Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC), commonly known as Dartmouth, is the naval academy of the United Kingdom and the initial officer training establishment of the Royal Navy. It is located on a hill overlooking the port of

Dartmouth, Devon Dartmouth () is a town and civil parish in the English county of Devon. It is a tourist destination set on the western bank of the estuary of the River Dart, which is a long narrow tidal ria that runs inland as far as Totnes. It lies within the ...

, England. Royal Naval officer training has taken place in Dartmouth since 1863. The buildings of the current campus were completed in 1905. Earlier students lived in two wooden

hulk The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of ''The Incredible Hulk (comic book), The Incredible Hulk' ...

s moored in the River Dart. Since 1998, BRNC has been the sole centre for Royal Naval officer training.

History

The training of naval officers at Dartmouth dates from 1863, when the wooden hulk was moved from

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

and moored in the River Dart to serve as a base. In 1864, after an influx of new recruits, ''Britannia'' was supplemented by . Prior to this, a Royal Naval Academy (later Royal Naval College) had operated for more than a century from 1733 to 1837 at Portsmouth, a major naval installation. The original ''Britannia'' was replaced by the in 1869, which was renamed ''Britannia.'' The foundation stone for a new building at the college was laid by King Edward VII in March 1902. Sir Aston Webb designed the shore-based college at Dartmouth, which was built by

Higgs and Hill Higgs and Hill was a major British construction company responsible for construction of many well-known buildings in London. History The company was established in 1874 by the merger of the firm of Thomas Hill (managed by Rowland and Joseph Hill ...

and practically completed in 1905. From September 1903, officer cadets first entered the

Royal Naval College, Osborne The Royal Naval College, Osborne, was a training college for Royal Navy officer cadets on the Osborne House estate, Isle of Wight, established in 1903 and closed in 1921. Boys were admitted at about the age of thirteen to follow a course lasting ...

, then after two years transferred to Dartmouth, and the first such intake was in September 1905. The college was originally known as the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth (BRNC). As a Royal Naval shore establishment, it was later known also by the ship name HMS ''Britannia'' (a battleship called operated from 1904 to 1918). The college was renamed ''HMS Dartmouth'' in 1953, when the name ''Britannia'' was given to the newly launched royal yacht . The training ship moored in the River Dart at Sandquay, a ''Sandown'' class

minehunter A minehunter is a naval vessel that seeks, detects, and destroys individual naval mines. Minesweepers, on the other hand, clear mined areas as a whole, without prior detection of mines. A vessel that combines both of these roles is known as a ...

formerly known as , continues to bear the name ''Hindostan''. As cadets at the college will be aware, there are 187 steps down from the college to Hindostan's mooring at Sandquay. Cadets originally joined the

, at the age of 13 for two years' study and work before joining Dartmouth. The Royal Naval College, Osborne closed in 1921. During the Second World War, after six

Focke-Wulf Focke-Wulf Flugzeugbau AG () was a German manufacturer of civil and military aircraft before and during World War II. Many of the company's successful fighter aircraft designs were slight modifications of the Focke-Wulf Fw 190. It is one of the ...

aircraft bombed the College in September 1942, students and staff moved activities to Eaton Hall in

Cheshire Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's county t ...

until the autumn of 1946. Two bombs had penetrated the College's main block, causing damage to the quarterdeck and surrounding rooms. Britannia Royal Naval College became the sole naval college in the United Kingdom following the closures of the

Royal Naval Engineering College The Royal Naval Engineering College was a specialist establishment for the training of Royal Navy engineers. It was founded as Keyham College in 1880, new buildings were opened in Manadon, Devon in 1940 and the old college site at Keyham close ...

, Manadon, in 1994 and of the Royal Naval College, Greenwich, in 1998. In 2020, a group of Junior Rates were trained at BRNC to help alleviate added pressure on HMS ''Raleigh'', after a surge in recruitment. On 13 August 2020, a troop of 34 Ratings and 130 officers passed out simultaneously for the first time in the history of the Royal Navy. They were followed by a second class of Junior Rates who passed out on 17 December 2020.

