He captivated audiences with his appearance in Bafta-winning series Battlefield Britain, and now Dan Snow has been recruited to inspire another kind of military interest. Snow, son of veteran TV presenter Peter Snow, has been appointed honorary colonel in the Territorial Army. His aim: to help boost the number of reservists, including the growing number of female soldiers, to 30,000.
‘Dan’s media career has taken him all over the world,’ says Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Rosie Stone, who gave him the role, ‘and his knowledge of military strategy and tactics from a historical perspective will provide the spark for many interesting training events.’
His television work aside, Snow has no specific military experience. The role of honorary colonel is usually taken by a royal or a former senior ranking colonel, but Snow’s keen interest in the military earned him the position.
Educated at St Paul’s School in London, Snow went on to receive a double first-class honours degree in Modern History from Oxford University. His first television job came about in 2002, when he co-presented a BBC 60th anniversary special on the Battles of El Alamein, alongside his father.
Snow quickly carved a role for himself as the go-to presenter for historical and state occasions, providing coverage of events including the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar, the 60th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, and the 90th anniversary of the Armistice. Then, in 2009, he won the Bafta Cymru award for Best Presenter for a film about the Roman emperor, Hadrian.
‘My resumé is actually very narrow,’ he remarked in an interview with The Guardian. ‘It’s all to do with talking nonsense. I’m terrible at languages, science, ball sports, all sorts of things, but the trick of life – as I learned from military history – is to reinforce success, only do what you’re good at.’
But Snow’s interest in military history is not limited to broadcast media. He is also a respected author and has written a number of books, including Death Or Victory, the story of the 1759 Battle of Quebec, as well as Battle Castles: 500 Years of Knights and Siege Warfare.
He is married to Lady Edwina Grosvenor, daughter of the Duke of Westminster – who retired from his role as head of the TA last year – and they have one daughter and a second child on the way. Lady Edwina is a prison reformer and executive advisor of charity The No Way Trust, which aims to deter young people from o¢ ending by teaching them about the harsh reality of prison life. Unsurprisingly, Snow’s own spotless criminal record was a requisite of his being appointed honorary colonel.
The unpaid role means that Snow is the public face of the Media Operations Group. He joins other prominent gures such as Lorraine Kelly, who is honorary colonel of the Black Watch Battalion Army Cadet Force, and will be expected to appear at public and promotional events.
To add to his credentials, Snow is also great-great-grandson of David Lloyd George, but doubtless it’s his easy charisma that secured him the post. ‘I look forward to taking on an active role in support of the Group’s activities,’ he has said of his new challenge.
Snow’s appointment is part of a £1.8bn campaign to double the size of the TA, while the regular army is cut by 20,000. Says an MoD spokesperson: ‘We know this is a challenge, which is why we have invested in training, support and equipment for the reserves over the next 10 years.’
WHAT IS THE TERRITORIAL ARMY?
The Territorial Army (TA) was created in 1908 by the Secretary of State for War, Richard Haldane, who took the decision to merge the Volunteer Force with the Militia and Yeomanry. The purpose of the TA – initially a body of around 269,000 personnel – was for home defence, which developed into the provision of habitual support for the Regular Army overseas.
Today, Territorials can be men or women and usually hold a full-time civilian job that has skills directly transferable to a military role. Most Territorials serve in regional units and are required to complete a minimum of 27 days training a year. They can be compulsorily called up for deployment at any point. While they typically train as part of a unit, they are often mobilised as individuals to supplement the work of the Regular Army. Around 10% of those deployed in Afghanistan are reservists.
The reform plan aims to restructure the total force so that by 2018 there will be 82,000 regular and 30,000 reservist soldiers within the British Army.
