Thunderer Squadron - Latest News

Thunderer Squadron

Defence Technical Undergraduate Scheme

University of Southampton

"To educate and develop selected individuals in order to prepare them for further training and careers as engineer or technical officers in the Armed Forces or graduate entry into the MOD Civil Service."

www.thunderersquadron.mod.uk

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Pre-Easter 2009 Thunderer Squadron News
Mountaineering Weekend March 2009		The Sqn has been deploying small teams to various upland regions of the UK on weekends during term time. These 'summer' mountaineering weekends add logbook experience for students wishing to pursue higher mountaineering qualifications.
MEC Lecture March 2009		The Sqn attended the Military Education Committee Lecture at the University of Southampton by Professor John Simpson OBE on "Nuclear Weapons - elimination or resurgence?"
Small Arms & AFVs March 2009		The Sqn took advantage of its parent Unit - The Defence Academy of the Uk, to spend an afternoon firing small arms on its range at Shrivenham and looking around its collection of armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs).
Army Weekends March 2009		The Sqn has close relations with each of the 4 Army Corps which sponsor the Army Bursars. As part of this relationship, the Sqn sent a team to each of the REME, RE, RLC and Royal Signals Corps Weekends.
Day Skipper Courses March 2009		The Sqn now has 25 Day Skippers and 2 Yachtmasters who all take advantage of the various military yachts
HMS Collingwood February 2009		The whole Sqn deployed to HMS Collingwood to participate in an activity day that included swimming, football, archery, military simulators, leadership tasks, a 'Super Stars' competition and ended with a formal dinner in the wardroom. A competitive element was maintained throughout the day with the winning Troop enjoying the privilege of dinning on the top table in the wardroom. HMS Collingwood were excellent hosts and the day gave Thunderer Squadron personnel an opportunity to see what facilities a military establishment can offer.
SMP Course February 2009		Thunderer Sqn organised and delivered an in-house Summer Mountaineering Proficiency (SMP) Course in Wales and on Dartmoor over two weekends. 12 students obtained this first step on the mountain qualification ladder.
Caving Trip February 2009		Thunderer Sqn now has an active caving club who have been developing their experience and qualifications over the winter before some members go to Northern Spain this summer.
Ship Visits January 2009		The Sqn have been invited to visit all of the military ships that dock at Southampton over the past few months - including foreign navies and nuclear submarines.
HMS Collingwood February 2009		The whole Sqn deployed to HMS Collingwood to participate in an activity day that included swimming, football, archery, military simulators, leadership tasks, a 'Super Stars' competition and ended with a formal dinner in the wardroom. A competitive element was maintained throughout the day with the winning Troop enjoying the privilege of dinning on the top table in the wardroom. HMS Collingwood were excellent hosts and the day gave Thunderer Squadron personnel an opportunity to see what facilities a military establishment can offer.
Squadron Military Exercise December 2008		The whole Squadron deployed to Salisbury Plain on 12 Dec 08 for a 3 day military exercise. The exercise consisted of a refresher training package followed by 48 hours of a scenario based military deployment. The final task was a competition between the 4 Troops and was won by Anson Troop.
Battlefield Study November 2008		75 Thunderers spent the Remembrance weekend visiting and studying the WW2 Battle of Arnhem in the Netherlands. The 'Bridge too Far' proved to be enlightening study and the weekend ended with a brief ceremony at a Commonwealth War Graveyard.
HMS Illustrious Transit November 2008		Five Thunderers completed a transit passage aboard HMS Illustrious from Portsmouth Harbour to London. The ship is one of the countries largest aircraft carriers, with a crew of more than 700 officers and ratings. The trip culminated in a tour up the Thames with a difference, squeezing under the Dartford bridge with little clearance, and squeezing through the Thames barrier, before passing the millennium dome and mooring up outside the Greenwich's Maritime College, where shore leave was granted, and a night out in London ensued. Click here for the BBC Video featuring the embarked Thunderers.
Greenpower Finals October 2008		Thunderers assisted as marshals at the 2008 Greenpower National Finals at Goodwood Motor Circuit. Greenpower is electric car racing for schools, colleges, apprentices and youth groups.
Thorney Island October 2008		The whole Squadron of 150 personnel deployed to Thorney Island, West Sussex for an activity day that included Dinghy Sailing, Go-karting, Fitness Test, Military Briefs, Sports and the Assault Course. The day ended with a sunset BBQ on the waterfront and a social event back at Southampton.
