Bermuda Cadet Corps facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bermuda Cadet Corps |
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2000 Queen's Birthday Parade, Hamilton, Bermuda
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| Active | 1901–2012 |
| Country | Bermuda (United Kingdom) |
| Role | Volunteer Youth Organisation British Army |
| Garrison/HQ | Bermuda Garrison |
| Commanders | |
| Ceremonial chief | Queen Elizabeth II |
The Bermuda Cadet Corps was a youth group in Bermuda, a British territory. It was supported by the British Army. This group was like the Cadet Corps in England, which are now called the Army Cadet Force.
The Bermuda Cadet Corps was set up by laws from the Parliament of Bermuda. It was one of three cadet groups that used to be in Bermuda. The others were the Bermuda Sea Cadet Corps and the Air Training Corps. Only the Bermuda Sea Cadet Corps is still active today. After more than 100 years, the Bermuda Cadet Corps closed down in 2013. It was replaced by the Junior Leaders program of the Royal Bermuda Regiment.
Contents
History of the Bermuda Cadet Corps
The Bermuda Cadet Corps started in 1901. It began at Saltus Grammar School in Pembroke. This first group was connected to the Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps (BVRC). The BVRC was a local army unit.
In 1901, Captain R.W. Appleby of the BVRC became a Captain with the Cadet Corps. The cadets often trained with the BVRC. For example, in 1902, they watched the BVRC practice shooting at Warwick Camp.
In 1905, the Bermuda government gave money to the corps. This helped other schools join the program. The corps officially became part of the BVRC. The government saw the Cadet Corps as a good way to get more young people to join the BVRC later. They hoped many cadets would join the BVRC after finishing school.
Expanding the Cadet Corps
In 1907, the Cadet Corps grew bigger. It included eight more schools in Bermuda. These included civilian schools like Whitney Institute. It also included military schools. The expanded Cadet Corps stayed linked to the BVRC. Cadets wore the BVRC cap badge.
At this time, only white students could join these schools. So, the Cadet Corps was only for white students. This was similar to the BVRC, which also did not admit "coloured" members at first. However, in 1906, the Governor of Bermuda had reported against having a cadet corps only for white boys.
There was another local army unit in Bermuda. This was the Bermuda Militia Artillery (BMA). It mainly recruited "coloured" soldiers. However, its officers were all white until 1953.
In 1931, the Bermuda Cadet Corps officially joined the National Cadet Corps in Britain. This was requested by the army headquarters in Bermuda.
The Cadet Corps During World War II
The Bermuda Cadet Corps was very busy during World War II. During the war, all part-time army units were called up for full-time duty. Most young men in Bermuda had to join the military if they were old enough. This meant that many cadets went straight into full-time military service after leaving school at age eighteen.
One example is Bernard John Abbott. He was a school headmaster and an officer in the Bermuda Cadet Corps before the war. He later joined the Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps. In June 1940, he went to England with a group from the BVRC. He served as an officer in the Far East during the war.
In 1943, a separate cadet unit was created for "coloured" boys. This was at Berkeley Institute. It was called the Berkeley Institute Cadet Corps. This unit was linked to the Bermuda Militia. A government notice in 1943 described it as part of the Bermuda Cadet Corps.
Changes After the War
The Cadet Corps was reorganized under a new law in 1944. After the war, the BVRC and BMA were temporarily disbanded in 1946. They started recruiting again in 1951. The BVRC was then renamed the Bermuda Rifles.
In the 1950s, the Bermuda Cadet Corps decided to have its own band. This band became a Scottish bagpipe and drum band. Its members wore traditional Scottish Highland dress. The rest of the Bermuda Cadet Corps wore uniforms like English and Welsh army units.
In 1965, the BMA and the Bermuda Rifles joined together. They formed the Bermuda Regiment. This unit is now called the Royal Bermuda Regiment. The Bermuda Cadet Corps was also reorganized at this time. Officers were officially part of the Bermuda Cadet Corps. The Bermuda Regiment helped support the cadets.
Racial segregation in public schools ended in the 1960s. After this, the Bermuda Cadet Corps included students from all public secondary schools. The Cadet Pipe Band decided to continue as a private group. It later merged with another pipe band. The Bermuda Pipe Band still takes part in military parades today.
Disbandment
The Bermuda Regiment had its own youth program called Junior Leaders. This program started in 1969. The Junior Leaders wore the Bermuda Regiment cap badge. They operated from Warwick Camp, just like the regiment.
In the mid-1990s, the Junior Leaders program joined the Bermuda Cadet Corps. The Bermuda Regiment felt it was easier to support just one youth group. However, in 2012, due to money problems, the Bermuda Cadet Corps was disbanded. The Bermuda Regiment's Junior Leaders program was brought back to replace it. A new law was proposed in 2015 to officially organize the Royal Bermuda Regiment's Junior Leaders. The old Bermuda Cadet Corps Act of 1944 was then cancelled.
