Enfields in drill was in the Sea Cadets in the early 60s. You can see a lot more photos if you google 2833 army cadet corps
 
My old air cadet squadron had two British smles as part of the color party. I wasn't as versed in milsurps back then so I didn't pay much attention. They were deactivated though.
 
My old cadet corp (2881 in Scarborough - RCASC prior to the present QOR affiliation) had No 4 Mk1* rifles kept locked up at school which we frequently drilled with and occasionally shot. Used C1s at Ipperwash & Borden & C No7 at Dennison.
 
points said:
Now her's something that took me by surprise. I came across the web site of my old cadet corps in Woodstock Ontario. When we did our summer camps, we were issued and trained with FN C1s. The photos I came across, the cadets are now useing #4s (orC7s) Now that is something new to me.
>>>>>
The last time I used Enfields in drill was in the Sea Cadets in the early 60s. You can see a lot more photos if you google 2833 army cadet corps
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The Cadet program deemphasizes the military aspects of its training these days. (Dont' complain to me, go to their bosses.) The shooting program, even in the late 90's was more towards the Anschutzes and air rifles than the CNo7 rifles. Over the years fewer and fewer corps have CNo7s as the weapons techs find more and more irrepairable faults, or the corps fail their technical inspections.

I recently heard about a cadet corps that is affiliated with a regular force unit. The kids were allowed to fire C7s under 1-on-1 supervision, but no full auto.
 
I work with the Canadian Cadet Movement (CCM) Army Cadets(Air and Sea Cadets can not use the C7) over 16 years of age can use the C7 at camp or at the Affiliated unit on the range(no drill). The .22 cal #7,or Anschutz's are used mostly for biathlon. .177 Daisy air rifles are used for most range training. #4 Drill purpose (DP) Rifles are used as in the pic for parade drill.
 
maple_leaf_eh said:
The Cadet program deemphasizes the military aspects of its training these days. (Dont' complain to me, go to their bosses.) The shooting program, even in the late 90's was more towards the Anschutzes and air rifles than the CNo7 rifles. Over the years fewer and fewer corps have CNo7s as the weapons techs find more and more irrepairable faults, or the corps fail their technical inspections.

I recently heard about a cadet corps that is affiliated with a regular force unit. The kids were allowed to fire C7s under 1-on-1 supervision, but no full auto.
Click to expand...

Amazing how much has changed. I was an army cadet in the sixties. Our 6 week summer camp was intencive. Range work with FN C1s, combat training, feild craft, etc. We were issued FNs on arrival (not DPs) and carried them throughout. I joined the militia as soon as I turned 16, and the regular force as soon as I turned 17. Between my cadet and militia training, there was nothing new to me when I did my regular basic.
Now up to the present. My son joined army cadets when he turned 12. He attended summer camps and I am afraid that it has been toned down to the point where it isn't much different than boy scouts. He was very dissapointed at how soft, caring and sharing it all was. No similarity to my generation. I know that sounds like an old guy #####ing but there it is.
 
Much the same for myself in the 70's. We drilled and trained with the FNC! in Vernon and trained with the Lee-Enfield at our Corp. During exercises we were issued FNC1's, C2's, Sterling SMG, and the GPMG. Times have changed I'm afraid...

Cheers.

points said:
Amazing how much has changed. I was an army cadet in the sixties. Our 6 week summer camp was intencive. Range work with FN C1s, combat training, feild craft, etc. We were issued FNs on arrival (not DPs) and carried them throughout. I joined the militia as soon as I turned 16, and the regular force as soon as I turned 17. Between my cadet and militia training, there was nothing new to me when I did my regular basic.
Now up to the present. My son joined army cadets when he turned 12. He attended summer camps and I am afraid that it has been toned down to the point where it isn't much different than boy scouts. He was very dissapointed at how soft, caring and sharing it all was. No similarity to my generation. I know that sounds like an old guy #####ing but there it is.
Click to expand...
 
I was an army cadet in the 80's, we got to shoot the C1A1 at Vernon when I went there, as well as when we did a visit to our affiliated unit. We got to watch someone shoot a C2 at Vernon but that was as close as we were allowed.

At our home corps we had No 7's, a few Anschutz rifles and towards the end we even managed to get a few C1A1's that were kept up at the local RCMP detachment. Wonder whatever happened to those FN's, they were not deactivated when we had them, probably got melted down later on.

We never did much rifle drill but we had some deactivated P17's (I think they were P17's) for the honour guard on Rememberance Day.
 