Isle of Wight September 2008		The 61 new 1st Year Thunderers spent three days on the Isle of Wight as part of their induction into the Sqn. Activities included: Yachting, arriving by landing craft, dinghy sailing, kayaking, rock climbing, RIB riding, river crossings, team games and orienteering.
Gibraltar September 2008		Twenty four Thunderers experienced a week in sunny Gibraltar where activities included adventurous training, sport, challenging activities, military visits and participation in a 'Rock Run'.
Tall Ships Race August 2008		One Thunderer joined the Tall Ship Morgenster, a 48m Brig, for the Tall Ships Race from Aberdeen - Bergen - Den Helder
Italian Mountaineering August 2008		Ten Thunderers spent two weeks mountaineering and rock climbing in the Dolomite Mountains, Italy. Some of the highlights of the trip included a day walk to a refuge 2765m, which required 1700m of ascent and approximately 16km of trekking. Most people attempted their very first multi-pitch climb and approximately 150 sports routes were completely. Using the via ferrata routes a maximum peak of 3244m was reached, which was the highest peak in the area.
Dartmouth Regatta August 2008		Fresh from Cowes Week, the Thunderer Offshore Sailing Team competed in the Dartmouth Regatta using two Contessa 38 yachts provided by the Britannia Royal Naval College. One of the Thunderer yachts came ahead of the BRNC yacht in every race, but a windless Friday meant offshore swimming for all.
Colorado Springs August 2008		This summer four RAF sponsored Thunderers traveled to Colorado Springs for 4 weeks on an exchange program with the USAF. They participated in some exciting adventurous training activities which included white water rafting, downhill mountain biking, hill walking up to 14100 ft and pony trekking. They also took part in a 10 day military exercise with the USAFA cadets on Ex Global Engagement where they built a tented city and defended it from chemical warfare and enemy attacks.
Military Attachments August 2008		All Thunderers are obliged to spend some of their Summer vacation experiencing life with regular serving forces. This enables them to understand exactly what their future career in the Armed Forces may entail.
Scottish Mountains August 2008		Fourteen Thunderers spent two weeks during August climbing mountains in the Cairngorms and on the Isle of Sky, before they enjoyed some R&R whitewater rafting and quad biking.
Cowes Week August 2008		Thunderer Squadron entered an Elan 333 yacht into Skandia Cowes Week. This was Thunderers first entry into a major regatta and the crew learnt much from their experience.
Jamaica July 2008		Thunderers deployed to the south of Jamaica on a community support exercise where they assisted at orphanages and veterans homes. The trip also included visits to the US Embassy and the British High Commission.
Kyrgyzstan July 2008		Two Thunderers participated in a climbing expedition to Kyrgyzstan where they climbed previously unconquered peaks.
Navigation Training July 2008		Prior to deploying to the US Naval Academy for an exchange trip, Thunderer Sqn conducted some navigation training on the Solent.
Devonport Dockyard Visit July 2008		Nine Thunderers spent a two week detachment at the Devonport Dockyard.
Dutch Barge Sailing July 2008		A Thunderer was crew on a Dutch Barge on an expedition in Holland.
Parachuting July 2008		Three Thunderers continued their parachute training at the Joint Service Parachute Centre where they qualified to jump freefall.
Kayaking Trip July 2008		The Thunderer Squadron staff took advantage of the weather, the local area and the squadron expedition kayaks to spend a couple of hours out of the office kayaking down the Hamble River.
Graduates Final Exercise June 2008	Click for Video (Real Player Required)	Thunderer Squadron was the lead DTUS Squadron for the pan-DTUS Graduate Military Exercise. 130 personnel were involved in the exercise on Sennybridge Training Area. The troops completed a variety of tasks over a 4 day period and covered nearly 100km over difficult terrain. USAF exchange personnel from Colorado Springs joined the exercising troops.
Summer Ball June 2008		The Thunderer Squadron Summer Ball was held at HMS Collingwood on 20 July 2008, the same day as the graduates found out their final degree results.
Ten Tors May 2008		Route X of Ten Tors 2008 presented a challenge to six members of Thunderer Squadron. Their task was to walk the 55 miles in just 36 hours. 4 members completed the challenge, coming home with the challenge gold medal. They battled with heat and severe Dartmoor terrain, knowing that their support team was waiting for them in Okehampton. Congratulations to all who took part.
