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If an OCdt is injured in training and cannot recover on course, they move to Lucknow Platoon until they recover enough to rejoin
where they left. The care and rehabilitation facili- ties are top quality, and the extra time to study can allow ‘Lucknonians’ to excel when they return to training.
Nonetheless, being off course and watching your friends commission without you can certainly be a blow to morale, as can the ‘Groundhog Day’ experience of daily rehab and life in the Old Col- lege basement.
With the support of the Sandhurst Trust, the Officer Cadets and staff, Lucknow Platoon were able to break the routine and get some much- needed fresh air visiting Fort Nelson, the Historic Dockyards, and the Mary Rose Museum.
Fort Nelson is a Victorian-era fort, one of a string of defences overlooking Portsmouth from Ports- down Hill. Renowned for being built “the wrong way round”, these were actually built to defend Portsmouth from attack from inland – it was expected that the French would land a force elsewhere and attempt to capture the port from the North.
Having just studied the principles of defence, it was interesting for the Platoon to see these put into action on a grand architectural scale. The tour guides gave us a visceral description of what would have been needed to take these forts, as well as explaining barrack life and the roles of officers at this time.
OCdt Iliopoulos
From here we moved to the Portsmouth Historic Dockyards. This hosts a number of museums, including the Mary Rose Museum and the oldest commissioned ship in the world, HMS Victory. In addition to being a great way to learn about the history of our sister service, the dockyards are a great day out. A highlight for me was seeing just how much had gone into the recovery of The Mary Rose from the bottom of the Solent, and how lovingly the museum had been built around it.
Our long day out was followed by a hearty pub meal and a great opportunity to socialise “out of the wire”. I cannot thank the Sandhurst Trust enough for helping us pay for the tours and museums, enabling a day that sent morale sky-high.
Fort Nelson is free admission if you do not wish to have a tour guide. The Mary Rose Museum has 25% concessions, and the Historic Dock- yards are free for MOD 90 holders.
Lucknow Visits Portsmouth
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