Page 68 - Old Ratcliffian Magazine 2017

68 RATCLIFFE’S PAST

The Contingent passed into the good hands of George Friendship subsequently, he was awarded an MBE. Others have gone on to reach
soon after his arrival on the Ratcliffe scene in 1983 (an experienced high ranks in a variety of branches, and amongst them are some of
serviceman, having spent 25 years in the Regular Army in Germany and the female members of the Contingent. Furthermore, those who
Malta before joining Ratcliffe); and then, on his retirement in 1996, contributed to this article - Peter Doran and Clem Maginniss - each
the helm passed to Squadron Leader Geoff Bolton RAF, before we saw describe the tremendous effect that the opportunities granted by the
the arrival of the Contingent’s present glorious leader, Mark Balmbra, CCF had on their lives after Ratcliffe. Clem has continued cadetting as
in 1998. a Commandant of Norfolk AFC, and Peter, despite never taking up a
career with the RAF, noted how rewarding the variety of activities that
Over the years, Ratcliffe CCF has produced and nurtured a considerable he experienced have been to him.
number of (mainly) Army officers, but also several for the RAF and
Royal Navy. Amongst these, a fair number of bravery awards have been So, with a somewhat chequered, but honourable, history, the
won – for example, by Major Shaun Brogan (62), recently deceased, in Contingent has served the College and the wider community well, and
Oman in the late 1960s (an MC not officially gazetted for some years it has been a launch pad for many a promising military career.
after it was won, for security reasons); he went on to command the
territorial SAS regiment. Liam Cradden (88) was involved in Operation Br Nigel Cave (72)
Barras in Sierra Leone during Tony Blair’s intervention there and,

THE CCF AND BEYOND: MEMORIES FROM ORS

Ian Warrington (80): “The best moments of the CCF were during
visits to the RAF stations in the midst of the Cold War – there was
a definite buzz then.”

Ian now continues his experiences through his career in the
Ministry of Defence, which he has worked with for the past
thirty years, supporting the Armed Forces, both in the UK and
overseas.

Fr Ted Mullen (60) with his RAF CCF Section at RAF Coningsby in 1972

The CCF has been an integral part of Ratcliffe College for
many years, and this is evidenced by the fact that a number
of Old Ratcliffians have pursued roles in the Armed Forces or
RAF after their time here. Memories of the CCF are, therefore,
unforgettable for many ex-pupils; below are the experiences
that a few recall of the CCF, and its influence in their later lives.

Robert Edmund (60): “Having remained in the rank of Squadron
Leader for over twenty years, I cannot lay claim to having had
an outstanding career. However, I can say that, throughout my Danni Isbell (04) receiving the John Heggs CCF Award in 2004
career, I remained closely involved with the applications of new
technologies to UK defence, and it provided me with some Danni Isbell (04): “My best memory is being part of the team of
assistance in sending both of my sons to Ratcliffe.” underdogs that won the Welbeck Competition in 1999 or 2000.”

After securing an RAF scholarship for Ratcliffe College and Danni was later awarded the John Heggs CCF Award in 2004,
graduating from Nottingham University with a degree in after reaching the position of Sergeant.
Mechanical Engineering, Robert qualified for full membership
of the Institute of Electrical Engineers, and he was thereby one Paddy O’Donnell (55): “Learning how to smarten up, become
of the few Chartered Engineers in the RAF under the age of part of a team, and acquire leadership skills were just a few of
thirty. He has been involved in numerous tasks and missions - the key lessons that CCF taught us.”
being responsible for the introduction of airborne laser ranging
equipment on the Jaguar and Harrier aircraft, the destruction of Although his place at university exempted him from National
components of the airborne nuclear deterrent, and working on Service, Paddy is a well-esteemed doctor who briefly did annual
laser-guided bombs, to name but a few. medicals for the local Territorial Army.

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