Channel Islands April 2008		Seven Thunderers ultilised one of our two resident RYA Yachtmasters to spend a week sailing in the English Channel. The week comprised of a total of 240 nautical miles, 7 days on board and 25 night hours, whilst visiting the islands of Alderney, Guernsey and Jersey in the Channel Islands. A large part of the sailing expedition was conducted at night, which allowed both for good watch keeping practices to be developed, and for the opportunity to see some of the islands themselves during the day. The week culminated in a 23 hour continuous passage from Jersey back to Portsmouth Harbor this morning.
Ex Thors Beach Adventure April 2008		Ex Thors Beach Adventure was a week of dinghy sailing, windsurfing and powerboat courses run at the military watersports centre at Thorney Island. Thunderers had a choice of which activity they wanted to participate in for the week and all passed their relevant RYA qualifications. Thunderer has RYA Instructors within its student body and regularly provides opportunities for other Thunderers to gain their first RYA qualifications.
Ex Thors Mountain Adventure April 2008		Ex Thors Mountain Adventure saw 20 Thundercats head to Indefatigable Training Centre in Wales. The aim of this exercise was to train and assess 8 personnel for the Rock Leader Training qualification, and 12 for the Mountain Leader Training qualification. The MLT course incorporated many challenging aspects of mountaineering, including night navigation, effective river crossings, rope work and plenty of theory and practice. Despite the MLT (S) award being restricted to summer conditions below the snowline, all teams did experience some pretty cold weather. Everyone who attended the exercise passed their particular course, and furthermore everyone had a thoroughly good time.
American Football April 2008		Two Thunderers were part of the Southampton University American Football team that won the national championship over Easter. With three training sessions a week mounting up a huge amount of hours training hard the Stags managed an undefeated season with a points scoring record on offence and a very strong defence.
Mountaineering April 2008		8 members of Thunderer Squadron attended Ex Shrivenham Gable which was a 3 day walking expedition in the Lake District. We were wild camping which proved a little difficult as the weather turned against us and a dusting of snow fell. We managed to climb a number of mountains giving us 3 quality mountain days to add to our log books ready to gain further qualifications. The peaks included Scafell Pike, Great Gable, Bowfell and Esk Pike. A great weekend enjoyed by all.
Ex Thors Ocean Adventure Easter 2008		28 Thunderers spent a week sailing in the Solent on 4 34 foot yachts. All the novices achieved RYA Competent Crew standard and experienced diverse weather conditions with strong winds, sun and heavy snow all featuring during the week.
RN Basic Sea Survival Course Easter 2008		21 members of Thunderer and the other DTUS Squadrons attending the Royal Navy's School of Maritime Survivability at HMS EXCELLENT between 31 Mar - 4 Apr 08 in order to complete the Basic Sea Survival Course (BSSC). The course involved instruction in all aspects of fire fighting and damage control as well as the actions to be taken in the event of 'abandon ship'! The course is completed by all RN personnel prior to joining their first ship. All personnel thoroughly enjoyed the course and received a 'certificate of achievement' on completion.
Skiing Easter 2008		36 Thunderers spent a week of their Easter University break skiing on the French / Swiss border. The students were split into ability groups and all achieved at least their Basic Ski Proficiency Qualification in the near perfect ski conditions.
Norway March 2008		A Thunderer spent some of his Easter Break successfully completing a Joint Services skiing course in Norway. The course consisted of five days alpine skiing on piste and then five days ski touring with a three day exped in the Rondane region of Norway, which took in several peaks up to 1700m.
Dartmoor March 2008		A very wet and windy weekend was spent on Dartmoor by 19 Thunderers either training for the Ten Tors Competition, or completing their Summer Mountain Proficiency Course. Despite the weather, the aims of the weekend were achieved and 12 Thunderers took the first step up the mountaineering qualification ladder. This Easter, another 12 Thunderers will attempt to gain their Mountain Leader Training Certificate in Snowdonia.
Royal Engineers Weekend March 2008		On Friday 7^th March 11 Officer Cadets from Thunderer Squadron travelled to Camberley, Surrey to partake in the annual RE UOTC competition. The purpose of the weekend is two-fold; to hold a competition over various tasks and also to display the various roles of the corps. On the Saturday was a round robin of activities, ranging from demolitions, to a three mile stretcher race. After a social on the Saturday night, the competition concluded on the Sunday with a boat race and an assessed command task competition.
