Page 17 - Rifles 2017 Issue No 3

We welcome into the regiment the following of cers who commissioned on 16th December 2016:
2Lt James Blakemore: James comes from Berkshire and was educated at the Licensed Victuallers School in Ascot and Surrey University where he graduated in 2011 with a 2:1 in Law. He was in the UOTC and did the TASO scheme with F Coy 7RIFLES before joining the London Scots and went on exercises in Kazakhstan, Cyprus and Kenya. After University he worked for Aberdeen Asset Management in the City for a year. He played cricket and rugby at school, did diving expeditions to Egypt and Malta with the OTC gaining his sports diver quali cation. Due to an unfortunate injury he was in Lucknow platoon for two terms having entered Sandhurst in May 2015. James commissioned into 4RIFLES.
2Lt Dan Hunt: Dan comes from Surrey and was educated at Hampton School and Exeter where he graduated in 2014 with a 2:1 in Military History and a Masters in Applied Security Strategy. Before Sandhurst he lectured on Russian Foreign Policy at the Land Intelligence Fusion Cell and produced regional intelligence briefs on West Africa. He plays a number of sports but his main sport is tennis which he has played at national level, is a LTS Level 2 coach and has worked in the referee’s of ce at Wimbledon. He was an Army Bursar in the UOTC at Exeter. Dan commissioned into 2RIFLES.
2Lt Chris Kelk: Chris was born in London but as his father was British and mother French he was raised in both countries and is bilingual. He was educated at St John’s Leatherhead and Shef eld University where he graduated in 2013 with 2:1 in English Literature and, before going to Sandhurst, worked for Adventure Tourism Overseas, in journalism and as a climbing, tourism manager on a farm in South Africa. He has climbed for many years and has quali cations up to grade 8a and as an industrial abseiler. He is also a keen surfer, skier and led a sea kayaking expedition in Norway. He was in the UOTC at Shef eld. Chris commissioned into 2RIFLES.
2Lt Alex Raleigh: Alex comes from Taunton although he was born in BMH Rinteln as his father was in the Royal Signals and his mother was in the QARANC. He was educated at King’s Taunton and Cardiff Metro where he graduated in 2014 with a 2:1 in International Business Management. He took a Gap Year working in a NHS Hospital as a cleaner to nance a trip to South East Asia. He was a sports scholar at King’s and has maintained a healthy interest in sports since being involved in swimming, athletics and downhill skiing although his primary interest has been rugby. While in the Wales UOTC he captained the Army Reserve Wales team and was selected to represent the Army “A” team. At Sandhurst he has played for the academy 1st XV and been on tour with them to New Zealand. Alex commissioned into 5RIFLES.
2Lt Timo Slack: Timo also comes from Taunton and was educated at Richard Huish College and King’s College London where he graduated in 2014 with a 2:1 in History. He then went to Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge and gained an MPhil in Modern South Asian Studies. During his Gap Year he spent three months in Darjeeling and explored India, Nepal and Myanmar. In 2015 he went back to India to teach at Mayo College for three months during the simmer. He speaks Hindi and Nepali. He was in the London UOTC
and brie y a Reserve Platoon Commander with G Coy 7RIFLES. At school he played cricket and rugby and at KCL was in the cross country team. At Cambridge he rowed for his college. He is a member of the British Association of War cemeteries in South East Asia and a Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society. Timo commissioned into 2RIFLES.
We welcome into the regiment the following of cers who commissioned on 13th April 2017:
2Lt George Bayless: George comes from Hayling Island and from an Army family. His father was in the Royal Artillery and his mother in the AGC SPS. He was educated at King’s College Taunton and Exeter (Cornwall Campus) where he graduated in 2015 with a 2:1 in History. While there he joined 6RIFLES during his time at university rather than join the OTC and completed CIC. He is a keen sportsman playing rugby, cricket, hockey, tennis and athletics for school, captained his university rugby side and played for Havant RFC and has represented Sandhurst at rugby and cricket. He is also a keen yachtsman and has work experience at the National Maritime Museum in Cornwall and as a volunteer at the Somerset and Dorset animal rescue centre. George commissioned into 5RIFLES.
2Lt Andy Burnett: Andy is from Cornwall and was educated at Truro College and then went on to do an apprenticeship in vehicle diagnostics and repair with Mercedes Benz before branching out on his own. He is a keen motor-cyclist. He started Sandhurst in January 2013 but was medically discharged after injury and re- started on the May 2016 intake. He is a very keen mountain biker having competed in a number of competitions as well as in Viet Nam and New Zealand, has driven East to West across America and gained diving quali cations in Thailand, Egypt and the Dominican Republic. He is also a keen target and clay pigeon shot. Andy commissioned into 1RIFLES.
2Lt Nick Hudson: Nick comes from Gloucestershire and from a Green Jacket family through his grandfather and father. He was educated at Pates Grammar School and Exeter where he graduated in 2015 with a 2:1 in Politics and Economics. He did a Gap Year spending six months working as a Jackaroo before solo travel to New Zealand and South East Asia. At university he was president of the 430 strong university Lacrosse club winning the Southern premiership and reaching the semi- nals of the National Championships twice. He also helped the UOTC hockey team win the Army Minor Units cup and has gained quali cations in sailing, kayaking and skiing. Nick commissioned into 2RIFLES.
2Lt Miles van den Berg: Miles was born in Northern Ireland, where his father was in the RAF, and he was educated at Mill eld and East Anglia University, whence he graduated in 2014 with a 2:1 in International Relations and Modern History. While at Mill eld he developed his love for rugby and played at Twickenham in the national schools nal. He has since played for Sandhurst. At university, he was a keen member of the Cambridge UOTC, completed three Cambrian Patrols, did a Defence Engagement task in Macedonia and competed 5 weeks training with the US ROTC. He also spent three months prior to Sandhurst working on a small farm in Cape Cod. Miles commissioned into 5RIFLES.
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