Britannia Association Historical Timeline

From: Harrold J & Porter R, 2007: Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth: An Illustrated History: (Richard Webb, Dartmouth)

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1843 The term 'Naval Cadet' used officially for the first time, though the term had been in common use for many years previously.
1857 Admiralty decides officer cadets should serve on board a training vessel, initially HMS Illustrious at Haslar Creek Portsmouth.
1859 1st January Illustrious replaced by HMS Britannia.
1860 HMS Prince of Wales launched (later HMS Britannia)
1863 30th September Britannia arrives in the Dart.
1864 HMS Hindostan arrives.
1869 Second Britannia arrives in the Dart (previously HMS Prince of Wales)
1874 Committee set up and chaired by Ad. E. B. Rice to look in to health and general training of cadets.
1875 Rice Committee reports that a college should be built on shore.
1876 July Committee under chairmanship of Ad. G. G. Wellesley formed to look into the acquisition of a site and considers thirty two sites.
1877 Prince Albert Victor and Prince George (later King George V) join as cadets.
1878 Passing –Out photographs first take.
1878 First Beagle pack founded.
1884 February Britannia Magazine first published.
1884 May The Wave arrives, (barque rigged vessel of 300 tons)
1885 Yet another committee suggests moving training to The Solent.
1895 15th November Admiralty Board proposes to revise existing cadet training scheme.
1896 March First Lord of the Admiralty announces that a new college will be built at Dartmouth.
1900 18th April Admiralty accepts tender from Higgs & Hill to build the college for £220,600 in three and a half years.
1902 7th March Edward VII lays the Foundation Stone.
1902 September Sick Quarters opened, three years ahead of the main College.
1902 25th December 'Selborne Memorandum' on officer training published.
1903 Cyril Ashford appointed as first Headmaster of RNC Osborne.
1903 September RNC Osborne opens. Introduction of the Selborne Scheme.
1903 Prof. J A Ewing appointed as Director of Naval Education from University of Cambridge.
1904 Battleship HMS Britannia laid down and the old ship became known as HMSBritannia (hulk).
1905 14th September College opens.
1906 Swimming bath opened.
1906 Masters' Hostel opened.
1905 Rifle range under arches in use. 
1906 First introduction of the new six term scheme. (Blake, Drake, Greynville, Hawke, Rodney (later re-named  Exmouth)  and St Vincent.
1907 E Block opens.
1907 Swimming bath covered in.
1909 May Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII) joins as an 'Exmouth' term cadet.
1910 New squash courts completed.
1910 Visit of their Royal highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales.
1911 January Prince Albert (later King George VI) joins as a Greynville cadet.
1911 February Epidemic of measles and mumps kills two cadets and is also caught by Prince Edward and Prince Albert.
1911 March HRH the Prince of Wales passed out.
1913 New entrance to grounds, from North constructed.
1913 Special Entry begun for boys who had completed their education at public school.
1914 Construction of D Block begins.
1914 1st August Telegram to mobilize.
1914 Sept College re-opened.
1916 July The old Britannia is towed out of the Dart, her copper plating going to help the war effort.
1917 May New studies connecting 'D' Block completed.
1917 September HRH Prince George joined.
1917 September 'D' Block opens.
1918 9th November HMS Britannia, battleship sunk off Cape Trafalgar by German U-Boat.
1920 March HRH Prince George passed out.
1920 First hard courts behind 'D' Block completed.
1920 May Admiralty decides to close RNC Osborne.
1921 20th May Closure of RNC Osborne.
1921 Five new terms at Dartmouth from Osborne; Anson, Benbow, Hood, Rodney and Duncan.
1924 23rd November Dedication of War Memorial Shrine.
1926 May Parade Ground laid out.
1927 New rifle range opened.
1927 Presentation of yacht Amaryllis.
1930 January New Canteen opened.
1937 'House' system replaces terms; Blake, Exmouth, Grenville, Hawke and St Vincent. (Drake was the House for the two junior terms)
1937 May The mast of the yacht Britannia erected on the canteen.
1938 5th-6th July Ninth Infantry Brigade under the leadership of Brigadier B. L.  Montgomery, accommodated at the College.
1938 15th October Montgomery visits the College and presents a statuette in gratitude for the help given on 5th-6th July of that year.
1939 22nd-23rd July King George VI, Queen Elizabeth, and the Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret visit the College.
1942 18th September College bombed.
1942 3rd October College moves to Bristol to become HMS Britannia IV.
