Royal Military Academy

Royal Military Academy has been the name of two different institutions of the British Army.

The original Royal Military Academy was at Woolwich in London and was established in 1741 to train engineering and artillery officers, whose skills were too complex to learn solely on the battlefield.

One of its early and notable officers was Captain George Smith, Inspector of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, who was responsible for publication of (among other works) "An Universal Military Dictionary, or A copious explanation of the technical terms & c. used in the equipment, machinery movements and military operations of an army..." in London (near Whitehall) during 1779, printed for J. Millan. [http://www.royalmarinesbands.co.uk/reference/FS_beating_retreat.htm from The Ceremony of Beating Retreat, The Royal Navy]

In 1801, a second training establishment, for regular army officers, was created at Sandhurst and the two organisations remained separate until 1939 when both were closed for the duration of the Second World War. In 1947 the two colleges were combined in the current Royal Military Academy Sandhurst at the site of the later institution.

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