Brtish Army instructor from Morpeth featured in BBC documentary series Soldier

Cpl Philip White, from Morpeth, is a member of the training team observed in five-part series Soldier, which airs on Thursday, October 5 at 9pm.

It follows Cpl White and other military instructors putting a platoon of fresh-faced infantry through a six-month programme at the British Army’s Infantry Training Centre (ITC) in Catterick, Yorkshire.

Cpl White said: “I would like people to realise the hard work that goes into training recruits. Hopefully, the programme will also stamp out any myths about ITC.

“It will let the public see the hard work and the effort that goes into training them because it is a long six months, and every day is a long day.

“You can be in from half five in the morning, sometimes till nine or 10 o'clock at night.”

Cpl White joined 1st Battalion of The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers in 2013, before transferring to 2nd Battalion of The Royal Anglian Regiment in 2022.

He felt he needed “a bit of stability and a bit of structure” in his life, and has worked in Canada, the Falklands, Estonia, France, and Crete. It was working as an instructor that “developed” the 34-year-old the most, however.

He said: “It has definitely improved my confidence a lot. It has also been great getting down to the nitty gritty, and just doing the basics all the time with the recruits.

“You teach them the tactical stuff so many times here. When you get to battalion you do not do it so much so that skill can fade, whereas here, you are doing it all the time because you are constantly teaching it.”

He added: “To bring the best out of a recruit I think you definitely need to have patience, which sometimes I lack.

“You also have to remain professional and make sure you do not overstep the mark. You need leadership and the understanding that some recruits might take longer than others to learn things.

“On any given day you might have to teach someone how to tie a shoelace, and the next, you might be teaching someone how to shave.”