Old Gregorians and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst have a great history; with stories dating back as far as 1916.
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, is based in Surrey. This is where all officers in the British Army are trained to take on the responsibilities of leading the soldiers under their command. Their biggest ambition is to inspire ordinary people to exceptional achievements, and prepare them for the challenges of the future, both at home and overseas.
The Commissioning Course for Regular Army Officers has been completed a number of OGs, with Oliver Gash (B13) and George Thackray (S16) completing the course last year. George explained that ‘Sandhurst is a wonderful institution that teaches you so many things about yourself that you did not really want to learn. However, having gone through it I would say that I am a better and more capable person for having done it’.
Oliver, George and more recently, Freddie Hobbs (S16) have all been recognised whilst at Sandhurst for their commitment and various achievements. Oliver and George have both been awarded with the Queens Medal, after their 44-week course, whilst Freddie, was awarded the MacRoberts Sword. Freddie has now begun the full 44-week course at the academy.
The Queens Medal is presented on behalf of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to one member of Royal Military Academy Sandhurst each year. It is an engraved Gold Medallion issued by the Privy Council. Speaking with last year’s winner of the Queens Medal, George commented that ‘The most important lesson I learnt here was not to panic and to trust with responsibility those who share a common goal with you. This was best exemplified by how my platoon came together as a team to complete whatever challenge was set to us. That no matter how tired we were or how unpleasant the experience would be, we would get over the finish line together.’
The Academy hosts a variety of different experienced officer cadets. 70 per cent are university graduates with A-Levels or equivalent, whilst some are already serving soldiers who have been selected for officer training. These cadets could be from all over the world, with their own country’s army selecting them to train at the world-famous Academy.
If you would like to find out more about the personal experiences of our OGs at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, keep an eye on our LinkedIn Careers on Demand Programme where George Thackray (S16) will be discussing his Army Career experience, and more specifically his experience at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.
To read more about Downside and RMA Sandhurst follow the link to another great story of, An OG Friendship.