Military might

• Wellington College, Berkshire

Of the first 76 boys who arrived at Wellington College, founded in memory of the Iron Duke in January 1859, 49 were orphan sons of army officers—to be known as ‘Foundationers’—paying between £10 and £20 a year. Today, the now co-ed school has more than 1,000 pupils, but it has stuck to its original foundation and still educates the children of deceased servicemen or women of the Armed Forces free of charge, as well as the orphaned children of people whom the governors deem to have died in acts of selfless bravery

• Cheltenham College, Gloucestershire

Cheltenham College is one of only three schools (with Eton and The Duke of York’s Royal Military School) to have its own military colours. They were last formally presented to the College CCF in 2000 by The Princess Royal

• Eton College, Berkshire

A total of 37 Old Etonians have been awarded the Victoria Cross (VC), in conflicts from the Crimean War to the Falklands War—the most of any school. The impressive Eton College CCF Tattoo happens on the eve of the Fourth of June each year, with a parade of cadets and the presentation of the Honourable Artillery Company Sword of Honour

• Haileybury, Hertfordshire

Although Haileybury’s connection with the military is not as prominent as it once was (see page 112), a walk around the Quadrangle and along the Terrace to see the many plaques and memorials is a reminder of the long list of alumni who made the ultimate sacrifice, including 17 who were awarded the VC

• The Duke of York’s Royal Military School, Kent

Opened in 1803 as a school for the children of military personnel, this state boarding school started taking civilian families in 2010, but its military heritage is still its USP. A full marching band, incorporating a core of 28 drummers and buglers, leads the school’s regular parades, which culminate in a full Trooping the Colour ceremony on Grand Day, when prize-giving takes place. Sixth-form students take leadership roles (right)

• Royal Hospital School, Suffolk

Established in 1712 as part of Greenwich Hospital to provide an education for boys from a seafaring background, the Royal Hospital School garnered the nickname ‘The Cradle of the Navy’. In 1933, it moved to its current Suffolk campus and, although it’s no longer a military school, traditions have stuck; the School Ensign is raised and lowered each day, pupils don naval uniforms and are taught the rudiments of marching for parades. Houses are named after prominent naval figures, too

• Pangbourne College, Berkshire

Now a thriving co-ed boarding and day school, Pangbourne College was called The Nautical College when it was founded in 1917 with the aim of producing highquality officers for the British Merchant Navy. Until 1969, pupils were known as cadets and the tradition of wearing a uniform based on those in the Royal Navy continues today. In 2000, The Queen opened The Falkland Islands Memorial Chapel at the school, commemorating the 255 British servicemen who lost their lives in the 1982 conflict