WW2 torpedo survival camp going strong 80 years on

Thousands of children are still learning survival skills at camps first created to teach young sailors how to withstand torpedo attacks from German U-boats.

In 1941, Outward Bound opened their first centre in Aberdovey, Gwynedd, in an attempt to prevent merchant sailors getting killed in the North Atlantic during World War Two.

More than 80 years later, it has expanded from that north Wales base and is now represented in 35 locations around the world.

"It’s about helping young people achieve the very best they can," said Al Crisp, head of the Aberdovey centre.

"In the ‘40s it soon became apparent that there was a disproportionate number of young sailors being lost to torpedo attacks," said Mr Crisp.

He said this was in stark comparison to their older colleagues, who would much more frequently survive the attacks.

"They’d simply been recruited too quickly to learn the survival skills it would normally take years to acquire."

Mr Crisp said the camp was conceived by Kurt Hahn, a German man who had been forced to flee Hitler's Germany.

"He was backed with funds from Liverpool businessman Lawrence Holt, along with the Blue Funnel Line shipping company," said Mr Crisp.

He said that, while some of Mr Hahn’s founding principles remain, today Outward Bound has diversified a great deal.

"Even during the War the courses were broader than just survival - the aim was to improve their life skills all-round.

"Whilst there’s no longer a military ethos, we hold true to the values of individual development, and pushing yourself and your friends."

Activities at Outward Bound have expanded to include land as well as water-based challenges and include abseiling, mountaineering, canoeing, camping and sailing.

This past summer, around 500 youngsters took part part in expeditions at the Aberdovey centre.

Their name originates from the naval term “outward bound”, referring to the practice of a ship leaving harbour for choppier and more dangerous waters.

According to Mr Crisp, they try to ensure that there’s always something which will appeal to everyone.

“We tailor everyone’s course to their level of experience and ability," he said.

"But in lots of ways it’s not about the activity itself, it’s about helping young people to achieve the very best they can."

“When you reach the summit of a mountain with someone who’s grown up in a city, and never experienced the countryside before... you see the sense of accomplishment on their face."

However, the Aberdovey centre's most intriguing secret lies not in the mountains, but within its filing cabinets.

Tucked away in the basement are volumes upon volumes of handwritten reports of how each visitor performed, stretching back decades to the very first recruits in 1941.

“You’d never be allowed to do it these days I suppose, what with GDPR, but it is a lovely picture over time of how Outward Bound has grown, and the different sorts of people we’ve been able to help.

“We often have older alumni pay us a visit to reminisce, and they love to read what the instructors said about them all those years ago."

However, this being Wales, there is one thing which Mr Crisp can’t control.

“The weather has been challenging this summer, and we’ve had to work around it with the activities we’re putting on, making the most of the sunshine when it does put in an appearance.

“I don’t think it’s spoilt anyone’s time though; getting wet and muddy is all part of the fun.”