Sandhurst

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EDLT

Original Poster:

15,421 posts

207 months

Monday 19th September 2011
quotequote all
Like the young soldiers series on BBC3 following squaddies-to-be on their way through basic training, Sandhurst (on BBC4) follows wannabe officers on their way through... er... Sandhurst.

This week has focused mostly on the male officers, some with an hilarious overestimation of their abilities, such as the nob who thought going to sit in the woods for a couple of days would sort the men from the boys (while implying he was the former) only to be told later that he was one of the worst in his group hehe

The bits about the female officers had me worried, far too much crying for people who are going to be put on the front line.

Actually, why do they train them separately, any former officers on here know?

FisiP1

1,279 posts

154 months

Monday 19th September 2011
quotequote all
Liked the show, wasn't impressed by the cadets, the chaps on Young Soldiers were ten times more ready than most of the Sandhurst recruits, I understand it was the very start of the training but still, some of them had absolutely no clue what they were getting into.

R1_NUR

1,087 posts

251 months

Monday 19th September 2011
quotequote all
Very entertaining!

But it is a TV programme - edited for the low lights. And they set new standards!

The good guys will get thru Sandhurst and make us all proud. We were just shown the nobs! Don't even get me started on the headband - lol

difontaine42

272 posts

211 months

Monday 19th September 2011
quotequote all
It was very entertaining but a lot was missed. Fitting 14 weeks into 1 hour isn't very easy.

There wasn't much shouting or beastings and they missed a lot of the detail that makes it a pain in the arse.

The girls are trained with the men and they do all the same stuff but they have their own platoon.

EDLT

Original Poster:

15,421 posts

207 months

Monday 19th September 2011
quotequote all
difontaine42 said:
It was very entertaining but a lot was missed. Fitting 14 weeks into 1 hour isn't very easy.

There wasn't much shouting or beastings and they missed a lot of the detail that makes it a pain in the arse.

The girls are trained with the men and they do all the same stuff but they have their own platoon.
I think the first show just did the first 4 weeks, it wasn't very clear. There are another two, I assume the last one being about them in Afghanistan.

evenflow

8,788 posts

283 months

Tuesday 20th September 2011
quotequote all
Very interesting programme.

I don't think I've ever felt more sorry for the guy who - on his very first morning - drained his water bottle and then barfed copiously and loudly on the floor.

That is a true nightmare.

lockhart flawse

2,041 posts

236 months

Tuesday 20th September 2011
quotequote all
They picked a reasonable cross-section of the sort of people who go although I was surprised by the tattoos. There was one guy on my course who was 36 and going into the Education corps but he had to do the same as everyone else. We never had to drink a whole water-bottle down in one go - I wonder if that is something that has come from ops in Iraq and Afghanistan. What the programme has not got across so far is how completely knackering it is. I have never been so tired over such a long period, nor as fit, as I was at Sandhurst. I have my passing out photo on my office wall (at home) and a chap in the front row is actually asleep.

L.F.

greygoose

8,262 posts

196 months

Tuesday 20th September 2011
quotequote all
EDLT said:
The bits about the female officers had me worried, far too much crying for people who are going to be put on the front line.

Actually, why do they train them separately, any former officers on here know?
To stop them getting pregnant?

difontaine42

272 posts

211 months

Tuesday 20th September 2011
quotequote all
greygoose said:
EDLT said:
The bits about the female officers had me worried, far too much crying for people who are going to be put on the front line.

Actually, why do they train them separately, any former officers on here know?
To stop them getting pregnant?
They train together and live in the same accomodation. The corridors cross over. You could easily wander down into one of the girls rooms.

rhinochopig

17,932 posts

199 months

Tuesday 20th September 2011
quotequote all
difontaine42 said:
greygoose said:
EDLT said:
The bits about the female officers had me worried, far too much crying for people who are going to be put on the front line.

Actually, why do they train them separately, any former officers on here know?
To stop them getting pregnant?
They train together and live in the same accomodation. The corridors cross over. You could easily wander down into one of the girls rooms.
Given the navigation skills of some, that's a distinct possibility.

