ROYAL MARINES OFFICER: FIT TO COMMAND (RUSHES 1995) [Allocated Title]

Unedited rushes filmed during several phases of Royal Marines Officer training at Commando Training Centre Royal Marines (CTCRM) at Lympstone in Devon, during 1995. Much of the focus is on one "Batch" (group of Officer Cadets, who are referred to as "Young Officers") during the first few months of their training, as well as a second batch who are completing their basic Commando training. Material was shot by the Royal Marines Video Production Unit.

1. Filmed during their first day, 6 September 1995. The Young Officers (of the "September 1995 class") arrive at train station for the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines (CTCRM) at Lympstone in Devon and are greeted by a Royal Marines Colour Sergeant Major: the Young Officers arrive at their dormitories, unpack and make their beds before going to the barbers.

2. Filmed during their first day, 6 September 1995. Two Young Officers (forenames of James and Mike) are interviewed separately on why they chose to train as Royal Marines Officers. General views of the main gate at the CTCRM. Young Officers, still in their civilian clothes, march around the base during their first march drill. Interview with Young Officer (forename of James). Course Officer Lieutenant Denning addresses the "Batch" of 34 Young Officers (including one from the Jamaican Defence Force and one from the Maldives) in their dormitory, giving an introduction to the 15 month course and what is expected of them.

3. Filmed during their first and second days, 6-7 September 1995. The Young Officers arrive for an introductory cocktail party, are greeted by the Deputy Camp Commandant Colonel Williams and his wife Sarah, before mingling with other guests and hearing Colonel Williams' welcome speech: The Young Officers attend their first morning parade the next day where their Colour Sergeant teaches them the three basic stances (standing to attention, at ease and standing easy): The batch are marched around the site, still dressed in their civilian clothing.

4. Filmed during their second day, 7 September 1995. Continuation of the batch during their march around the camp: The batch are issued with boots before going for dinner in the dining hall, after which their full kit is issued.

5. Filmed during their second day, 7 September 1995. Continuation of their kit being issued: the batch march around camp in full uniform, carrying their full complement of kit for the first time. Young Officers move into the photography studio to have their formal portrait photographs taken. Interviews with two Young Officers (one un-named, the second called Steve) about their first 24 hours; a Young Officer labelling his kit in the dormitory.

6. Filmed six weeks into their training, 21 October 1995. The batch undergo computer based rifle range training in full combat fatigues.

7. Filmed six weeks into their training, 21 October 1995. Interview with Young Officer (forename of Steve) about Exercise Tenderfoot, which introduced them to living "in the field". Interview with Young Officer (forename of Mike) on the first six weeks and the development of the mutually supporting group dynamic that has arisen amongst the batch, including the topic of "beasting" (corrective training following a mistake) on Beasting Knoll. Physical training (PT) in the gymnasium.

8. Continuation of PT in the gym: the batch march in the estuary mud flats, spelling out SEPT 95 in large letters in the process, as well as a human wheelbarrow race, press ups, sit ups, squats and other drills. The cleanest Young Officer is then grabbed, thrown into the mud and covered from head to toe before being interviewed alongside one of his comrades on how they feel about their training (forenames of James and Alex).

9. The batch listens intently to a fascinating presentation give by Captain Keith Mills, who was the Commanding Officer of the 22 strong South Georgia detachment of Royal Marines that engaged a vastly superior Argentinean invasion force in April 1982. In his presentation, Captain Mills explains how the tiny detachment overcame ambiguous orders from their chain of command, wired the beach and jetty to explode in readiness for the hostile landings, knocked out two helicopters and engaged the Argentinean Drummond Class Corvette ARA Guerrico (P-32), disabling the vessel's offensive capability in the process and leaving it with around 1,275 holes in the hull.

10. The Young Officers are trained in conducting themselves during press interviews in difficult situations, the scenario used being based on stumbling across an ethnic cleansing atrocity in Serbia.

11. Footage of the batch during assault course training: Interview with a Royal Marines Officer who has 19 months of training behind him, followed by a further interview (forename of Chris), who has ten years of service as a Royal Marines Officer.

12. Stock clips of a Royal Marines Officer at work at his desk, the Young Officer on guard duties in the dormitory is woken up in the early hours of the morning and brings the dormitory to a state of readiness: Interview with Young Officer called Laurie.

13. Exercise Bucaro Ridge, where the Batch spend a week in their first field exercises and have to prepare and hold a defensive position against a series of simulated assaults. The Batch are subjected to a simulated chemical attack delivered by a Hawker Siddeley Hunter aircraft. Interview with several Young Officers on day three of the exercise whilst in their defensive trench positions and wearing their Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) suits: A Young Officer is chastised for errors during the chemical attack: simulated chemical casualty treatment and evacuation.

14. Continuation from previous tape. A second chemical attack is delivered by a Panavia Tornado combat aircraft. Young Officers use their litmus strips to identify which variant of chemical has been used: treatment and evacuation of a simulated casualty from enemy shelling. Interview with a Young Officer in full NBC suit following the chemical attack on his diet and conditions during the exercise, as well as how prepared he was for the exercise.

15. Continuation from previous tape. Interview with two Young Officers in their trenches, one whilst eating rations in a lull between operations: clips of the Young Officers preparing rations and sleeping in their positions: A simulated Armoured Infantry assault (presumably mimicking Russian Armoured Infantry tactics) on their positions, using FV4030/4 Challenger 1 Main Battle Tanks (MBT), AFV432-30 Armoured Fighting vehicles (fitted with CVR(W)b Fox turret and Rarden 30mm cannon) and infantry: Footage of the assault filmed from the turret of one of the assaulting vehicles is followed by comparable footage filmed from the ground and the Young Officers' defensive positions: the assault engages the defensive positions before retiring, leaving several casualties on the ground which the Young Officers have to check, search, treat and remove from the field.

