Week 13 - 13 weeks of hard work, one day we will never forget.

Mon 27 Nov:

Monday started badly with very stern words from CSgt Basford because the Troop contributed £10 worth of 5p’s, instead of a £10 note, for the evening social. It started to get better when we found out that we were going to hand back our field kit. After returning our kit the troop was off to HMS Temeraire for a little dip in the pool, a PTI style dip in the pool. On completion of the synchronised drowning it was back to HMS Nelson for a power hour with the Chaplain, certain members of the Troop having withdrawal symptoms from their beds and accidentally falling asleep.

At 5 o’clock all of the Troop and the Training Team mustered at the Junior Rates Galley for a meal before going to the School of Music bar for our long awaited social and sods opera. The Troop managed to put 2 sketches together with Musn Bailey and Musn Beasley singing a heart rendering version of Misty to an emotional Sgt Smith and the lads performing an amusing re-enactment of the previous Passout rehearsal with Captain Cunningham. Special mention goes to Musn Walker and Bug Johnson for their impressions of Sgt Higgins and Captain Cunningham respectively.

The night went well and was enjoyed by all. Special thanks to the Training Team for organising the event.

Tue 28 Nov:

Tuesday was filled with Drill and PT Passout rehearsals. Following the PT we did the BFT (Basic Fitness Test). Congratulations to the whole Troop for passing.

Wed 29 Nov:

Groundhog Day! The morning again was filled with Drill and PT Passout rehearsals (the only difference being we wore training shoes for drill - which we handled particularly well). A unit handball competition had been organised by Sgt Griffin for that afternoon. It was the recruits, of Troop 1/00 vs Training Company - and we thrashed them - winning every prize going. We are strong and they are weak!

That evening we mustered at the Gym in gash PT rig, for yet another run through our, now repetitive, drill display. Our evening finished with a high when Sgt Smith said the words we had waited to hear for such a long time. “You are ready!”.

Thur 30 Nov:

Full rehearsal of the Passout in front of the Principal Director of Music! Today wouldn’t be so bad - although we had a stress filled, nerve racking morning, we were promised the afternoon off, to relax before the passout. The rehearsal went well with no major hiccups. Many thanks to the Royal Marines School of Music Band for their efforts. At the end the Troop were on a high with the prospect of a free afternoon, however, that went Pete Tong (wrong) when Sgt Griffin declared that we would be the working party setting up the Gym ready for the Passout Parade and after that... we would do yet another run through our PT Passout. The Troop weren’t best pleased, in fact they were positively peeved, chinstrapped and threaders to say the least!

With a visit in the evening from Sgt Smith - the Troop spirit was lifted and we were back on a high - thanks Sgt Smith.

Fri 1 Dec:

Passout Day! With little sleep, due to us being emotionally charged, we met at the Gym at 0800 for our final drill rehearsal. The atmosphere was quite extraordinary. Then we were thinned out (dismissed) to get ready.

We fell in outside the Portsmouth Bandroom, scared about the task that faced us. At 1014 Sgt Smith brought us to attention - and stepped us and the Band off. Through the sounds of the March National Emblem, Sgt Smith reassured us - and just before we marched in, many of the Troop were in tears, because Sgt Smith said “I’ll never forget you Troop”.

The feeling we experienced as we marched on can’t be explained, but it was for most if not all of us - the proudest moment of our lives.

The inspection by the VIP, Brigadier Pounds, went well - and when he was seated we stepped off into our drill display. The adrenaline rush ensured that no mistakes were made and before we knew it we had halted for the last time in the display, and it was over.

Congratulations to the following people on winning prizes. Musn Richardson - Best Recruit, Musns Bailey and Boyes - Certificates of Merit, Musn Thompson - Best Affairs File, Musn McKinnon - Best Shot, Musn Trudgeon - Most Improved Recruit, Musn Naylor - PT Superior (Female), Musn McKinnon - PT Superior (Male), Bug Boardman - Most Improved PT, and special congratulations to Sgt Bug Snell who was presented the Herbert Lott Award for “Outstanding Contribution to the Royal Marines Band Service”. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank him - without him this diary wouldn’t have happened.

We had a major drama after the drill. We’d put our PT rig in the Higher Training area of Headquarters Band Service - which had been locked. It must have been highly amusing to see 24 half undressed nods running around looking for their highly attractive PT rig. After we found a way in it was a mad rush to get changed.

The PT Passout went really well - the best we’d ever done. A special mention goes to Musn Beasley who lost his trainer during the display but in the finest traditions of the Corps carried on regardless.

The Passout parade was the climax of 13 weeks of hard work, tears, smiles, injuries, laughs and as we look back, enjoyment. The Troop of 2000 have bonded and formed lasting friendships. We couldn't have done it without the Team - in particular Sgt Smith who leaves us this week to join the Parade Staff at the Commando Training Centre in Lympstone. He helped us through our basic training and without him a lot of us would have not made it to the stage we are now at. We will all miss you Sgt Smith, take care. Thank you to the whole team and Goodbye from all of the Troop.

This is Troop 1/00 signing off... for now

Bugler S Vyse

The troop will remain together for the next two weeks carrying out continuation training and development before moving across to full time music training in the New Year. It is planned to follow one or two members of the troop as they make their way through music training and we will be visiting them at various stages of their training. Meanwhile the first report from the trained RM Band on duty in Kosovo will be posted on this site any day now. Watch this space...