BRISTOL URNU

Bristol University Royal Naval Unit

This page describes the role and operating mode of Bristol URNU. A brief history of the Unit is provided elsewhere on this website.

Bristol University RN Unit is one of 14 University RN Units (URNUs) located on or near campuses around the UK, the others being located at London, Southampton, Sussex, Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Oxford, Cambridge, Cardiff, Hull, Birmingham and Newcastle Universities. University RN Units are part of the Royal Naval Reserve, membership being open to students at local Universities. Each unit has a shore headquarters, comprising offices, classrooms and Officers' Mess, and a training vessel of the Archer, or P2000, class. These P2000 fast patrol craft are fitted with modem navigation equipment and are capable of 22 knots. They have a full time Royal Navy complement of five and can accommodate up to twelve undergraduates.

The aim of the URNU organisation is to educate a wide spectrum of high calibre undergraduates who show potential as society's future leaders and opinion formers in order to better inform them of the need for and role of the Royal Navy, and to develop awareness of career opportunities in the service. The URNUs achieve their aim through a weekly "drill" evening at the shore headquarters, weekends at sea in a P2000 and longer deployments during the vacations when students undergo further and more extended training on board. Student members receive instruction and undertake practical exercises in leadership, navigation, seamanship, maritime operations, meteorology and communications. Opportunities exist to gain Royal Yachting Association theory and practical seamanship qualifications, and a City and Guilds award in Leadership. Other lectures aim to develop members' understanding of the UK's national requirement for naval forces and the role of such forces in sustaining the national interest and in wordwide peacekeeping.

Membership of Bristol URNU is open to undergraduate students of Bristol University, Bath University, the University of the West of England and other local institutions of higher education.. Bristol URNU operates from a shore headquarters on the Bristol University campus. The Officer-in-Charge of the Unit is a full time Royal Navy officer. He is assisted by the Unit Coxswain, a Royal Navy Chief Petty Officer, a part time civilian secretary, and by the Unit First Lieutenant and a number of Training Officers, who are all Royal Naval Reserve officers. The Unit has an established strength of 50 undergraduate members who hold the rank of Officer Cadet or Midshipman in the Royal Naval Reserve.

The Unit's shore headquarters can be contacted by telephone on 0117-9292004 or by email.

An article entitled HMS Dasher and Bristol University Royal Naval Unit was published in the Autumn 2000 number of Nonesuch (the Bristol University Alumni Magazine).