A TRIP of a lifetime to France allowed a South East air force cadet to visit World War I battlegrounds while immersing himself in French culture.
Cadet Corporal Breydon Verryt-Reid also represented the nation at a historic ceremony after winning the opportunity to travel to France after completing a successful research project on a World War I topic.
“The trip was on offer to all cadets and there were five positions available and I was lucky enough to be selected,” Breydon said.
“I was required to complete a research project on the Battle of Amiens and I focused mine on one particular person in the battle.”
From there, Breydon had to be endorsed by his peers before being selected as one of five air force cadets in the country.
Soon after, he was boarding a flight in Sydney for a week-long trip in August, along with 16 others.
The trip coincided with the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Amiens, which was a major event in World War I.
“The Battle of Amiens was the last battle of what became known as the Hundred Days Offensive, ending in the armistice on November 11,” Mr Verryt-Reid said.
“The battle was quite famous due to the change in war tactics as they started using tanks and strategies to protect their soldiers.
“Many of those strategies have been carried through to this day – it was really the basis for modern warfare.”
The visit to France allowed Breydon and the other cadets to attend a ceremony commemorating the battle.
Breydon stood just metres from the duke and duchess of Cambridge and said representing Australia gave him “a real buzz”.
“Prince William was just 10 metres away, which was obviously pretty amazing, but to be an ambassador for Australia at that ceremony is something I will remember for the rest of my life,” Breydon said.
“It was definitely the highlight of the trip and it made me really proud to represent not only Australia, but also the South East.”
Breydon said visiting the war grounds in France brought to life all he had learnt during his time as a cadet.
“It is quite amazing what they did on those battlefields and it really inspired me,” Breydon said.
“You could not be anything but proud of the efforts of those brave young men – some who were younger than myself.”
While the theme of the trip was focused around World War I and the Battle of Amiens, Breydon said it was also a great opportunity to become immersed in French culture.
“We got to try some French cuisine over the course of the week and then we spent half a day in Paris doing a tour, which was incredible,” Breydon said.
While Breydon admitted there was an element of luck in receiving the opportunity to be part of the trip, he strongly encouraged anyone considering joining the cadets to take the next step.
“This trip has reinforced why I love the air force cadets – the experience, life skills and values you get are something you do not get anywhere else,” he said.
“I would highly recommend it to anyone who is thinking about joining.”
