Page 17 - Bugle Autumn 2014

prior to being recommended for a commission. He is a keen sportsman having competed at county level in tennis and football and represented the ACF (where he reached the rank of CSM) at National Level in Athletics competing in 100m, shot, javelin and sprint relay. He has taught himself to play the piano, guitar and drums which will make him a popular neighbour in the Officers’ Mess and has rebuilt his own car. Nick joins the 4th Battalion.
2Lt Simon Swindells: Simon Swindells was born in Northern Ireland but his family moved to Australia when he was 10 and he was educated at Brisbane High School and Queensland University where he gained a 2:1 in Law and Journalism. He also gained a Bachelor’s degree equivalent in the clarinet and saxophone. After university he worked as an associate to a judge at the Federal
Court of Australia and he has qualified as a solicitor and legal practitioner. He played rugby at first grade level in the Queensland state competition and speaks, to varying degrees, French, Portuguese, Solomon Island pidgin and Tetum (not to mention Australian!). At university, he joined the Officer Training Regiment and gained a Reserve Commission. He attended the regular Platoon Commander’s Course and did a nine month operational tour in
East Timor as a platoon commander in charge of 45 Australian Army infantrymen and New Zealand cavalry troopers. He returned to Ireland to pursue his Army application. Simon won the Sword of Honour at Sandhurst and joins the 2nd Battalion.
We welcome the following officers into the regiment, commissioned on 8th August 2014:
2Lt Steve Burton: Steve comes from Stoke on Trent and was educated at St Thomas RC School before joining The Royal Signals in 2007 and reaching the rank of Cpl. His Army service prior to Sandhurst revolved mainly around Afghanistan tours which included a tour with 40 Commando based in Sangin and, later, as part of a multi national SF team training a Police special unit but has also been to Libya, Jordan, Kenya and Canada. He has always been a very keen sportsman playing football for the Stoke City Academy, rugby for a local club and the Signals Corps team and lacrosse for the corps and the Army as well as competing in the York triathlon. I know that he is particularly pleased to have won the Communication and Information Systems prize at Sandhurst! Steve joins the 4th Battalion.
2Lt Alex Creed: Alex comes from Oxford and was at educated at St Edwards, Oxford and Surrey university where he graduated with a 2:1 in Music which runs deep in his family. He plays the cello, percussion, piano and was involved in several choirs and musicals and has conducted many times. He was also selected to perform
in the Olympics opening ceremony. After university he taught music and coached hockey teams at the RGS Guildford and set up a company providing teachers in all subjects at an orphanage school on the Kenyan/Ugandan border. His Gap Year was spent coaching hockey at St Edwards, doing a ski season as a chalet host and then going to work at an elephant orphanage in Thailand. He has always wanted to be in the Army and was the Sword of Honour winner in his CCF and JUO with London UOTC. He did a TA Commission and was a TASO with 7RIFLES. Alex won the RMAS prize presented for extra mural and all round contribution to the Commissioning Course. Alex joins the 1st Battalion.
2Lt Joe Fellows: Joe comes from Wiltshire and was educated at King Edwards Bath and Manchester where he gained a 2:2 in
Economics and Criminology. He is a keen all round sportsman but his main success has been in Hockey where he gained 15 caps for Wales U 18s playing in the European Championships in Italy in 2007 and captained the university team to success. He has also played football and rugby for his school firsts. Since university he has competed in, amongst others, the Rome Marathon and Triathlons at the GB Olympic distance and Wales middle distance. At Sandhurst he won the Academy cross country and steeplechase and was a member of the successful Sandhurst Cup team in the USA. Not surprisingly won the best at PT award for his intake. Joe joins the 1st Battalion.
2Lt Will Groombridge: Will was born in Truro but, as his father was a Sqn Ldr in the RAF, he had no fixed abode until the family settled near Shrewsbury. He was educated at Shrewsbury Sixth Form College and Cardiff university where he gained a 2:1 in Geology. While working on his dissertation, he spent six weeks in Spain during which time he ran with the bulls in Pamplona . At school
he helped to set up a rugby team and has played for Oswestry as an occasional player since and he was a member of the Academy Sevens rugby team that competed in the Breda Games. He has played cricket for a local side and also enjoys kayaking and skiing. Will joins the 5th Battalion.
2Lt Humph Maddan: Comes from a military family and his parents are currently in Catterick where his father, a Grenadier, is commanding ITC Catterick. Humph was educated at Radley and Durham where he gained a 2:1 in Engineering. On his Gap Year,
he spent 4 months working in a game lodge in Kenya and another 4 months teaching Physics at a school in Gambia before taking
a Shooting Train around southern Africa. His main sport is tennis where he was President and Captain of his college tennis club at university but was also in the rowing VIII at Radley. Through his church he has led volunteers in running adventure training camps for schoolchildren in Norfolk. Humph won the award for the cadet who he demonstrated the most “Innovation, Dare and Purpose” on the course – a fitting award for a Riflemen. Humph joins the 5th Battalion.
2Lt Andrew Miller: Born in Belgium and living in Sweden for four years, Andrew’s home is now in Surrey and he was educated at Reeds School, Cobham and Exeter where he graduated with a 2:1 in Politics. He is an accomplished hockey player having played in the National Premier League and been in the England U21 squad and he is a well qualified hockey coach. He also plays cricket
and rugby. During his Gap Year, he spent 11 months working
in the parliamentary office of David Gauke MP getting involved
in the constituency casework amongst other responsibilities. At Sandhurst, Andrew won the Trust Prize for the Officer Cadet who obtained the best aggregate mark in the Academic Studies. Andrew joins the 3rd Battalion.
2Lt Mark Topham: Also comes from an Army background and
his father Lt Col Christopher Topham (RIFLES) is currently at the AOSB. Mark was educated at Ampleforth and Edinburgh where he graduated in Biological Science. During his Gap Year, Mark worked at a school in Adelaide teaching PE and outdoor education including kayaking (he was an unofficial instructor in Australia), hiking and coaching cricket to the year eight students. He enjoys hockey where he played for the university 1sts for two years, rugby, cricket & skiing and has cycled from Pisa to Barcelona. Mark joins the 3rd Battalion.
THE RIFLES
REGIMENTAL GAZETTE 15