Britannia Royal Naval College
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Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC), Dartmouth, is the location of initial officer training in the Royal Navy, and is located on a hill overlooking the town of Dartmouth in the county of Devon, England.
The training of naval officers at Dartmouth dates from 1863 when the wooden hulks HMS Britannia and HMS Hindostan were moored in the River Dart. Prior to this there had been a Royal Naval Academy (later Royal Naval College) at Portsmouth from 1733 to 1837. The shore-based college at Dartmouth was designed by Sir Aston Webb and was completed in 1905.
The college was originally known as the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, and as a Royal Naval shore establishment was
additionally known by the ship name HMS Britannia. The college was given its present name in
1953, when the name Britannia was given to the newly-launched royal yacht,
Cadets originally joined the Royal Naval College, Osborne, at the age of 13 for two years before joining Dartmouth, and thereafter cadets spent four years at Dartmouth before starting sea training at 17. RNC Osborne closed in 1923. The entry age was changed to 16 in 1948, and to 17 and 6 months in 1955. Until 1941, Dartmouth was in effect a specialised boarding school, with parents paying fees for tuition and board. Today, most officer cadets, as they are known until they go into the "senior phase", can join between the ages of 18 and 26 some after finishing university, although many still join directly from school. All spend between 28 and 49 weeks at the college, depending on specialisation. There is also a large contingent of foreign and Commonwealth students.
King George V and King George VI were naval cadets at Dartmouth, as were the present Duke of Edinburgh, Prince of Wales and Duke of York. It is said that the Duke of Edinburgh first met the then Princess Elizabeth at Dartmouth.
With the closure of the Royal Naval College, Greenwich, in 1998, BRNC Dartmouth is the sole remaining naval college in the United Kingdom.
Entry
To enter as an officer-cadet, British entrants must have 140 or more UCAS points (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service). Prospective cadets then proceed to the Admiralty Interview Board, where they are tested mentally and physically. Several mental aptitude tests are administered, along with a basic physical fitness test and a medical examination.
 Britannia Royal Naval College. |
 International exchange cadets on the BRNC campus |
 Cadets at BRNC participate in a team problem-solving exercise. |
 BRNC as seen from the town quay |
See also
External links
| Initial Officer Training Establishments of the British Armed Forces | |
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Britannia Royal Naval College |  Royal Military Academy Sandhurst | 
RAF College Cranwell |
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