Codford St.Mary's Camp

[Glesga Highlander]

Does anyone have any idea of where I can obtain photographs or postcards of Codford St.Mary's Army Camp which was near the village of Codford St.Mary's in Wiltshire during the Great War.

[AlanCurragh]

The second thread to mention Codford today! There is a book about Codford in both World Wars - plenty of pictures in it. The book is "Warriors for the Working Day" by Romy Wyeth - I'll have a look tonight and let you know what pictures there are of the camp

Alan

[Guest KevinEndon]

Google images brings this up

http://images.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&am...p+ww1&gbv=2

Watch out for copy protected.

Kevin

[Terry_Reeves]

An apt title as well. It's from the Shakespear's Henry V (Scene 3)

Let me speak proudly: tell the constable

We are but warriors for the working-day;

Our gayness and our gilt are all besmirch'd

With rainy marching in the painful field;

There's not a piece of feather in our host--

Good argument, I hope, we will not fly--

And time hath worn us into slovenry:

But, by the mass, our hearts are in the trim;

And my poor soldiers tell me, yet ere night

They'll be in fresher robes, or they will pluck

The gay new coats o'er the French soldiers' heads

And turn them out of service. If they do this,--

As, if God please, they shall,--my ransom then

Will soon be levied. Herald, save thou thy labour;

Come thou no more for ransom, gentle herald:

They shall have none,

I swear, but these my joints;

Which if they have as I will leave 'em them,

Shall yield them little, tell the constable.

TR

[T8HANTS]

Codford St Mary camp postcards go by on e-thing on a regular basis.

Gareth

[Terry Carter]

This is a view of Codford Camp No.2. The 1st Bham Bn (14th Warwicks) on their final day before leaving for France on 24 November 1915.

Terry

[akduerden]

If you PM me your email address I have a PDF which is the history of the Codford Camp's and some photos.

Andrew

[Glesga Highlander]

Many thanks to all who wrote it was greatly appreciated and it has given me a better insight into which regiments were actually there at the same time as the 15th , 16th & 17th Service Battalions of the Highland Light Infantry. I have been there twice before but when I return the next time I will have a beter understanding of the lay-out of the camp thanks to all you guys.

Yours Aye

Charlie McDonald

[Moonraker]

Here is a list of British infantry units known to have been at Codford:

10th Black Watch: October 1914

8th Border Regiment: autumn-November 1914

11th Cameronians (Scottish Rifles): No 3 Camp, autumn 1914

10th Cheshire Regiment: end August–early winter 1914

11th Cheshire Regiment: autumn 1914

13th Cheshire Regiment: autumn 1914

10th Devonshire Regiment: October–early December 1914?

8th Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry: autumn 1914

8th East Lancashire Regiment: September–November 1914

10th Essex Regiment: May–late July 1915

8th East Surrey Regiment: May–late July 1915

9th Gloucestershire Regiment: September–November 1914

12th Gloucestershire Regiment: August–November 21 1915

12th Hampshire Regiment: September 30–late November? 1914

16th Highland Light Infantry: August-November 21 1915

17th Highland Light Infantry (Glasgow Chamber of Commerce Battalion:) August-November 21, 1915

7th King's Shropshire Light Infantry: September 26–November 1914

3/6th, 3/7th, 3/8th Lancashire Fusiliers: 1915–April 1916

11th Lancashire Fusiliers:September–December 31, 1914

15th Lancashire Fusiliers: August 13, 1915–November 1915

19th Lancashire Fusiliers (3rd Salford) (Pioneers): August 25–November 1915

8th & 9th Loyal North Lancashires: autumn 1914

12th Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge's Own): May–late July 1915

16th Northumberland Fusiliers: August 21–November 20, 1915

17th Northumberland Fusiliers (Pioneers): August 21, 1915–mid November 1915

8th Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry (Pioneers): September–October 1914

7th Queen's Own (Royal West Kents): May–late July 1915

7th Royal Berkshire Regiment (Princess Charlotte of Wales's): October–November 1914

8th Royal Berkshire Regiment (Princess Charlotte of Wales's): October–November 1914

8th Royal Lancaster Regiment (King's Own): late October–November 1914

11th Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment : May–July 1915

14th Royal Warwickshire Regiment (1st, 2nd & 3rd Birmingham): August 5–November 21, 1915

15th & 16th Royal Warwickshire Regiment: August–November 20, 1915

10th Royal Welsh Fusiliers: September–November 1914

6th South Wales Borderers: end September–early November 1914

8th Suffolk Regiment: May 1915–late July 1915

10th Welsh Regiment: September 1914, left on 30th

14th Worcestershire Regiment (Severn Valley Pioneers): March–June 1916

Any tweaking that Pals can provide would be welcome.

Moonraker

Edited 13 June , 2017 by Moonraker

[lenandoliver]

My Great Grandad, who was in the 2/6th London (TF) Brigade RFA, was at No 1 Camp, Codford St Mary from 25th January-23rd June 1916.

Regards frances

[Roy Evans]

Here is a list of British infantry units known to have been at Codford:

Any tweaking that Pals can provide would be welcome.

Moonraker

According to their war diary the 2/6th South Staffords entrained at Codford Station on 25th February 1917, en route for France. Presumably they had been staying at the camp.

Roy

[Michelle Young]

10th Glosters were at Codford,

they called it Codford on Mud

Michelle

[CarylW]

Not very good quality, but two newspaper photographs from the Birkenhead News published early 1915

Probably the Cheshires. Any thoughts on what they mean by the 'Stiffkids'? (an entertainment group they've formed themselves?)

Caryl

[Moonraker]

A postcard showing ANZAC soldiers outside the Catholic Women's League hut at Codford Camp has just sold on eBay for £87.99. Cards of comparable huts (such as those run by the YMCA) normally go for £8-10. I can think of a couple of "military Wiltshire" postcards that have gone for around this price, but one showed a tank in Salisbury and another a train on a camp railway - both themes that command a premium. I was aware of the CWL hut, but had never seen an image of it. Two other bidders went as high as £75.75 and £85.99 - I wonder how high the purchaser would have gone?

Googling produces several references to the hut, includin its opening, and a postwar letter from a New Zealand soldier who claimed that it had struggled to get supplies - whereas the YMCA had been able to buy "on an immense scale" but still "charged too much".

Moonraker

[Moonraker]

A tatty postcard showing mail being collected at the village post for delivery to the 10th Cheshire hutments has just sold on eBay for £78.85

See here

 

(This link may not last for very long.)

 

At least two other bidders were prepared to go almost as high.

 

It's not a card I've been aware of and provides a little information about the local postal arrangements. Codford was the only major Wiltshire camp not to have its own postmark, perhaps because its mail was handled by the village post office.

 

During the first weeks of recruits arriving at Codford, the Post Office building was given over to telegraphic use only, with a large marquee being erected nearby to handle mail; this accommodation would have been only temporary and it would appear than an army hut was soon erected . The 10th was at Codford from the end of August to early winter, 1915.

 

(Yesterday was said to be "Black Monday", the most depressing day of the year. Not only did I miss out on this card, but also on one showing the Primitive Methodist hut at Chisledon that went for £25.99.)

 

Moonraker

 

[Moonraker]

Now a postcard postmarked December 9, 1914 and showing the civilian postal workers outside the marquee has just sold for £76. Probably the same purchaser.

 

Moonraker