Entry

Prospective cadets entrants must meet a minimum academic requirement. They then proceed to the Admiralty Interview Board, where they are tested mentally and physically. Several mental aptitude tests are administered, along with a basic

physical fitness Physical fitness is a state of health and well-being and, more specifically, the ability to perform aspects of Outline of sports, sports, occupations and daily activities. Physical fitness is generally achieved through proper nutrition, moderate ...

test and a medical examination. Officer cadets, as they are known until passing out from the college, can join between the ages of 18 and 39. While most cadets join BRNC after finishing university, some join directly from secondary school. The commissioning course is 30 weeks, with Warfare Officers and Aircrew spending a further 19 weeks studying academics at the college. A large contingent of international and

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...

students are part of the student body. The Royal Fleet Auxiliary sends its officer cadets to BRNC for a 10-week initial officer training course, before they start at a maritime college.

Royal cadets

King George V and

King George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of Ind ...

were naval cadets at Dartmouth. The first "significant encounter" between Prince Philip of Greece and the then Princess Elizabeth took place at Dartmouth in July 1939, where Philip was a naval cadet. Charles III and the

Duke of York Duke of York is a title of nobility in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. Since the 15th century, it has, when granted, usually been given to the second son of English (later British) monarchs. The equivalent title in the Scottish peerage was Du ...

also attended Dartmouth. The Prince of Wales spent a brief period at the College after leaving Sandhurst as part of his training with all three of Britain's Armed Forces. Sheikh Mubarak Ali Yousuf Suoud Al-Sabah, a member of the Royal Family of Kuwait, attended the Royal Navy Young Officer Course at Britannia Royal Naval College in 2002.

Commanders of the college

List below based on listing compiled by historian Colin Mackie; additional references are given in the list. *Captain William E. Goodenough: May 1905 – August 1907 *Captain Trevylyan D. W. Napier: August 1907 – July 1910 *Captain

Hugh Evan-Thomas Admiral (Royal Navy), Admiral Sir Hugh Evan-Thomas, (27 October 1862 – 30 August 1928) was a British Royal Navy officer. During World War I he commanded the 5th Battle Squadron (United Kingdom), 5th Battle Squadron of the Grand Fleet, fly ...

: July 1910 – July 1912 *Captain the Hon. Victor A. Stanley: July 1912 – ? 1914 *Rear-Admiral Trevylyan D. W. Napier: September–December 1914 *Captain

Edmond Hyde Parker Admiral Edmond Hyde Parker, CB (30 January 1868 – 19 August 1951) was a Royal Navy officer. Life and career The son of Sir William Parker, 9th Baronet, Parker came from a family with strong naval connections over five generations. His grandfa ...

: ? 1914 – February 1915 *Captain Norman C. Palmer: February 1915 – May 1916 *Rear-Admiral William G. E. Ruck Keene: May 1916 – January 1919 *Captain Eustace la T. Leatham: February 1919 – February 1921 *Captain Francis A. Marten: February 1921 – January 1923 *Captain the Hon.

Herbert Meade Admiral Sir Herbert Meade-Fetherstonhaugh, (né Meade; 3 November 1875 – 27 October 1964) was a British admiral in the Royal Navy. Biography He was born in London as Herbert Meade, the third son of the then Baron Gillford, who later became, in ...

