IT was one of the most important moments in their young lives.

Swearing an oath of allegiance to Queen and Country, 14 youths from Oxfordshire yesterday embarked on a career which could see them fighting in some of the world’s most war-torn regions.

The trainee soldiers, aged between 16 and 21, will now head to centres around Britain to prepare themselves for life in the armed forces.

The ceremony was overseen by Vice Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire John Harwood – one of the Queen’s representatives in the county.

Speaking at army headquarters, Falklands House, in Oxpens Road, Oxford, Major Carol Miller told recruits the hard work started now.

She said: “You have done extremely well to get to this point.

“I have been in the army for 34 years and I believe it is now harder than it ever has been to secure a place.

“But the selection process was the easy bit. Now the real work starts.

“The training will be tough and some days you will wonder why you are doing it. But it is a rite of passage, and we want you to succeed.”

One-by-one, each recruit had to swear an oath of allegiance in front of the Union flag and a picture of the Queen. Six of them – William Hurst, from Banbury, Jamie Zoldan, from Carterton, Andrew Burns, from Faringdon, George Collings, from Didcot, Danny Bryant, from Sandford-on-Thames, and Matthew Feats, from Abingdon – will be heading to the Army Foundation College in Harrogate.

The college caters especially for young people aged 16 to 17 and they will study a mix of military and vocational skills.

Activities include a week long battle camp, the chance to visit battlefields in France and to take part in adventure training such as rock climbing, caving and kayaking.

The 48-week course ends with a passing-out parade, after which the junior soldiers will join their regiments for trade training.

William will join the Grenadier Guards, Andrew and Jamie the Royal Engineers and Danny the Royal Logistics Corps.

Of the older recruits, Ryan O’Connell, Timothy Bettles and Jonathan King are joining the Parachute Regiment, Riley King the Grenadier Guards, Aaron Thomas the Royal Logistics Corps, Daniel Simpson and Joseph Hamilton the Rifles and Brond Pritchard the Royal Army Medical Corps.

The allegiance they swear is part of the Bill of Rights Act and dates back to 1689. Army and RAF recruits take the oath, but those in the Royal Navy do not.

Mr Harwood paid tribute to the recruits.

He said: “This is an important day for you as individuals, for your families and for the country as a whole.

“I offer you my congratulations and very best wishes for the future. You will play a vital role for this country.”