Northern Drill Competition

No. 3 (Auckland City) Squadron Air Training Corps Are Drill Champions Once Again.

Once again, No. 3 (Auckland City) Squadron Air Training Corps has won the Northern Area Drill Competition under the control of Cadet Warrant Officer Julia Roberts. Later this year cadets from No. 3 Squadron will compete for the national drill trophy - The Davy Memorial Drill Trophy.

Cadets compete for one of 12 places on the drill team. These cadets are usually 2nd or 3rd Year cadets and non commissioned officers.  It is unusual for a first year cadets to make the team, although two did this year - Cadets Elliot Ryan and Cadet Giacomo Gambassi.

No. 3 (Auckland City) Squadron has a proud tradition of winning both the Northern Area Drill Competition and the Davy Memorial Drill Competition.

In 1974, No. 3 Squadron won the Northern Area nomination and went on to win the Davy Memorial Drill Competition under the control of Warrant Officer T.R. Paddy.  And numerous times since then, including three years in a row in the 1980's - the only unit in New Zealand to have won three times consecutively.

Amazingly No. 3 Squadron are the only cadet unit in New Zealand to have three serving officers, who all won the national drill competition during their time as the Squadron Warrant Officer.  No. 3 (Auckland City) Squadron won the Davy Memorial Drill Competition in 2004, whilst under the control of Warrant Officer Ben Wells (now Flying Officer Wells). And they won again in 2008, under the control of Warrant Officer Zoe Gardiner (now Pilot Officer Gardiner). Another Squadron officer, Pilot Officer Thomson also won Davy Memorial Drill Competition when he was the Warrant Officer of No. 11 Squadron in Hastings.

Each Cadet Unit is assisted by a Support Committee, and on the Support Committee of No. 3 (Auckland City) Squadron is ex Cadet Unit Commander Squadron Leader Rob MacDonald, who also won the Davy Memorial Drill Trophy when he was a Squadron Warrant Officer many years ago, and now ensures that today's cadets are provided with enough support to continue the proud traditions of the past 70 years.