This is the 50th edition of the Foundation Newsletter!  For the past three weeks the Academy has been extremely quiet as it has been on Recess.  But the OCdts will be back this weekend.  Many with tales of their adventurous training and others wondering what on earth is going on - as they traipse in with their ironing boards.  The next Leadership Encounter evening is next Tuesday - please do come along and bring as many guests as you would like - please see below how to sign up.  They are great evenings and a good way to meet new like-minded people.

Leadership Encounter Evening - Tues 11 September

We are very pleased that Dr Malcolm Llewellyn-Jones MBE has kindly agreed to come and talk at our next Leadership Encounter Evening on Tuesday 11 September.

Dr Malcolm will be talking on "Craufurd's Misadventure: the Action at Villar de Puerco, July 1810". This covers the action by the Light Division between the towns of Cuidad Rodrigo and Almeida when the former was being invested by Massena prior to his 1810 invasion of Portugal (finally being stopped at the Lines of Torres Vedras). This talk will cover Craufur's problem of controlling a highly dynamic ambush attempt, which did not go entirely to plan, in part due to the inspired leadership of the French Captain Gauache and his grenadiers.

We do hope that many of you will be able to come and that you might like to bring friends and family - it is sure to be a great evening.

Please click >>here to read more about Dr Malcolm and >>here to join.

Reunion Reviews

On Wednesday 8 August both Intake 19(50th Anniversary) and Intake 39 Marne Company(25th Anniversary) came to the Academy for their Reunions.  Both groups clearly enjoyed watching the Commandant's Parade helped along by the fantastic weather!  Both reunions then followed this with lunch by the lakeside in marquees.

'....many, many thanks for organising such an enjoyable reunion to celebrate our 50th anniversary.  Everything went like clockwork and even the weather cooperated.  It was such a pleasure to meet up with so many old friends again, some of them after 50 years...'  Intake 19

Please find below the dates of the Winter Term Commissioning Course speakers - all members and their guests are very welcome to attend:

Voice of Experience - Challenges of Civilian Leadership I - 9 Oct.  David Pearce will be talking to the Juniors on Mon 23 July at 1600hrs in Churchill Hall.  If you would like to attend this lecture please email Jules on jules.mccoll@sandhurstfoundation.org.

Voice of Experience - Challenges of Civilian Leadership II - 15 Oct.   Marc Overton will be talking to the Seniors on Mon 15 Oct at 1800hrs in Churchill Hall.  If you would like to attend this lecture please email Jules on jules.mccoll@sandhurstfoundation.org.

Voice of Experience - Senior Military Officer - 23 Oct.    Maj Gen P F Everson OBE will be talking to the Seniors on Tues 23 Oct at 1800hrs in Churchill Hall.  If you would like to attend this lecture please email Jules on jules.mccoll@sandhurstfoundation.org.

Leadership Overview - Stress in Combat - 29 Oct.  Maj Bradley PWRR will be talking to the Inters on Mon 29 October at 1800hrs in Churchill Hall.  If you would like to attend this lecture please email Jules on jules.mccoll@sandhurstfoundation.org.

Talk by a CO - Speaker TBC - 1 Nov - This talk will be taking place on Thurs 1 Nov to the Juniors in Churchill Hall starting at 1800hrs. If you would like to attend this lecture please email Jules on jules.mccoll@sandhurstfoundation.org.

Voice of Experience - Do the Tools Do the Job?- 26 Nov.  Maj Nigel Cribb will be talking to the Juniors on Mon 26 Nov at 1800hrs in Churchill Hall.  If you would like to attend this lecture please email Jules on jules.mccoll@sandhurstfoundation.org.

EVENTS AT RMAS

Richard Holmes Lecture - Tues 30 October.  The Forces Pension Scheme (FPS) and the Army Benevolent Fund (ABF) have joined together to organise a lecture at RMAS by Richard Holmes.  Richard's talk will be on Winston Churchill.   The reception will begin at 1915 (with wine and canapes) and the event will end approx 2115.  Tickets cost £18.  If you would like to attend please click >>here to see more details and to sign up.  Guests are welcome to attend to.

Book Review- The following books are still taking up too much space on my desk and I would be very happy to send them out to any of our members -of course a review on them would also be very much appreciated!!

• Bankrolling Basra - Andrew Alderson (Story of a part-time soldier, $1 Billion and the collapse of Iraq)
• Old Ironsides - The Military Biography of Oliver Cromwell - Frank Kitson
• Prince Rupert - The Last Cavalier - Charles Spencer
• Lawrence of Arabia - Mirage of a Desert War - Adrian Greaves

One of our members, Robert Dixon, has very kindly written a review on 'Blood  Please click >>here to read it.  Thank you very much Robert.

The British Memorial Garden Trust UK

One of our members, Edward Major, has kindly sent in details about the British Memorial Trust (BMT)UK and a Dinner Night that is being held on 10 October this year.  To learn more about the BMT please click >>here.  To find out more details on the Dinner Night please click >>here (please scroll down to the second event on the page).

Field Marshal Kesselring's Letter to Talbot Bashall.

Many of you may remember an article written by Talbot Bashall, one of our members, about the guarding of FM Kesselring during his trial in Venice in 1947.  Talbot has recently found a letter written by FM Kesselring and sent to Talbot after the FM was released from prison in 1952.  Please click >>here to read it.

Military Diary

Some of you may remember that for the first time last year we sold the Howman Military Diary and we are pleased to announce that The 2008 Military Diary will be available for purchase from 24^th September. 

Howman's have added new elements to the standard Military Diary features this year, providing more information as well as a new 16 page full colour World Map section; however the distinctive and popular  ‘look, feel and logo’ are unchanged;  the price point is also unchanged at £9.95.

In addition, they have created a new Address Book to match and complement the Military Diary ‘look and feel’ – this also retails at £9.95.

A picture of the diary will be on the website from next month - if you would like to pre-order your copy please click >>here and follow the instructions.

2007 Foundation Programme - please click >>here to view the programme for 2007/8 - this is constantly updated with new events.

Jules McColl
Sandhurst Foundation Secretary