My Bradfield: Simon Cox (G 96-01): The Interview

On Remembrance Sunday 2024 Colonel Simon Cox RM (G 96-01) was invited to speak in Chapel. Afterwards we interviewed him about his time at Bradfield in the nineties. This is his interview…

‘Hello, my name is Simon Cox, I was in G House from 1996 until 2001 and I’m currently a Colonel in the Royal Marines.

What is it like to be back at Bradfield?

It’s always nice to come back to Bradfield but it’s particularly special to return on Remembrance Sunday and to be asked to speak. Preparing the speech of course led me to reflect on my Bradfield experience and the people I knew. Very much linked with Remembrance I thought of Lt John Sanderson (D 94-99), 1^st Battalion of The Mercian Regiment who was killed in Afghanistan in 2010. John was a couple of years ahead of me in the Royal Marines CCF. I remember being impressed by him when in one of our first CCF exercises he helped us newbies to settle into this new military environment. He showed us that we didn’t need any special magic but with a bit of grit and determination we could get through it. More on that later…

On a less sombre note, it’s nice coming back 24 years later to see that some things have changed, the new Study Centre for example, but also that a lot hasn’t. The Quad feels exactly as it did 24 years ago when I left Bradfield and while I won’t name names there are a few teaching staff who appear not to have changed in the intervening period either!

‘When I saw the young cadets marching around on Quad, that was me 24 years ago. Who knows if some of them will follow in my footsteps.’

I have sat in those pews and whilst I won’t proclaim to remember everything that people said from the pulpit, there are a couple of things that have stayed with me. If my words resonate with a few people in the audience leading to a life in uniform or some other form of service, then maybe they will come back in 24 years and stand where I stood, encouraging the next generation to follow suit.

Why the Royal Marines?

Although I was in the Royal Marines section at Bradfield, it certainly wasn’t a foregone conclusion that I would join. My parents are accountants and whilst at Bradfield I started to process to apply for an Arthur Andersen scholarship to follow in their footsteps. Halfway through the process, Arthur Andersen went into administration and suddenly the security of going to university and being employed afterwards disappeared. Although I secured a place at the University of Bristol to study Economics, I also started to consider what other options were open to me.

The Royal Marines’ CCF at Bradfield was something I really enjoyed and with support and encouragement from my Housemaster, and the Head of CCF, David Moss-Gibbons, I attempted Royal Marines officer selection. I was lucky enough to pass and be offered a bursary which provided me with some money for university and a job upon completion.

How did Bradfield prepare you?

‘CCF was structured and organised fun doing things that challenged you, it didn’t need shiny facilities, it was more about the people and the experience.’

The Bradfield CCF exposed me to some of the military aspects of preparation, for example in the Pringle Trophy where you completed the endurance course. It also gave me insight into the culture and ethos of the Royal Marines.

I was lucky enough to be pretty fit, although not necessarily the fittest, but there was plenty of opportunity to embrace a healthy lifestyle. I played quite a lot of football and although I didn’t necessarily realise it at the time, playing at a high level as part of a team I learned a lot about myself and others. During Royal Marines training I came to appreciate that I already had the context of being in tough situations and coming through them, be that pulling back into the game from being a goal down or indeed losing a game and having to learn and bounce back for the next one.

We had some great coaches who prepared us for the ‘Boodle and Dunthorne’ Cup as ISFA was then. The way they led and inspired me has undoubtedly influenced how I lead now.

When you think about the challenges associated with being in the military you might tend to think about managing the physical discomfort but the preparation necessary for the Royal Marines extends beyond this. I believe that the rounded education offered by Bradfield, with opportunities both inside and outside of the classroom, played its part. As you progress through the military the academic skills you learn at school become increasingly essential. The ability to analyse a situation and not just take information at face value or to join the dots between some complex issues and have the confidence to make recommendations when there isn’t necessarily a right answer. That starts before you come to Bradfield but continues whilst you are there.

Do the Royal Marines and Bradfield have a common ethos?

When I joined the Royal Marines I learned the values of courage, determination, unselfishness and cheerfulness in the face of adversity. As I have progressed through my career, I no longer parrot the words but understand their true meaning and it’s possible to trace these same values back to those I experienced at Bradfield.

Courage

Courage in battle is one element but standing up in Chapel and singing a solo or delivering a speech takes a huge amount of courage. I’m not a natural public speaker, I’m lucky that I’ve had plenty of opportunity to work on it and I remember many opportunities at Bradfield, be that in a play or as Head of House. So, when I delivered my speech in Chapel today, I was still out of my comfort zone but with some confidence based on experience.

Determination

At Bradfield I remember being challenged and pushed to do well, although in the Royal Marines I may have been pushed a little closer to my physical limits. It’s great that whilst at school there are so many opportunities to extend yourself as beyond school you often need to find your own drive to be the best version of yourself.

Unselfishness

Looking after others before you look after yourself. I’ve already referred to the teamwork aspect on the sports field, the desire to push yourself further and harder for the benefit of the team and sacrificing your own goals for the good of others if necessary.

Cheerfulness in the face of adversity

I’m not sure that I can recall a Bradfield example off the top of my head, which is probably a good thing (!), but it is a good one to have because no matter how bad things get, maintaining a sense of humour will undoubtedly make it better.

It’s difficult to pinpoint a particular treasured memory of Bradfield, there were so many great moments but I distinctly remember the elation when we reached the final of the ISFA Cup in 2001. I think that it sticks with me because it was such a journey and a brilliant experience with friends, some of whom I am still in touch with today.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

Again, it is as difficult for me to identify a single defining feature of my career as it was for me to identify something from my time at Bradfield. The fact that I’ve had a single employer throughout my career is unusual nowadays but within that, I’ve had a wide variety of experiences.

It all started with 15 months of training, which while at the time I can’t say that I enjoyed every moment, I increasingly reflect on the amazing things that it entailed. After training I went on operations and led a team in Afghanistan. Whilst the strategy and politics behind our intervention now provoke debate, I genuinely believe that what we were doing – aiming to make the lives of the people we were working with and alongside a little bit better – was the right thing. I was then very lucky to go on and fly both jets and helicopters and it’s nice to see the picture of another Naval Aviator, Simon Rawlins (B 92-97), in the Dining Hall recognising his achievement in this area.

After flying I jumped back into working overseas with NATO in Portugal; since then I’ve worked for the individual in charge of UK military strategy and operations and the Secretary of State for Defence, the latter during the withdrawal of the Western military presence from Afghanistan.

Currently, I work for the First Sea Lord, the individual charged with running the Navy. I am lucky enough to be present for many high-level conversations, albeit as a ‘fly on the wall’. It would be an understatement to say that we live in interesting times, with a lot going on both at home and overseas. For most things, the easy decisions have been made so we must now make some difficult ones. It’s a real privilege to have this level of insight and it will be fascinating to see what we as a country, and an alliance, will do next.

Do you have any advice for those hoping to join the Royal Marines?

I spoke to a cadet on Parade today who sought my advice; my answer is that you have to want to join up for the right reason. Joining the military is not about earning a badge because it’s a fun challenge because in the challenging moments that won’t provide enough motivation. You have to want to do it for the job itself and how that aligns with your personal values. I can’t dictate that, people have to find that meaning themselves, but if you are inspired by the values already mentioned you can’t go far wrong.

Remembrance Day Speech

Read Simon’s Remembrance Day 2024 speech here