Senior Officers' School
Encyclopedia
The Senior Officers' School is a British military establishment established in 1920 for the training of Commonwealth
senior officers of all services in inter-service cooperation. It was established as part of a wider attempt by the Army to create a coherent training plan for its officers.
The School was originally intended for senior majors of the British Army who aspired to regimental command and to ensure that all such candidates received suitable training. It was taken as an affront by some senior officers of the day, who resented the implication - true in some cases - that they were incapable of delivering the necessary training. The School attempted to widen officers' outlook by including in its syllabus subjects that were not immediately military but led to an appreciation of the wider political, geographical and technological environment in which the Army woul operate.
The School was originally based at Woking
but in the 1920s, it was transferred to Sheerness
. There was also a parallel establishment at Belgaum
in India.
Commonwealth
Commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has sometimes been synonymous with "republic."More recently it has been used for fraternal associations of some sovereign nations...
senior officers of all services in inter-service cooperation. It was established as part of a wider attempt by the Army to create a coherent training plan for its officers.
The School was originally intended for senior majors of the British Army who aspired to regimental command and to ensure that all such candidates received suitable training. It was taken as an affront by some senior officers of the day, who resented the implication - true in some cases - that they were incapable of delivering the necessary training. The School attempted to widen officers' outlook by including in its syllabus subjects that were not immediately military but led to an appreciation of the wider political, geographical and technological environment in which the Army woul operate.
The School was originally based at Woking
Woking
Woking is a large town and civil parish that shares its name with the surrounding local government district, located in the west of Surrey, UK. It is part of the Greater London Urban Area and the London commuter belt, with frequent trains and a journey time of 24 minutes to Waterloo station....
but in the 1920s, it was transferred to Sheerness
Sheerness
Sheerness is a town located beside the mouth of the River Medway on the northwest corner of the Isle of Sheppey in north Kent, England. With a population of 12,000 it is the largest town on the island....
. There was also a parallel establishment at Belgaum
Belgaum
Belgaum is a city and a municipal corporation in Belgaum district in the state of Karnataka, India. It is the fourth largest city of the state of Karnataka, the first three being Bangalore, Mysore, Hubli-Dharwad....
in India.
Alumni
- John Caunter, Brigadier, British Army
- Andrew CunninghamAndrew Cunningham, 1st Viscount Cunningham of HyndhopeAdmiral of the Fleet Andrew Browne Cunningham, 1st Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope KT, GCB, OM, DSO and two Bars , was a British admiral of the Second World War. Cunningham was widely known by his nickname, "ABC"....
, Admiral of the Fleet, Royal Navy - Kenneth LeaskKenneth LeaskAir Vice-Marshal Kenneth Malise Saint Clair Graeme Leask began his career as a World War I flying ace credited with eight aerial victories. He flew over 100 sorties, and survived being shot down three times. He attained the rank of Captain, and position as Flight Commander, in No. 84 Squadron...
, Air Vice-Marshal, Royal Air Force - John NorthcottJohn NorthcottLieutenant General Sir John Northcott KCMG, KCVO, CB was an Australian Army general who served as Chief of the General Staff during World War II, and commanded the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in the Occupation of Japan...
, Lieutenant General, Australian ArmyAustralian ArmyThe Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army... - Evered PooleEvered PooleMajor General William Henry Evered Poole, CB, CBE, DSO, Commander of the US Legion of Merit, Commander of the French Légion d'honneur, Croix de Guerre avec Palme, Mentioned in Despatches, was a South African soldier before and during World War II and afterwards a diplomat.-Early life:In October...
, Major General, South African ArmySouth African ArmyThe South African Army is the army of South Africa, first formed after the Union of South Africa was created in 1910.The South African military evolved within the tradition of frontier warfare fought by commando forces, reinforced by the Afrikaners' historical distrust of large standing armies... - Edmund Schreiber, Lieutenant-General
- John Tovey, Admiral of the Fleet, Royal Navy
- John Tyssen, Air Commodore, Royal Air Force
- John VerekerJohn Vereker, 6th Viscount GortField Marshal John Standish Surtees Prendergast Vereker, 6th Viscount Gort, VC, GCB, CBE, DSO & Two Bars, MVO, MC , was a British and Anglo-Irish soldier. As a young officer in World War I he won the Victoria Cross at the Battle of the Canal du Nord. During the 1930s he served as Chief of the...
, Field Marshal, British Army - Douglas WimberleyDouglas WimberleyMajor-General Douglas Neil Wimberley CB, DSO, MC was commander of the 51st Division at the Second Battle of El Alamein in World War II and lead it across North Africa to Sicily....
, Major General, British Army