Well here we are again nearing the end of another term and what a busy one it has been.  The Seniors are now all back from their Final Exercise in Canada keen to commission on Friday in front of the King of Bahrain.  Fingers crossed we are now rid of the dreaded Norro Virus which spread like wild fire between the colleges and once again I would like to apologise for any disruption that this might have caused to your events planned here.  Please don't forget that the next Leadership Encounter Evening is on Wednesday 10 September and if David Williams' first talk here is anything to go by - it is set to be another excellent evening.  I have also opened up the application form for the Leadership Encounter evening in November with Lord Douglas Hurd as the speaker - so please see below for details. 

Please see the details on the 'Pegasus Bridge Show' below to be held in November at the Academy - a great event to attend.

Please also see below the few dates that the office will be closed during August.  For the last couple of days we have been experiencing some technical problems with the Foundation email - our IT support is looking into this and hopes to have it sorted as soon as possible - apologies for any inconvenience this has caused.

May I just take this opportunity to wish you all a warm and sunny August. 

Leadership Encounter Evening - Wed 10 Sep

With the Summer Holidays looming I wanted to get this date firmly in peoples' minds - by very popular demand, David Williams who gave the fantastic talk on Florence Nightingale, is coming back to give a review of the Crimean War - this will include the politics, the people, the uniforms, tactics and the battles  - all in under an hour!!  He is a brilliantly enthusiastic speaker who will give us a fascinating talk - so please do sign up - friends and family are very welcome.  Click >>here to read more about David and click >>here to sign up.

Leadership Encounter Evening - Tues 29 Jul

What a wonderful evening!  Stuart Gordon's talk last week on 'Losing Afghanistan' was both thought provoking and animated.  I thought, as I think many of the audience did,  that I was quite upto date with the political issues in Afghanistan by reading and watching the news and from my husband being out there - but I realised that I only knew the tip of the iceberg.  Stuart has now spent a lot of time working out there and has really managed to get to grips with the many different factions/religions and political stances that make up Afghanistan.  I think question time could have gone on and on - and with nearly 50 attending the after lecture curry was great.  Thank you Stuart for a memorable event.

Leadership Encounter Evening and AGM - Tues 18 Nov

We are delighted to announce that Lord Douglas Hurd is coming to talk to us on Tues 18 November.  Full details including Lord Hurd's bio will be in the September newsletter.  I have decided to open up this event early as only 100 are able to attend.  The evening will start with reception drinks and canapes in the Indian Army Memorial Room at 1800.  This will be followed with the talk in the Model Room at 1845.  After the lecture a sit down three course meal will be served in the Indian Army Memorial Room with wine.  The cost of the evening will be £40 per head (payment will be asked for prior to the event) All members and their guests are very welcome - please book early to avoid disappointment.  Please click >>here to sign up.

The Foundation AGM will also take place on this day starting at 1700hrs - please do try and attend - your views and ideas are always most welcome.

 Leadership Encounter Evenings

As with all events over time costs increase - to this end we are having to increase the price of Leadership Encounter evenings to reflect this.  From now members will be charged £15 and non-members will be charged £20 - these prices include 1 drink.  Further drinks will be charged at £1.50 for wine and £1.00 for Orange Juice.  Please also note that numbers for these evenings go to the caterers on the final Monday - anyone cancelling or not attending after this date will unfortunately be charged as we are charged by the caterer.

I hope that this will not deter our members from attending - we are extremely pleased to announce that Lord Douglas Hurd has agreed to speak to us this November whilst Frank Gardner,CGS, Guy Munnoch (CEO of Zurich) and many more big names have agreed to speak in 2009.

Commissioning Course (CC) Speakers for Winter Term

Please click >>here to see the Winter Term list of CC Speakers

If you would like to attend any of the Speaker nights below please email Jules on jules.mccoll@sandhurstfoundation.org.  All Speaker nights start at 1815hrs and are held in Churchill Hall.  You are welcome to bring along family or friends but please ensure that we have all the details of those attending and they bring photographic ID with them.

EVENTS AT RMAS

Music on Fire - 18 - 20 September

For those of you who have not experienced this event it is billed as the UK's most stunning outdoor spectacular.  The Army Benevolent Fund presents Music on Fire featuring a 007 James Bond Spectacular, with special guest star Hayley Westenra.  All the proceeds will be going to the ABF's new fund for veterans of current operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Music on Fire is a mixture of live popular and classical music, interspersed with a thrilling firework display and a magical Son et Lumiere.  Celebrating James Bond and the centenary of his creator, former Sandhurst Officer Cadet, Ian Fleming, world class artists perform with a 100-piece orchestra and a 100-voice choir in true 007 style.

