Sherborne's First Sea Lord's Cadet

Congratulations to William Waters in the Lower Sixth who has been appointed as one of the First Sea Lord’s Cadets for this year. This is a prestigious appointment and the first in Sherborne’s rich history of running the Combined Cadet Force at the School.

William joined the Royal Navy section of the CCF when he was in year 10 and he was instantly hooked. With aspirations to join the Navy, having the opportunity to join the CCF at Sherborne enabled William to improve all of those things that would prepare him for if and when he became an officer in the Royal Navy. William said ''The amazing support from the staff and instructors at Sherborne led to me rising through the ranks and when the opportunity for me to apply to be a First Sea Lord's Cadet for 2022 was raised I took it and with the full support of Lieutenant Campbell (Lieutenant and Section Commander of the Navy CCF at Sherborne) I managed to get it!.'

On the 10 February, William visited Portsmouth where he was invested with the badge of office by the First Sea Lord himself (Admiral Ben Key – former parent of the School) in the Great Cabin on board HMS Victory, before proceeding for a tour of the dockyard, a visit on board one of the Type 45 Destroyers, ahead of lunch in the wonderful HMS Nelson Wardroom. William said ''The Vesting day was a day unmatched by any other in my life. Being presented with my badge of office in the great cabin of HMS Victory by the First Sea Lord was an amazing experience and I will cherish my memory of the day for the rest of my life. I must, however, thank all the staff and my fellow pupils at Sherborne and in the CCF who have supported me and helped me to get this amazing opportunity''.

Lieutenant Campbell and the entire CCF at Sherborne School are incredibly proud of William's achievement. As stated by Lieutenant Campbell ''This was a truly magnificent day, certainly among the best of my career. To see William, whom I have the great pleasure of teaching, in Nelson’s Great Cabin, meeting Sir Ben Key and being invested with the insignia of a First Sea Lord’s Cadet was truly memorable and for me a cause for enormous pride that one of our own had been recognised in this way.''

Sherborne School wishes William every success in the future and looks forward to hearing news of his journey within the Royal Navy.