Madness60

571 posts

185 months

Tuesday 20th September 2011
quotequote all
Not sure why they do it differently, even when I went through Officer Training with the RAF we were mixed in with the girls right from the start.

Waits for comments about Army having traditions and RAF just having habits etc etc

rhinochopig

17,932 posts

199 months

Tuesday 20th September 2011
quotequote all
Madness60 said:
Not sure why they do it differently, even when I went through Officer Training with the RAF we were mixed in with the girls right from the start.

Waits for comments about Army having traditions and RAF just having habits etc etc
As I understand it, the reasoning behind that decision is an attempt to stave off the natural homosexual tendencies of your average RAF officer biggrin

Madness60

571 posts

185 months

Tuesday 20th September 2011
quotequote all
rhinochopig said:
As I understand it, the reasoning behind that decision is an attempt to stave off the natural homosexual tendencies of your average RAF officer biggrin
Well that didn't take long!!! However you seem to have confused the RAF with the Navy!

clonmult

10,529 posts

210 months

Wednesday 21st September 2011
quotequote all
difontaine42 said:
greygoose said:
EDLT said:
The bits about the female officers had me worried, far too much crying for people who are going to be put on the front line.

Actually, why do they train them separately, any former officers on here know?
To stop them getting pregnant?
They train together and live in the same accomodation. The corridors cross over. You could easily wander down into one of the girls rooms.
The ex's brother went through Sandhurst, he's a bloody good bloke. We helped him kart in all of his kit, and was pleasantly surprised to be seeing a few women in the mix, so assumed that they did most things together.

Haven't seen the show, but maybe they've done some creative editing to make it look like they're kept apart?

inman999

25,430 posts

174 months

Wednesday 21st September 2011
quotequote all
EDLT said:
I think the first show just did the first 4 weeks, it wasn't very clear. There are another two, I assume the last one being about them in Afghanistan.
It was the first 5 weeks with a few other bits thrown in. Longreach is week 5.

The "nob" with the headband is in my company after getting injured.

Don't think he thought he would still be here when the programme aired.

inman999

25,430 posts

174 months

Wednesday 21st September 2011
quotequote all
difontaine42 said:
inman999 said:
It was the first 5 weeks with a few other bits thrown in. Longreach is week 5.

The "nob" with the headband is in my company after getting injured.

Don't think he thought he would still be here when the programme aired.
Longreach is week 6.
That's what I meant. Reality check after long weekend

Elroy Blue

8,688 posts

193 months

Wednesday 21st September 2011
quotequote all
Madness60 said:
Well that didn't take long!!! However you seem to have confused the RAF with the Navy!
I had two girls directly opposite my cabin at Dartmouth. And another few down the corridor. Sadly, they all seem to have been issued extra large hips when they got their kit.




Madness60

571 posts

185 months

Wednesday 21st September 2011
quotequote all
Elroy Blue said:
I had two girls directly opposite my cabin at Dartmouth. And another few down the corridor. Sadly, they all seem to have been issued extra large hips when they got their kit.
Upside down legs seem to be issued at Cranwell these days!

Asterix

24,438 posts

229 months

Thursday 22nd September 2011
quotequote all
If you want to watch something that's a bit more informative watch this - The BBC show from the 80's, The Paras - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zT61kdo_gww

Even this was slated at the time for not showing the real 'encouragement' etc.. provided by the Directing Staff. They were known as the Hollywood Platoon.

ninja-lewis

4,242 posts

191 months

Thursday 22nd September 2011
quotequote all
Asterix said:
If you want to watch something that's a bit more informative watch this - The BBC show from the 80's, The Paras - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zT61kdo_gww

Even this was slated at the time for not showing the real 'encouragement' etc.. provided by the Directing Staff. They were known as the Hollywood Platoon.
You can actually watch The Paras and various other old documentaries on the BBC site now - all uploaded as part of the Army: A Very British Institution season that they've got going on at the moment.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/collections/p00hl622/...