No Army Cadet Corps shoots anything but air rifles at the Corps level now. Haven't for eons. Any Lee-Enfields the CO holds on his MIU, will be DP rifles only. Air and Sea Cadet's had their rifles taken away from them in the early 80's and were not allowed to hold their own range days.
No SMG's nor anything but C1A1's, No. 4 Rifles, No. 7's or Anschutz target rifles used by Cadets since the mid 70's. No P17's, ever. Those were American. All C1A1's, No. 4 and No. 7 rifles were taken away and chopped by the Socialist F**ks just after the C7's were issued.
Giving a weapon that Cadets were not authorized to use got the CO into big trouble. Unless said weapons were used while out with the affilated Regiment. Horse Guards in my case. Commanded 2402 RCAC in the early 80's.
GGHG Assoc. had given the Corps 5 Anschutz target rifles, long before I was ever heard of. Around 1984 or 85, the Regs decided the Corps that had 'em had to turn 'em in. Never did get to tell 'em they weren't ours and demanding I do so was the illegal confiscation of private property.
 
First off My former Cadet unit shoots C7s yearly with its Affliated unit. 2. any Rifles Donated to a cadet unit can not be owned by the cadet unit and must be given to the Crown (Maintenance/insurance) A cadet can not fire any firearm not owned by the Crown(Insurance).
 
Ahhh.. I remember the Lee Enfields. Does anybody know offhand what their status is? If they are NR, I think I might pick one up for old times sake.
 
Cadets in the 60s. The FNs were our issue and we used them on the ranges. All of our drill after the first week was with rifles.
 
When I was in Vernon as a cadet in the late 90's We where using the No4. for everything from drill to shooting. I was in a rifle coach course the one year and we went to the armory to draw our rifles most every other day. When drawing your rifle there where racks upon racks of FN's stored there. However no touching anything in the armory except what your given and off you go.

The next year I was back at Vernon and went back to the armory the racks where there but the FN's where all gone.

We shot the No7's monthly at the unit at the Forestry Schools indoor range and did a large bore shoot twice a year. The CO had told me it was tough to draw .303 ammo at the time.

We had 2 anschutz rifles and as I was turning 18 and was leaving the corp they started with the air rifles. The theory was all aspects of shooting could be taught with the air rifle.... Cadets was just getting sad for me by then.
 
I was in the Air Cadets in the mid to late 80's, we used the Lee Enfield to target shoot they were all converted to 22LR, great fun we had an indoor range under the seniors drop in centre. The local RCMP officers would drop in to teach pistol shooting, I fired there service revolvers lots of time, sometimes they would bring in what ever pistol went through the detachment, Great way to learn. I heard from one of the Cadet leaders a couple years ago, that all the Lee Enfield's were destroyed and the cadets are now learning with air rifles. At least they are still teaching and practicing shooting to the next generations of firearms owners.
 
points said:
Amazing how much has changed. I was an army cadet in the sixties. Our 6 week summer camp was intencive. Range work with FN C1s, combat training, feild craft, etc. We were issued FNs on arrival (not DPs) and carried them throughout. I joined the militia as soon as I turned 16, and the regular force as soon as I turned 17. Between my cadet and militia training, there was nothing new to me when I did my regular basic.
Now up to the present. My son joined army cadets when he turned 12. He attended summer camps and I am afraid that it has been toned down to the point where it isn't much different than boy scouts. He was very dissapointed at how soft, caring and sharing it all was. No similarity to my generation. I know that sounds like an old guy #####ing but there it is.
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I spent 2 summers at VACC, 1959 and 1960. The first year we spent a week or two in bivouac at "Glen Emma", a forested training area northwest of Vernon. While there we were each issued and responsible for a Lee Enfield or a Bren Gun. One person in each platoon received a Bren and the rest got a Lee. The one getting the Bren didn't feel particularly lucky after a day of training as they weigh about 19 lbs. The final day or night of this training we were issued blank ammunition and took part in war games.
The next year my company was issued with fully functional FN and bayonets and kept them for about 6 weeks. We acted as an honour guard and drill team and at the end of summer performed in a tattoo down in Polson Park in Vernon. There we also had blanks and fired a "Fui de Joi" for the audience. About 240 rounds fired in sequence.
When I was 16 I joined the South Alberta Light Horse as a junior soldier. With them we went to the Suffield range where we were allowed to fire the Browning .30 cal machine gun and got to put 2 rounds each of 76mm down range from a Sherman tank.
Yes, things have changed.
 
Far North said:
I was using converted enfields (.22) for range days back in the 90's as an air cadet.
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Ditto. We also used airguns indoor at the squadron's building. The main hall was large enough.

For Parade and other events (Vigils on Remembrance day etc) we had a couple chrome plated Enfields that were deactivated.
 
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