Rugby 7's Competition March 2008		The 9^th March saw the first 7s tournament for Thunderer Squadron Rugby Club. 21 teams battled it out to be crowned best 7s team in Southampton University. The Thunderer Team stormed into the final with score sheets reading 69-0, 38-0, 50-0 and 14-5. The final was a closely fought game with a failed drop goal conversion attempt resulting in Thunderer losing the final 19-17 and coming 2nd overall.
Rock Climbing March 2008		Thunderers took advantage of the local area and conducted 2 days of rock climbing at Swanage, Dorset. The aim of the course was to prepare 8 Thunderers who are attempting their Rock Climber Leader Training this Easter in Snowdonia.
Royal Signals Weekend March 2008		The Royal Signals weekend at Blandford was embraced by Thunderers over the weekend of 1- 2 March 08.
Escape and Evasion Exercise February 2008		The majority of Thunderer Sqn were involved in an internal Escape and Evasion Exercise over the last weekend in February on Salisbury Plain. The basic concept was that the final year students had to hunt the 1st year students with 2nd year students assisting the staff.
VT Shipyard February 2008		On Wednesday 27 Feb 2008, two Midshipmen from Thunderer Sqn and the 1st Lieutenant visited the VT Shipyard in Portsmouth. They saw modules of the 5th and 6th Type 45 Destroyers to be built as well as an Omanian Navy Patrol Craft. The purpose of the visit was to let the Midshipmen see how a working shipyard operates to help them with their Ship Production Technology coursework for their Ship Science degrees.
Community Project February 2008		10 members of Thunderer Squadron offered their services to Portchester Community Centre over the weekend of 16-17 February. Parts of the centre were in need of a major cleanup and revamp, so staff took their hands to scrubbing, painting and sorting spare rooms and the main bar area. The work done enabled a fresher and more appealing environment for users of the centre as well as much needed space for teaching and individual training. The work done was thoroughly appreciated by the centre and its chairman.
Black Mountains February 2008		20 personnel from Thunderer Squadron traveled to Wales to undertake training in the mountains. The bulk of the weekend was set aside for Summer Mountain Proficiency (SMP) training, with 12 people completing the overnight expedition part of the syllabus. Whilst on the move the SMP groups discussed many relevant mountaineering topics and completed some practical tasks such as deploying an emergency shelter and how to use a mountain stove. A further 6 people completed a longer route in a warm up to Ten Tors 2008. A good high pressure over the North Sea kept the weather clear, which provided for fantastic days but chilly nights. Overall a successful weekend was enjoyed by all.
Peak District February 2008		Seven members of Thunderer Squadron organised and participated in a two day walking expedition in the Peak District. They camped wild in challenging weather conditions with high winds and low temperatures, but a good time was had by all.
REME Weekend February 2008		Thunderers participated in a REME weekend on Bordon Training Area over the first weekend in February. Students were given the opportunity to experience at first hand the huge armoured and wheeled assets used by the REME and to participate in competitions with other Military University Units. Read the Full Article Here
Climbing Wall January 2008		Members of the Thunderer Squadron Climbing Club meet once a week to use one of the local climbing walls. These facilities now rate amongst the biggest and best in the Country, with over 1200 sq m of climbing and over 80 rope lines. The skills practiced on the wall will be put to the test this forthcoming summer with climbing expeditions going to France, Italy and Wales.
HMS BLAZER Trip January 2008		On the 9 Jan 08, four of the Royal Navy sponsored Thunderers joined HMS BLAZER (Southampton University Royal Navy Unit P2000) on an acquaint sail around the Solent.
Mountaineering December 2007		Eight members of Thunderer Squadron organised and participated in a mountaineering expedition to Snowdonia over the Christmas leave period. The Mountaineering Club are planning expeditions to every upland region in the UK this summer and also some higher altitude climbs in Europe and North America.
HMS Illustrious Visit December 2007		On the 17 Dec 07, nine Thunderers visited HMS Illustrious at Portsmouth Naval Base. The purpose of the visit was to give the Royal Navy sponsored Midshipmen a more informed idea of what each engineering branch does on board a ship. Read the Full Article Here
Thunderer v Typhoon Rugby December 2007		Two of the mighty DTUS Squadrons clashed in a full 15-a-side Rugby Union match on Saturday 1 Dec 07. Thunderer played away at Loughborough University, home of fellow DTUS Support Unit Typhoon Squadron, in the first ever major inter-DTUS sporting event. Unfortunately, despite the Thunderers best efforts, the game went Typhoons way. Read the Match Report Here
Royal Navy U23's Rugby December 2007		Midshipman Tom Blackburn, a Thunderer Sqn member, recently represented the Royal Navy in the Under 23 Rugby Union side. The Team were the first Royal Navy Team to win the Inter-Services Rugby Union U23 Trophy.