Guests would be invited to picnic on the lawn in front of Old College from 4pm - show starts at 7.30pm 

Tickets are £29 Standard and £39 Premium - central area directly in front of stage.  Children under 16yrs old are £21 Standard and £31 Premium.  Army (Regular, Reserve, TA or Cadets) £20(Standard) or £30 (premium) - only bookable by phone - ID available on the night.

Groups of 10+:10% discount  Groups of 40+: 15% discount

Tickets are available from Ticketmaster 0844 847 1657 or book on line at www.musiconfire.com

Members at Music on Fire

Any members and their guests attending Music on Fire on either the Thurs or the Fri (not Sat) are invited for drinks in the Officers Mess Tent.  If you would like to go in and have a drink(mess prices) then please contact the office on jules.mccoll@sandhurstfoundation.org or call on 01276 412000 in order that we can send you a pass to gain entry into the tent.

EVENTS

Pegasus Bridge Show - Thurs 20 November

Project 65 has been created to honour the memory of the men of the Coup de Main force that captured the bridges on the Caen Canal and River Orne on D-Day 65 years ago.  A team of fund raising volunteers will leave Tarrant Rushton Airfield on 4th June 2009 and run 65 miles to arrive at Pegasus Bridge in time to celebrate the 65th Anniversary of D-Day on 6th June 2009.  The aim of the project is to raise £500,000 part of which will be used to erect a simple but lasting memorial to the men who took part in the Coup de Main operation 65 years ago.  Most of the money raised will be divided between:  The Royal British Legion, Army Benevolent Fund, RAF Benevolent Fund, BLESMA, St Dunstan's and Help for Heroes so that they may be able to continue helping the disabled and wounded men and women of today's Armed Forces.

In 1944, during the night of 5/6th June, 183 men of the 2nd Battalion Oxf and Bucks Light Infantry as part of the 6th Airborne Division, were flown into Normandy by members of the Glider Pilot Regiment, to carry out a daring operation to seize and hold the bridges over the Caen Canal and River Orne near the village of Benouville.  These were the first targets to be captured by the Allied Forces on D-Day.

Landing in six 'Horsa' gliders, the men set about their objective and having achieved complete surprise, were able to secure the bridges in less than 10 minutes.  This was described by some as a 'suicide' mission but under the leadership of Major John Howard they not only managed to secure the bridges but were able to hold off German counter attacks until reinforcements arrived later on D-Day.

You are invited to make your contributions by joining us to hear the story of the capture of Pegasus and Horsa Bridges in Normandy.

Michael Bawtree, the celebrated author and actor, has written, arranged and will present this dramatic performance which will describe the daring operation that led to the first Allied success in the opening minutes of D-Day, nearly 65 years ago.  Selecting his words form archives and diaries and cleverly adding music and images, Michael will also draw on his personal knowledge of some of the brave young men who went into battle in gliders made of canvas and wood.

He will be presenting his production in Woolwich Hall at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst on Thursday 20 November 2008 from 1900hrs.  The tickets for the show alone are £25 each.  A limited number of tickets are available at £30 each, including champagne reception before the show in Old College.  £25 tickets and programme may be booked by clicking >>here and the £30 tickets and programme may be booked by clicking >>here.

If you cannot attend but would still like to make a donation please send cheques to the Foundation made payable to 'Project 65' which a note that you are happy that your donation is treated as Gift Aid.

ADVERTS

Territorials - A Century of Service by Ian Beckett

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the TA.  To mark the event a detailed historical account of the organisation's role, both past and present, has been published as a tribute to the thousands of men and women who have served in its ranks.

Written by renowned military historian Prof Ian Bekcett, Territorials is packed with hundreds of photographs and other illustrations, and is full of facts and figures about the organisation, its people and their achievements.

RRP £30 - available to serving TA personnel , veterans and cadets at £25 including P&P from DRA Publishing , 14 Mary Seacole Road, Plymouth, PL1 3JY(cheques payable to DRA Books).  For credit card payments tel: 01752 312061

Waterloo and Quatre Bras Tour

The Waterloo and Quatre Bras Tour is hosted by Trevor Rutter from Waterloo Battlefield Tours.