16. Continuation from previous tape. Treatment of enemy casualties: advance on and secure a disabled Challenger tank: A Tornado aircraft delivers a further chemical attack and the Armoured Infantry return in considerable strength, overrunning the defensive positions: A counter attack is delivered, re-taking the position: Interviews with two Young Officers, one a casualty, the other a Troop Commander.

17. Filmed 26 October 1995. A group of Royal Marine Officers in an exercise transferring from a Landing craft onto Rigid Raider boats, followed by footage of the group travelling along the coast in the Raider: footage inside the Raider, focusing on controls, the driver, faces and equipment: A briefing from a Royal Marines instructor to the group on what procedures to follow during the exercise: general harbour views showing many Landing craft, Rigid Raiders and Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats (RIB): A Royal Marines instructor briefs the group on the history of and current uses for a Landing craft, showing them around in the process:.

18. Filmed 1 November 1995. Young Officers are briefed in their RIB before a simulated beach assault at night (in Poole Harbour): The group travel across the harbour and assault the beach, filmed from different views and angles: Interview with a Young Officer in his full No.1 Dress uniform, who is due to pass out the following day following 18 months of training: The batch of Young Officers due to pass out the following day undertake a practice parade, complete with the Band of the Royal Marines.

19. Filmed 2 November 1995. Interview with Batch Training Officer Lieutenant Denning on his role and responsibilities as the officer in charge of an entire batch of Young Officers: A simulated slide presentation on the Special Boat Service (SBS), including their methods of insertion, main tasks once ashore, climates and areas of operation, equipment used during insertion, as well as the skills and personal qualities required by SBS operators: footage of the slides used during the presentation, followed by mute footage of a class, presumably listening to a different presentation in the classroom environment.

20. Filmed 3 November 1995 during a Passing Out Parade. The First Sea Lord (1SL) Admiral Sir Jock Slater arrives and is greeted by the Camp Commandant and his team: Footage of the crowd arriving before the parade: The Royal Marines Band lead the Parade of Royal Marines Officers onto the parade ground: The First Sea lord arrives and inspects the Parade, which includes two Young Officers from the Jamaican defence Force (Second Lieutenants Tindale and Cross).

21. Continuation from previous tape. The First Sea Lord inspecting the parade: formal presentation of prizes to leading Young Officers, including the Sword of Honour being presented to Second Lieutenant Manning who was the outstanding Young Officer from their batch: The First Sea Lord's speech to the batch: Marching display: The First Sea Lord takes the salute from the entire parade as it marches past: Group photograph of the class, Instructors and the First Sea Lord: The newly graduated Royal Marines Officers greet their families and friends, with footage of the crowd mingling: Interview with a Second Lieutenant from the batch who won the Commando Medal: general views of the families and officers mingling.

22. Footage of the same parade as shown on tape 21, filmed using a different camera, from the arrival of the First Sea Lord to him taking the salute.

23. Footage of the same parade as shown on tape 21, filmed using a different camera. A continuation of tape 22, from the First Sea Lord taking the salute to the families mingling at the end.

24. Filmed 15 February 1996. Footage of the batch of Young Officers who started their training in May 1995 during their final 30 mile "Yomp" across Dartmoor, starting at dawn in their full kit. The filming shows the batch during several sections of the yomp, including at each check point, and includes brief interviews with several Young Officers during their fluid stops. This tape stops with 7.5 miles of the yomp left.

25. Continued from previous tape. Continuing footage of the 30 mile yomp, followed by interviews with several members of the batch once they have finished: Young Officers change clothing and clean themselves up at the finish line in readiness for the presentation ceremony of their green berets: the batch fall in for parade, are presented to the Brigadier who hands them their coveted green berets. Those Second Lieutenants receiving their berets are Bowyer, Douglas, Benwick, Gobourn, Griffiths, Parvin, Rayburn, Robinson and Watkins, with the PT Medal being awarded to Revins.

26. Continued from previous tape. The Brigadier gives a speech to the batch and an interview to the film crew once the ceremony has finished.

27. Filmed 12 March 1996. Royal Marines Officers in Rigid Raiders at sea, from all angles and several differing views.

28. Young Officers from the May 1995 batch are trained in the Underwater Escape Training Unit (UETU, also called the "Dunker") in the swimming pool at RNAS Yeovilton, which is used to simulate escaping from a crashed helicopter.

29. The Young Officer batch are shown around a Westland Sea King helicopter at Yeovilton, the tour focusing on drills, the components of the aircraft, danger areas and procedures for approaching and boarding it. In full kit, they repeatedly embark and disembark from the Sea King.

30. Filmed 4-5 October 1995 during Exercise Tenderfoot, when the Young Officers from the September 1995 class experience field living for the first time. They are introduced to Field Administration (Field Craft) and shown how to live in the open whilst on exercise or operations: The Young Officers get dressed, wash and clean up themselves and their kit: Interviews with several Young Officers whilst they perform their duties: a field lecture on fire and manoeuvre principles and practice: general views of a patrol exercise: cleaning equipment: interview about an exercise in concealment and detection, followed by a further interview about the exercise to date: clips of a patrol.

31. Continued from previous tape. A combat patrol in the rain, including the batch crossing obstacles such as a road, wall and a gate as Lieutenant Denning observes and instructs: Interview with a Young Officer who explains what the "Wet and Dry routine" is (keeping dry clothing for use in their sleeping bags at night): Interview with Young Officer about the exercise.

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