Offshore Sailing December 2007		Seven Thunderers enjoyed a weekend sailing expedition on board a Victoria 34' yacht. The weekend was certainly very challenging, with the wind gusting up to 42 knots and a large swell giving the two novices onboard a good introduction to offshore sailing.
Parachuting December 2007		17 Thunderers departed Southampton and headed to the Netheravon drop zone for a weekend parachuting course. Ground school training commenced early on the Saturday morning, which was a combination of lectures and practical exercises. The group practiced exiting from an aircraft in mock-up planes, reserve drills in what can only be described as adult sized baby bouncers to landing patterns. The final assessment was a written exam which covered everything that they had covered in the ground school training. Unfortunately due to an extreme weather warning, it was not possible to get the Thunderers into the air so all 17 who completed the training are eagerly awaiting the return trip to Netheravon early in the New Year.
Navigation Exercise December 2007		A navigation leadership exercise was held in the New Forest to prepare students for later mountaineering qualifications. Both groups rotated the navigation through the various personnel in order to best develop the skills and techniques in question. The terrain was very swamped - much of the walk involved negotiating bog and large, deep puddles. Indeed, one member of the exercise described the action as "Wading". Weather was blustery and showery, with frequent outbursts of rain drenching the teams.
Inter-Unit Squash November 2007		On Wednesday 28 Nov 07, the Thunderer Squadron Squash Team comprehensively beat the other three University of Southampton Military Units (SU Air Squadron, SU Officer Training Corps and SU Royal Naval Unit) at HMS Temeraire, Portsmouth. The Thunderer players won all of their 12 matches, losing only three games in total.
First Year Military Exercise November 2007		The new 1st Years completed their initial military exercise on a very cold Hankley Common over the last weekend in Nov 07. The temperature was recorded at -7 degrees after the first night under a basher. The exercise introduced the students to low level field craft and navigation exercises, building on their knowledge gained on the Thunderer Acquaint Course in Sep 07. Read the Full Article Here
Inter-Unit Hockey November 2007		On Wednesday 21 Nov 07, the Thunderer Squadron Hockey Team beat the other three University of Southampton Military Units (SU Air Squadron, SU Officer Training Corps and SU Royal Naval Unit) at Boscombe Down. The Thunderers kept a clean sheet and did not concede any goals throughout the competition.
Battlefield Tour November 2007		65 Members of Thunderer Squadron visited France to study the 1944 D-Day Landings in Normandy. The weekend included visiting Pegasus Bridge, the Beaches and various components of the formidable German Atlantic wall. The visit coincided with Remembrance Sunday and an impromptu service was held at one of the many Commonwealth War Cemeteries. Read the Full Article Here
MOU Signing October 2007		The new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the MOD and The University of Southampton was signed on 23 Oct 07 at the University. This MOU replaces the original one which was signed in 2002. The MOU was signed by the Commandant of the Defence College of Management and Technology and the Chancellor of the University of Southampton. Read the Full Article Here
Acquaint Course September 2007		All new Thunderers must complete the Thunderer Acquaint Course prior to starting their 1st year at University. This year the course was held in the New Forest and included navigation exercises, mountain biking and various leadership tasks. Read the Full Article Here
USNA Annapolis Summer 2007		20 members of Thunderer Squadron participated in the DTUS annual visit to the US Naval Academy at Annapolis during Jul and Aug 07. The students were able to get some valuable 'sea sense' training up and down the USA eastern coast. Read the Full Article Here
Adventurous Training Summer 2007		Thunderer Squadron Adventurous Training was very active throughout 2007 with Expeditions to the French Alps, Corsica, Greenland, Wales, Germany, Spain, Uganda, the Baltic and the Italian Dolomites.
Final Military Exercise June 2007		Prior to embarking on Initial Officer Training, all DTUS Students must participate in the final Military Exercise. Thunderer Squadron organised the 2007 Exercise at a very wet training area in South Wales. Various activities over the week included planning exercises, engineering tasks and finished with an 8km log race.
Summer Ball June 2007		The Thunderer Squadron Summer Ball was held in Jun 07 with the majority of Thunderers attending. The event was held in the wardroom at HMS Collingwood and was an ideal opportunity for the newly graduated students to celebrate with good food, fine wine, port, laser quest, bumper cars and bouncy castles.