Saturday 27 Sept to Monday 29 September 2008

Fully comprehensive, value for money, all-inclusive tour which includes all meals, accommoadation, museum fees and travel. Prive £450 per head (£40 single room supplement if appropriate)

Comprehensive 48 page historical information pack provided in advance.

For more information go to www.waterloo.gb.com or call 01962 712595.

Members who go on this tour will also have a chance of winning a pair of signed Chris Collingwood prints.

Downing Street Petition

Just some background, 2 Para alone have on this tour sent back over 50 casualties to the UK and so when all the casualties from other battle groups are added to this figure, how is ONE ward in an NHS hospital going to cope?  It cannot cope - the individual troops are sent home to recover relying on NHS visiting services which themselves are over committed.  A lot more than 5000 names are needed for this petition and Downing Street have put a time limit of one month for this to be achieved.  Please copy the link below to confirm your signature on the petition below;

http://petitions.pm.gove.uk/Wounded/ the petition was created by Denzil Connick and reads:

'We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Create a dedicated Military and Veterans Hospital within the UK'.

Articles for The Wishstream - The Journal of the Sandhurst Foundation

We have already had a good response from some of our members but please do read on if you feel you may be able to contribute.......We are now well into the commissioning process for the 2009 edition of the Wishstream and from some of the returned proformas it is clear that many readers would like to hear more about the early conditions at RMAS between 1947 and 1955 - what the drill was like, day to day life of an Officer Cadet etc.  If anybody feels they would like to put some memories down please email them to Jules  - it does not have to be a complete article - we could make up half a page of short memories - any photographs would be excellent.

Armed Forces Memorial - National Lottery Awards

The Armed Forces Memorial, which forms part of the National Memorial Arboretum near Lichfield, has been shortlisted for a prestigious awared by the National Lottery Awards Board. Please click >>here if you would like to vote.

Beautiful cottage in Dorset for rent - please click >>here to view the details of one of our members rental properties down in Dorset.

Reunions

Intake 2 Reunion

A reunion for former cadets of Intake 2 will take place at the RMAS Sandhurst on 10 December 2008.  The event will provide an opportunity to attend the Commandant's Parade that day, followed by a celebratory lunch.

The Reunion is being organised by Byran Tonkinson who organised a private affair for sixty at the School of Infantry on the 50th Anniversary in 1998. General Sir David Mostyn presided and Sir John Keegan was the principle guest on that occasion.

With the passage of time a problem arises in locating those eligible to attend.  Please notify the U/M of anyone you know from Intake 2 with current address and telephone number - Major(Retd) J B Tonkinson MBE DLI  - Tel 01932 253011

The following Reunions have now been set up:

Intake 22 - 10 Dec 2008

Intake 2 - 10 Dec 2008

SMC 34 - 7 Apr 2009

SMC 19 - 7 Apr 2009

CC933 - 5 Aug 2009

Intake 3 - 5 Aug 2009

Intake 23 - 5 Aug 2009

Intake 24 - 9 Dec 2009

CC942 - 10 Apr 2010

Intake 26 - 17 - 18 Sep 2010

Please click >>here  to see further details and to add your name to the lists.  If you click on the actual title of the reunion (left hand side of page) you will be able to view who is coming. Please also pass the word around to friends who might not be members but would like to attend.

If you would like to have your Reunion organised please email the Foundation and we can get to work on it for you.

ATM - PIN Number Reversal - Good to Know

If you should ever be forced by a robber to withdraw money from an ATM machine, you can notify the police by entering your PIN # in reverse.

For example, if your pin number is 1234, then you would put in 4321.

The ATM system recognizes that your PIN number is backwards from the ATM card you
placed in the machine. The machine will still give you the money you requested, but unknown to the robber, the police will be immediately dispatched to the location.

This information was recently broadcasted on TV by Crime Stoppers however it is seldom used because people just don't know about it.

2008/2009 Foundation Programme - please click >>here to view the programme for 2008 - this is constantly updated with new events.

The Sandhurst Shop  -  Please click >>here to see what is on sale in our shop  - we now sell a Foundation biro at £2 each.

Dates Foundation Office will be closed:

Thurs 7 Aug

Mon 11 Aug

Wed 13 Aug

Thurs 14 Aug

Thurs 21 Aug

Mon 25 Aug

 
Jules McColl
Sandhurst Foundation Secretary