The Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, Secretary of State for Defence, representing Her Majesty The Queen, was the Reviewing Officer at the 170th Sovereign's Parade on Friday 14 December 2012.

Commissioning Course 121 Prize Winners

The Sword of Honour, awarded to the Officer Cadet considered by the Commandant to be the best of the course, was presented to Senior Under Officer S E Hunter-Choat.

Sarah, 25, served a gap year commission with the Royal Regiment of Artillery (RA) and while reading for a BA in French was a member of the Bristol University Officer Training Corps (UOTC).  A gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award winner and former Herefordshire Young Musician of the year, she competed for the RA and UOTC in downhill ski-ing. 

At Sandhurst, Sarah represented the Academy at various sports, including in the Tri-Partite (RMAS, St Cyr and Dresden) Games and Breda Games.  She was in the RMAS Army Netball Champion Team and Army Orienteering runners-up Team and came second in the Army shot-putt.

Sarah is only the fourth woman to be awarded the Sword of Honour.

The Overseas Sword, awarded to the Overseas Cadet considered by the Commandant to be the best of the intake, was presented to Cadet Corporal Tan Yiwen of Singapore.

Tan, 20, spent a year in the Singapore Army before he was selected for Sandhurst.  During the Singapore Army Officers’ Course he was awarded the Sword of Merit (Infantry) and the Bronze Bayonet.  Whilst at the Academy Tan won the Bronze Medal in the Army Judo Championships.

Tan was also awarded the prizes for the best overseas cadet in Communication and Applied Behavioural Science and in academic subjects overall.

The Queen's Medal, awarded to the Officer Cadet who gains the highest score in military, practical and academic subjects, was presented to Junior Under Officer E P Wilks.

Edward, 23, went to Malvern College and then Exeter University, where he gained a BA in History and Middle-Eastern Studies.

During his pre-university gap year, Edward was a teacher in Australia.  Whilst at Exeter he was the captain of the UOTC Nordic and biathlon ski teams and undertook adventurous training expeditions to Peru, Norway, Oman, France and Italy.   He is to be commissioned into the Queen’s Dragoon Guards.