The United Services College was an English boys'

public school Public school may refer to: * State school (known as a public school in many countries), a no-fee school, publicly funded and operated by the government * Public school (United Kingdom), certain elite fee-charging independent schools in England an ...

for the sons of

military officer An officer is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an armed force or uniformed service. Broadly speaking, "officer" means a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer, or a warrant officer. However, absent context ...

s, located at

Westward Ho! Westward Ho! is a seaside village near Bideford in Devon, England. The A39 road provides access from the towns of Barnstaple, Bideford, and Bude. It lies at the south end of Northam Burrows and faces westward into Bideford Bay, opposite Saunto ...

near

Bideford Bideford ( ) is a historic port town on the estuary of the River Torridge in north Devon, south-west England. It is the main town of the Torridge local government district. Toponymy In ancient records Bideford is recorded as ''Bedeford'', ''By ...

in North

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...

. Almost all boys were boarders. The school was founded to prepare pupils for a career as officers in the armed services, many of them going on to the

Royal Military College, Sandhurst The Royal Military College (RMC), founded in 1801 and established in 1802 at Great Marlow and High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, England, but moved in October 1812 to Sandhurst, Berkshire, was a British Army military academy for training infantry a ...

, or the

Royal Naval College, Dartmouth Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a cit ...

History

The college was founded in 1874. Its first headmaster, Cormell Price, was a housemaster at

Haileybury College Haileybury may refer to: Australia * Haileybury (Melbourne), a school in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia **Haileybury Rendall School, an offshoot in Berrimah, North Territory, Australia China * Haileybury International School, an international ...

and took twelve Haileybury boys with him to the new school. USC suffered financial difficulties and closed in 1903. Its boys were ultimately absorbed by St Mark's School, Windsor in 1906. That was soon renamed as "Imperial Service College" and itself merged with

in 1942. As at virtually all boys' schools of its era, corporal punishment (strokes of the

cane Cane or caning may refer to: *Walking stick or walking cane, a device used primarily to aid walking *Assistive cane, a walking stick used as a mobility aid for better balance *White cane, a mobility or safety device used by many people who are b ...

) was used, but USC was very unusual in that the cane was applied to the student's upper back (as described by Kipling) rather than the buttocks.

Notable former pupils

Rudyard Kipling Joseph Rudyard Kipling ( ; 30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936)''The Times'', (London) 18 January 1936, p. 12. was an English novelist, short-story writer, poet, and journalist. He was born in British India, which inspired much of his work. ...

(1865–1936), writer. His collection of stories, ''

Stalky & Co ''Stalky & Co.'' is a novel by Rudyard Kipling about adolescent boys at a British boarding school. It is a collection of school stories whose three juvenile protagonists display a know-it-all, cynical outlook on patriotism and authority. It was ...

'', is based on his experiences at the College, which he joined in January 1878 and left in the summer of 1882. He dedicated the book to Cormell Price, headmaster of the school for its first twenty years, and Price is portrayed in it as someone the boys respected. *Major-General

Lionel Dunsterville Major General Lionel Charles Dunsterville, (9 November 1865 – 18 March 1946) was a British Army officer, who led Dunsterforce across present-day Iraq and Iran towards the Caucasus and Baku during the First World War. Early life Lionel Charles ...

CB, CSI (1865–1946), a contemporary of Kipling, and the inspiration for the character of Stalky in the ''Stalky & Co.'' stories *

George Charles Beresford George Charles Beresford (10 July 1864 – 21 February 1938) was a British studio photographer, originally from Drumlease, Dromahair, County Leitrim. Early life A member of the Beresford family headed by the Marquess of Waterford and the third ...

(1864–1938), photographer, inspiration for "M'Turk" in ''Stalky & Co.'' *

Bruce Bairnsfather Captain Charles Bruce Bairnsfather (9 July 188729 September 1959) was a prominent British humour, humorist and cartoonist. His best-known cartoon character is Old Bill (comics), Old Bill. Bill and his pals Bert and Alf featured in Bairnsfather's ...

(1887–1959), cartoonist and author *Colonel Edward Douglas Browne-Synge-Hutchinson, VC, CB (''attended United Services College Day Boy 1875''). He was a

Major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

when he earned his VC.Haileybury College Archives – Roll of Honour
/ref> *

Brigadier General Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

George William St. George Grogan, VC, CB, CMG, DSO & Bar (attended 1890–1893) *

The Honourable

Alexander Gore Arkwright Hore-Ruthven Brigadier General Alexander Gore Arkwright Hore-Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie, (; 6 July 1872 – 2 May 1955) was a British Army officer who served as the 10th Governor-General of Australia, in office from 1936 to 1945. He was previously Governor ...

, VC,

GCMG The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George III. It is named in honour ...

, CB, DSO & Bar, PC,

Croix de Guerre The ''Croix de Guerre'' (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awa ...

(France and Belgium). He was a

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

when he earned his VC. *

Francis Aylmer Maxwell Brigadier-General Francis Aylmer Maxwell, (7 September 1871 – 21 September 1917) was a British Army officer in the Second Boer War and First World War. He was also a recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest award for gallantry in th ...

, VC, CSI, DSO & Bar, (attended 1883–1890)Francis Aylmer Maxwell, (1921), ''Frank Maxwell: A Memoir and Some Letters'' (J. Murray), p. 9. *

Anketell Moutray Read, VC, (attended 1898–1902) *Major General

Cyril Wagstaff Major General Cyril Mosley Wagstaff (5 March 1878 – 21 February 1934) was a British Army officer who became Commandant of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. Military career Educated at the United Services College, Wagstaff was Commission ...

, Commandant of the

Royal Military Academy, Woolwich The Royal Military Academy (RMA) at Woolwich, in south-east London, was a British Army military academy for the training of commissioned officers of the Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers. It later also trained officers of the Royal Corps of Sig ...

. * Archibald Ritchie (1869–1955), British Army Major-General of World War I *Colonel Bernard Underwood Nicolay (attended 1887–1892)

References

External links

USC at the Westward Ho! History Group
{{Schools in Devon Educational institutions established in 1874 Defunct schools in Devon Educational institutions disestablished in 1906 1874 establishments in England 1906 disestablishments in England