1943 1st February Cadets of HMS Britannia re-assembled at Eaton Hall, Cheshire.
1943 HMS Effingham, The Combined Operations Headquarters under Mountbatten move into the college buildings. The US Navy occupies the college.
1946 19th September RNC returns to Dartmouth.
1948 September Cadets enter Dartmouth age 16 years. Fees for tuition and boarding abolished.
1949 May Last of the 13 year old entry.
1949 Winter term The Chapel of Remembrance is opened.
1953 1st July Following commissioning of Royal Yacht HMY Britannia College becomes HMS Dartmouth.  
1954 Committee on Officer Structure & Training (COST) reports on 18 year old entry training scheme.
1955 COST scheme necessitates many internal alterations to the College.
1955 May First 18 year old cadets join.
1956 Director of Studies replaces post of Headmaster. House system replaced by five 'divisions'; Blake, Drake, Exmouth, Grenville and St Vincent. Dartmouth Training Squadron  (DTS) operational.
1955 July BRNC celebrates its Golden Jubilee.
1956 College receives the Freedom of the Borough of Dartmouth.
1957 Royal Marine Band arrives.
1958 May Queen's Colour is presented to the College.
1958 Murray Committee increased minimum entry to BRNC to two 'A' levels.
1959 First Upper Yardmen entry at BRNC.
1960 September Murray Scheme Introduced. First year professional training at BRNC  (inc. DTS), second year at sea as a midshipman and third year at Dartmouth as acting sub-lieutenant for a one year academic course of first year degree standard.
1962 First special course for 'New Commonwealth' and foreign officers.
1963 Centenary Celebrations of HMS Britannia at Dartmouth.
1963 First five cadets selected for university entry instead of third year at BRNC.
1963 Hawke Division re-established in the old hospital quarters.
1964 Casper John Hall opens.
1965 First Direct graduate Entry.
1966 First University Cadet Entry (sponsored cadets).
1968 Cunningham replaced Exmouth and Jellicoe replaced Grenville as divisional titles.
1968 Work begins on the building of College Way.
1970 Drake Division abolished.
1971 Last Pay Parade on the Quarterdeck.
1972 'Naval College Entry' replaces Murray Scheme.
1972 Rank of Cadet abolished, all junior officers under training become midshipmen.
1973 HMS Walkerton joins as Navigational Training Tender.
1973 First women officers under training as QARNNS.
1973 Last of Murray Scheme cadets Pass Out.
1974 Special Duties Officers' Pre-Qualifying Course (St George) comes to Dartmouth.
1976 Women's officer training course moves from Greenwich to Dartmouth to form separate 'Talbot' Division.
1979 HM Ships Sandpiper and Peterel  join to form the Dartmouth Navigation Training Squadron and replace HMS Walkerton.
1985  Catering at the College is privatised.
1990 25th January Mast of Britannia lost from the Pavilion (canteen) during a severe storm along with twelve trees in the College grounds.
1990 Integration of male and female officer training.
1990 August Seamanship Training Vessel Hindostan arrives at Sandquay.
1990 12th December HMS Sandpiper and HMS Peterel (Dartmouth Navigation Training Squadron) decommissioned.
1992 Integration of female officers into BRNC. (Men and women follow the same course for the first time)
1995 September Integration of Foreign and Commonwealth Young Officers within Naval Studies course.
1996 Special Duties Officers' Course moves to BRNC on the closure RNC Greenwich.
1996 Contract with the commercial partner 'Flagship Training' initiated.
1997 Blake Division abolished.
1998 Three Divisions replaced by two Squadrons, 'Cunningham' and 'St Vincent'
1999 May Senior Upper Yardmen replace Special Duties Officers.
1999 Britannia Museum opened by HRH Prince Philip.
2000 Steele Report published.
2000 December Post of Director of Studies abolished.
2001 January First Head of Faculty appointed.
2001 December Learning Centre opened.
2003 May Six term entry introduced.
2003 September Post of Head of Faculty abolished.
2004 Academic Faculty merged with professional training and creation five 'pillars'.
2005 BRNC celebrates centenary
2007 11th January The Rt. Hon. Tony Blair MP is first serving British Prime Minister to visit the College.
2007 Establishment of the Britannia Museum Board of Trustees.
2008 1st July The University of Plymouth takes over responsibility for academic provision and staff.
2009 April New Initial Officer Training scheme introduced, returning to three term entry.