Bodleian Libary in Oxford

Report: Joe Clapson
Pictures: Mike Weston

THE “best kept secret in the Army” fuses academia with military training to provide talented candidates for the front lines of industry as well as war.
The University Officer Training Corps (UOTC) prides itself on arming the cream of the crop with the skills they need to become leaders of men. And with centuries of history behind it, what better place for Soldier to get a taste of what motivates the more than 3,000 officer cadets currently signed up to the scheme than Oxford University?

Lt Col David Hannah, the man in charge at Oxford UOTC’s Falklands House, explained that Army instruction has huge benefits – and not just for soldiers.

“It costs an awful lot of money to be at university and students want to get as much as possible for that investment,” said the Balkans and Iraq veteran.

“Undergraduates are canny enough to sign up for things to enhance their degrees and set them apart – the OTC has a lot to offer.”

There are 19 UOTCs throughout the UK and each one is effectively an independent regiment with its own cap badge.

Officer cadets face military exercises, adventurous training, community projects and expeditions at home and abroad.

Some – classed as “Group B” members of the Territorial Army – have long military backgrounds and are myopically focused on a career in camouflage.
Others just see an unrivalled opportunity to meet new friends and enjoy skiing, trekking and other adventurous pursuits all over the world.

“Not all of our cadets want a career in the Army, in fact on average only about 30 per cent do,” said the senior officer.

“From an altruistic point of view it’s good to have the Army’s standards taught to the future heads of industry.”

Despite its setting among the town’s dreaming spires, it would be wrong to assume Oxford UOTC is made up of intellectuals who rarely peek above their parchment textbooks.

The corps is made up of students from Oxford University, Oxford Brookes University, Reading University, the Royal Agricultural College Cirencester, The University of Gloucestershire and the Royal Military College in Shrivenham.

The mixture could not be more diverse and it makes for an enviable skill-set in the group.

OCdt Laura Winwood (22), president-elect of the world-famous Oxford Union, said: “The mix with the different universities is great and really helps to break the intense bubble surrounding Oxford.

“Everyone here has something different to offer, from amazing physical ability to impressive academic qualities.”

The officer cadets have no obligation to sign up for the Armed Forces when they graduate, but it is clear that some see the UOTC as a vital springboard towards a glittering future in the military.

Alumni including Lawrence of Arabia, Capt Noel Chevasse – one of only three men to win the Victoria Cross twice – and Olympic gold medallist Brig Gen Arnold Strode-Jackson provide motivation of what can be achieved.

Matt Moore, of Nuffield College, is in his fourth year with Oxford UOTC and had clear ambitions about what he wanted from the moment he joined.

“I really don’t envy people on civvy street,” said the 21-year-old.

“Since joining I’ve been adventurous training in California, skiing in Norway and on anexpedition to Corsica. I’m hoping to pass out at Sandhurst and start work as soon as possible.”

Until recent cuts by the MoD, officer cadets were paid to train and learn but currently there is no financial reward.

Lt Col Hannah said that although the financial incentive is certainly missed, its absence is not detracting from the levels of enthusiasm shown by his talented cadets.
“Payment being stopped is an issue because a full day was worth £35 which is a decent amount for a student,” he added.

“But they are still turning out in impressive numbers and we’ve been told that the money will be restored by this April. We seriously hope that happens.

“There are UOTCs across the country that are carrying out wide-ranging initiatives and it would be a shame to lose a goose that is laying some golden eggs.”

Nevertheless there is still a very busy schedule lined up for those who remain in Lt Col Hannah’s ranks, including nerve-racking expeditions on foreign soil.

Skiing the challenging Haute Route in the Alps, diving, trekking and climbing are all on the “to-do” list and slackers will not be catered for.

“This is high-level training and dealing with real risk, not just a walk round the beach,” said Lt Col Hannah.

“As well as our core syllabus there will be a trip to Jersey. Also, private funding enables cadets to embark on some top-class adventurous training.”

But those contemplating an Army career are given the full picture of what might lie ahead, not just a rose-tinted version.

The deaths in Afghanistan of Lt Mark Evison and Lt Col Rupert Thorneloe of 1st Battalion, Welsh Guards struck a particular chord as both came through Oxford UOCT.

“Any of the cadets who are hoping to pursue a career in the Army are made acutely aware of the implications within the job,” said Lt Col Hannah.

“This is one of the great untold secrets of the British Army, with a significant number of officers at Sandhurst joining through the UOTC route.”

Some officer cadets take their learning and experiences of the UOTC into commercial business and are in a prime position to state the case for the military in the civilian corridors of power.

But for those who choose to don camouflage full-time, the experience of serving in a UOTC ensures they are better prepared than most to add to the inspirational ranks of soldiers serving in theatres of conflict with the British Army.