Captain Jolyon Woodard BRNC Commanding Officer
There is a new man in charge at Britannia Royal Naval College. Captain Jolyon Woodard has taken over as the Commanding Officer. He started at the college himself as a fresh-faced cadet in 1991 and is thrilled to be back - swapping his dormitory for the four-bed Captain’s House. Our reporter Steph Woolvin went to meet him.
Captain Woodard or Jol, as he likes to be called, is certainly at ease in his large office which comes complete with a beautiful view taking in everything from the Higher Ferry to the castle and beyond. You won’t find the traditional Captain’s whisky decanter in the corner of the room but instead a trendy coffee maker. Nor is there any sign of the telescope that used to be handed down from one Commanding Officer to the next in a small but meaningful ceremony. These days a mobile phone is left on the desk and there’s a pat on the back to be going on with! But Jol isn’t shunning all the traditions that come with his highly responsible role. “This place is steeped in history, it’s been helping create bright-minded strong naval leaders for hundreds of years and you shouldn’t mess with a winning formula. But we must remain relevant and continually challenge ourselves to move with the times.”
Jol isn’t a stranger to Dartmouth, he was born in Truro in 1969 and his family moved here when his dad got a job at the Naval College flying the Wasp helicopter. He would take cadets up in it to see if they had what it took to be a pilot. At that time Jol was three and went to nursery in Stoke Fleming. He moved to Sussex and later attended Exeter University to study Geography and Economics. His family were back in Cornwall by then and he would often send his washing home for his mum! “I remember one particular weekend I decided to try and get home on my little moped with all my washing on the back. It went at about 16 mph and took me over six hours!”
He went onto join the Royal Navy through a bursary scheme. Early in his career he served as the Royal Barge Officer on Her Majesty’s Yacht Britannia. “I thought it was the best job in world. I used to help take the royal party ashore. One really wet and windy day I was standing to attention, as the Queen was onboard and a huge wave came up over the side and drenched me. I remember she kept looking straight at me then walked off. Later, the Admiral came to find me and I thought ‘that’s it, I’m for the chop’, in fact, he said Her Majesty was very impressed with my fortitude… but that next time I was allowed to duck!”
Jol joined the Commando Helicopter Force, affectionately known as ‘the Junglies’, in 1995 as a Sea King pilot. He remained with them for much of the next 17 years, leading the first Junglie Sea King deployment to Afghanistan. He also served on nine ships all round the world but came back to terra firma in 2013 and for the past three years has had a land-based job within the Army at Andover. It was there that he heard he had been appointed to the Dartmouth Commanding Officer job. “It’s such a coveted position, I knew many people would want it. I really thought ‘why would they want me - a helicopter pilot?’ but I was selected and here I am. My first day back in Dartmouth was only four days shy of the 25th anniversary of my first day starting here as a cadet.”
So how have things changed at the college since the early 90s? Jol says one of the main differences is the approach. One of his first experiences at the college was memorable for all the wrong reasons. “The divisional officer came into my dorm to do his rounds - checking beds were made properly and drawers were neat and tidy. He had a terrifying sergeant major approach and unfortunately I was first. He launched into a tirade of abuse and then took one of my drawers and emptied the whole lot out of the window onto the parade ground!” The reason, Jol recalls, was probably the pair of socks that was out of line! He can see why he did it; setting standards for scared cadets but that’s not the way things are done now; “it’s much more about support and mentoring these days. If people are falling behind we don’t shout or threaten them with leaving the Navy, we talk about what they find difficult and work on it together.”
Jol’s manner is certainly calm and, as he takes another sip of coffee, I wonder if this is the persona his cadets see - is he more ‘strict headmaster’ or ‘chatty teacher’ when he goes downstairs? “I think I’m somewhere in the middle actually! I do like to have a drink with the cadets in the mess when I have a chance. I was with them the other night and was pleased by how relaxed they were around me. This would never have happened in my day.” (If any cadets are reading this, they should know that his tipple of choice is a pint of real ale or a G&T!) “If you push me you will find a hard edge,” he says, “but you have to understand the people you are leading.” He knows he’s not in charge at home; “when we decided to buy a puppy I sent my wife and children back to Cornwall with strict instructions to choose from a litter. I said I would like a black, male dog as I am the only male in the house and wanted another ally! They came back with a yellow girl called Pumpkin!”
Pumpkin the labrador has taken up residence in the Captain’s house along with Jol, his wife Tilda and Peter the black and white rescue cat. Tilda was in the Air Force for 16 years as a helicopter instructor and now she works at the college in the naval reserves office. Their two daughters, Anastasia and Josephine, are at boarding school in Taunton but come home each weekend. “For a 10 and 12-year-old the grounds are a huge playground and they can’t wait to get back on a Friday evening,” he says. In the old days the house would have come with a small team of staff ready to tend to all the family’s needs. Now it’s just Carol, the house manager, who also has other jobs to do around the college. “I’m not used to being looked after at all,” Jol admits. “Carol gets my uniform ready for me in the mornings and generally keeps the house together but I make my own sandwiches.” Jol is supported at the college by a strong team of civilian staff. “They work tirelessly to keep this place running. Colin in the front office has been here for more than 30 years, he remembers me starting as a cadet!”
The family is making the most of what Dartmouth has to offer; spending many evenings walking along the front with fish and chips and mornings in Alf Rescos. “The first night we arrived we sat on our patio and watched the view as the light faded. I must say my arms are black and blue where I keep pinching myself asking if this is all a dream!” Jol has enjoyed exploring the town with no restrictions. “When I was a cadet we had limited times when we were allowed out and it was always a race back at night.” When not in his office Jol can be found trying to catch bass in a kayak or watching rugby; “I used to play but everyone got bigger than me so now I’m an armchair critic.” He also runs, swims and cycles but he openly admits he struggles to keep up with his wife who is a triathalete.
It’s clear this place means a great deal to Jol. He has grown up here, visiting his dad’s work as a three-year-old, sitting in the lecture halls as an eager 20-year-old and now running it at the age of 47. “To return to command the college where my career began 25 years ago is not just a huge honour; it is the stuff of dreams. I sit at this chair and think about the others who have sat here before me. It’s a huge responsibility to look after this wonderful building, its staff and cadets for the next three years. I’m in charge of the next generation of Naval Officers and I couldn’t think of a greater honour.”
First published in By The Dart magazine December 2016