Lieutenant Colonel Mark Knight has been appointed as the county commandant of Cambridgeshire Army Cadet Force, succeeding Col Steve Martin upon his retirement.

The handover of command took place at the annual dinner held on Saturday evening at the Wood Green Conference Centre, Huntingdon. HM Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire, Sir Hugh Duberly KCVO, CBE and the High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire, Capt. Victor Lucas DL, RN were guests of honour.

Lt. Col. Knight MBE said: “I am very proud and privileged to be commanding what I believe is the finest youth organisation in the county.”

He grew up and still lives in Wisbech St Mary, attending The Queen’s School for Boys before embarking on a business studies course at the Isle of Ely College, Wisbech.

After college he entered industry to follow a career in accountancy. Firstly with a construction company and then for the last 37 years in the local newspaper industry as financial controller for Johnson Publishing.

During that period he gained qualifications with the Chartered Institute of Management. Association of Accounting Technicians and the Institute of Credit Management.

In 2013 he took the opportunity of early retirement.

Lt. Col. Mark’s ACF service began at the age of 14 as a cadet at Tydd St Giles detachment, Cambridgeshire Army Cadet Force.

Four years later he continued to serve as an adult instructor until later gaining a commission.

Since that time he has held many appointments including detachment commander, company HQ appointments, including OC No1 (Hereward) Company.

He is no stranger to county appointments having been the county training officer, county signals, county public relations officer and deputy commandant before leaving in 2012.

He is the holder of a Lord Lieutenants Certificate, the ACF Certificate of Good Service, awarded in 2002, and was winner of the Sword of Excellence for ACF Public Relations in 2004.

In 2007 he was made a Member of the British Empire for services to Cambridgeshire Army Cadet Force.

Lt. Col. Mark is married to Diane and has two grown up children, Laura and James, along with a grandson, Archie.

His interests outside the ACF include being vice chairman of Wisbech St Mary Parish Council and a trustee of the Johnston Press Pension Fund.

His hobbies include photography, clay pigeon shooting (although admits to not being very good) and driving his ex MoD 30-year-old Landover around along with Candy, the family dog.

Cambridgeshire Army Cadet Force has 770 cadets, aged 13 to 18, with 150 adult volunteer officers and instructors with 29 detachments spread across the county of Cambridgeshire.

Lt. Col. Knight MBE is now one of 57 county commandants that command the army cadet force in the UK.