: January 1923 – February 1926 *Captain Martin E. Dunbar-Nasmith: February 1926 – February 1929 *Captain Sidney J. Meyrick: February 1929 – December 1931 *Captain Norman A. Wodehouse: December 1931 – December 1934 *Captain Reginald V. Holt: December 1934 – December 1936 *Captain Frederick H. G. Dalrymple-Hamilton: December 1936 – November 1939 *Captain Robert L. B. Cunliffe: December 1939 – April 1942 *Captain Edward A. Aylmer: April 1942 – December 1943 *Captain Gerald H. Warner: December 1943–? *Captain Peveril B. R. W. William-Powlett: January 1946 – February 1948 *Captain Hugh W. Faulkner: February 1948 – August 1949 *Captain Norman V. Dickinson: August 1949 – April 1951 *Captain Richard T. White: April 1951 – August 1953 *Captain William G. Crawford: August 1953 – April 1956 *Captain William J. Munn: April 1956 – August 1958 *Captain Frank H. E. Hopkins: August 1958 – August 1960 *Captain Horace R. Law: August 1960 – December 1961 *Captain W. John Parker: December 1961 – September 1963 *Captain John E. L. Martin: September 1963 – August 1966 *Captain Ian W. Jamieson: August 1966 – April 1968 *Captain David Williams: April 1968 – September 1970 *Captain A. Gordon Tait: September 1970 – August 1972 *Captain

John M. Forbes John Murray Forbes (February 23, 1813 – October 12, 1898) was an American railroad magnate, merchant, philanthropist and abolitionist. He was president of both the Michigan Central railroad and the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad in ...

: August 1972 – September 1974 *Captain Michael A. Higgs: September 1974 – September 1976 *Captain Paul W. Greening: September 1976 – October 1978 *Captain Nicholas J. S. Hunt: October 1978 – June 1980 *Captain J. Julian R. Oswald: June 1980 – June 1982 *Captain Timothy M. Bevan: June 1982 – September 1984 *Captain George M. Tullis: September 1984 – 1987 *Captain John R. Brigstocke: 1987–89 *Captain J. Robert Shiffner: 1989–91 *Captain Richard G. Hastilow: 1991–93 *Captain Simon Moore: 1993–95 *Captain Anthony P. Masterton-Smith: 1995 – January 1998 *Commodore Roy A. G. Clare: January 1998 – 1999 *Commodore Mark W. G. Kerr: 1999–2002 *Commodore C. Anthony Johnstone-Burt: 2002–04 *Commodore Richard J. Ibbotson: 2004–05 *Commodore Timothy Harris: 2005 – April 2007 *Commodore Martin B. Alabaster: April 2007 – September 2008 *Commodore Jake K. Moores: September 2008 – March 2011 *Commodore Simon P. Williams: March 2011 – September 2012 *Captain Jerry Kyd: September 2012 – February 2014 *Captain Henry Duffy: February 2014 – September 2016 *Captain Jolyon Woodard: September 2016 – September 2019 *Captain Roger Readwin: September 2019 – May 2022 *Captain

Sarah Oakley Captain Sarah Ellen Oakley (born February 1973) is a British Royal Navy officer, currently serving as commanding officer of the Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth. In the Iraq War, Oakley worked in oil platform protection. Her first c ...

: May 2022 – Present

Images

File:Royal Naval college-3 alt.jpg, The college taken from the other side of the Dart at Kingswear File:BRNC.jpg, International air cadets from the

International Air Cadet Exchange The International Air Cadet Exchange is an annual student exchange program designed to promote character, good-will, and cooperation among the world's civilian auxiliary aviation programs. Participants come from organizations such as the Air Tra ...

on the main steps. File:TeamBuildingAtBRNC.jpg, Cadets at BRNC participate in a practical leadership task (PLT). File:BRNC Dartmouth.JPG, BRNC from the town quay

Former students

References

Sources

* *

External links

Official web siteThe Dreadnought ProjectThe Britannia Association
{{Coord, 50, 21, 26, N, 03, 34, 58, W, region:GB_type:edu_scale:3000, display=title Educational institutions established in 1863 Racquets venues Education in Devon Naval academies Training establishments of the Royal Navy Military academies of the United Kingdom 1863 establishments in the United Kingdom Economy of Devon Dartmouth, Devon Military history of Dartmouth