Page 18 - The Bugle Autumn 2016 Issue 12

2Lt Gavin Knox: Gavin comes from Bolden, County Durham (he is a Sunderland supporter!) and was educated at Grindon Hall School and Newcastle College. His father has worked all over the world and Gavin has spent some of his childhood in Nigeria. From school he joined the Coldstream Guards as a Guardsman and was involved in a Royal wedding and Trooping the Colour. He gained promotion to Lance Corporal a year after passing basic training. He has been on exeercise in Kenya and did two training cycles for Op HERRICK although did not deploy. At Sandhurst he helped run a skiing expedition and ran a trip for 12 of cer cadets to America for 12 days over the New Year. Notably Gavin won the Queen’s Medal at Sandhurst which is an outstanding achievement and one in the eye for the graduates! Gavin joined 2RIFLES.
2Lt Will Lancashire: Will comes from Gloucestershire and he was educated at Dean Close. Will took a Gap Year where he cycled Land’s End to John O’Groats, ran a Tough Guy race, worked in the Finnish Arctic as a dog sled guide and taught for three months in rural Uganda. He then went ot St John’s College Cambridge to read natural Sciences studying Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Cell Biology before graduating in Astrophysics. He spent three years in the Cambridge UOTC where he was Senior Under Of cer, attended a US course at Fort Lewis, completed two Cambrian Patrols. He planned and led an unsupported foot crossing of Iceland, a two week ski-mountaineering expedition in the Norwegian Arctic and a solo cycle ride from the Himalayas almost to the Taj Mahal. Will joined 3RIFLES.
2Lt Chris Needham: Chris comes from Halesowen and was educated at Old Swinford Hospital School and Aberystwyth where he graduated with a 1st in Sport and Exrecise Science. He played rugby at school and university and captained his UOTC side. Through the UOTC he also gained his Day Skipper quali cation and led an expedition at Sandhurst. He was in the Wales OTC, gained his PTI quali cation, led a Cambrian Patrol which won a Gold Medal, completed the Reserve Commissioning Course and took over a platoon with 4MERCIAN. After University he worked for ve months for a charity helping care for children in poor communities in Mozam- bique, Swaziland, Namibia and Uganda. Chris joined 5RIFLES.
2Lt Ben Smith: Ben coincidentally also comes from Bolden where he was originally at school with Gavin Knox! He was then educated at King’s Tynemouth and Edinburgh University where he graduated with a 2:1/Masters in English Literature. At school he captained the 1st XV in rugby and played at county level. He got involved with skiing, ceilidhing and diving, represented the university in rowing and rugby and was successful with Reserve Selection. After University he studied for 5 months at Petrozavodsk State University, taught English to children, students and business managers and partici- pated in the Baikal Ice Marathon. Ben joined 3RIFLES.
2Lt Matt Smith: Matt is from an Army family as his father was a Major in the RAMC which led to time living in Germany, Brunei and nally Hereford where the family settled and Matt went to school and college. He then went to King’s College London and achieved a 1st in History. In London he did boxing training during his rst year and Hockey in his second. He joined the UOTC, gained a Silver Medal on the Cambrian patrol, was attached to 4RIFLES for seven weeks in Canada in 2012 under James Gaynor and led a section of 7RIFLES on an escape and evasion exercise. He nished up as JUO. After university, he spent a ski season in Tignes without a guaranteed job and ended up working in a restaurant. Matt joined 4RIFLES.
We welcome into the regiment the following of cers who commissioned on 12th August 2016:
2Lt Alex Andreoli: Alex was born in Italy but grew up in North London and was educated at The Latymer School and Loughborough University where he gained a 1st in Physics. His main passion is rugby having captained his school 1st XV for three years (and coached it for two) and captained Saracens age groups from U17 to U19s. He also represented Middlesex from U15 to U23 level and played semi-professional rugby in Italy over two summers. At Lough- borough, he played League for the University 1st XII before joining the OTC where he again captained the rugby team which won two Rose Cup 10s tournaments and went on skiing and mountaineering expeditions. His other passion is music and at school went on a number of European tours. Alex joins 5RIFLES.
2Lt Mark Bennett: Mark comes from Wiltshire and he went to Warminster School and then Kent University where he graduated with a 2:1 in War Studies. At school he was involved on two expedi- tions canoeing the Telemark Canal and hiking in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. He was also head boy at Warminster, gained an Army Scholarship and joined the London UOTC while at Canterbury gaining a Reserve Commission and was badged with 7RIFLES. He got involved in plenty of adventurous training activites with the OTC and has been skiing and sailing as well diving with his family in Cuba. He was a JUO at Sandhurst. His brother was originally in 6RIFLES but has now joined the Parachute Regiment as a soldier. Mark joins 2RIFLES.
2Lt Sam Burgess: Sam originates from Bath and was educated at Monkton Combe and Durham where he gained a 1st in Theology and gained a Vice Chancellor’s scholarship. He then went to Kings College Cambridge to do his Masters and again nished top of his course. In 2012 he was awarded a scholarship to study for a PhD in Political Theology at St Cross College Oxford. Sam boxed and played rugby at Durham and boxed for the Blues squad at Cambridge. He joined the UOTC at Cambridge and trained with the US Army in Washington State. He was awarded a six month fellowship at the US Congress’ John Kluge Institute and while at Oxford he tutored undergraduates in Ethics and was deputy chairman of the Oxford East Conservative Association. Sam joins 1RIFLES.
2Lt Tom Farrow: Tom comes from Taunton and was educated at King’s College Taunton and Birmingham University where he gained a 1st in War Studies. At school he played rugby and hockey and competed in athletics. He was a member of the RM section of the CCF. During his Gap Year he spent three months in Nepal trekking to Everest base camp and working for a month for a Nepalese childrens’ trust at a residential home in Kathmandu. He then spent four months travelling in South America (Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Brazil) and helped out at a volunteer station in the jungle involved in rainforest conservation. Tom was interested in the Ri es as his grandfather served for thirty years in the Durham Light Infantry (1934-1964). Tom joins 4RIFLES.
2Lt Harry Saunders: Harry comes from Hampshire and was educated at Sherborne and Bath University where he gained a 2:2 in Economics. During his Gap Year he worked for an insurance company in London before going to Argentina for four months learning Spanish in Barriloche and Buenos Aires and then travelling to Chile, Peru and Bolivia. He ended his Gap Year as a sailing instructor in Menorca for three months. At school he planned and
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THE RIFLES