Wellington School Former Royal Marine Commando Receives Belated Green Beret

21 Jul 2016

 

A member of the Wellington School support staff has been award the ultimate accolade by his old regiment – the Royal Marine Commandos. Health & Safety Advisor Pat Jennings has been called up to receive his Green Beret – symbol of the prestigious Royal Marine Commandos – 45 years late! Pat undertook his Commando training in 1971 but had glandular fever in the final weeks. He was not able to complete the 4 Commando tests with the remainder of his Troop.

“I was telephoned by Lympstone who had got hold of the story through the Royal Marine grapevine, and I was invited to have my Green Beret formally presented ,” commented Pat. “Both my wife Nicky and I attended and I was presented with my Green Beret (45 years later) by the Deputy Commandant of the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines. It was an emotional day, and I was very proud to watch a King Squad pass out of training, and see that the standards certainly have not changed in the 45 years since I went through training. The young men of today are as good if not better than we were 45 years ago, 87 young men started training together in September last year and only 33 passed out of training to Commando Units. This is a mark of how hard it is to become a Royal Marine Commando,” concluded Pat.

The four tests Pat missed completing were a 30 mile cross country march with full kit, a 9 Mile speed march with full kit, the endurance course, (an individual run against the clock through many obstacles and the infamous ” Water Tunnel”) followed by a 5 mile run and shoot, and finally a timed run through both the Tarzan (trees) and assault courses. Only when cadets have passed all these and completed the longest and hardest infantry training in the world can they hope to wear the Green Beret.

 

Photo: Former Royal Marines Commando Pat Jennings receiving his Green Beret