sandyford Posted 8 September , 2004 Share Posted 8 September , 2004 With another Pal from the GWF, I am trying to find out where the Tyne Garrison was in WW1. So far I know that there were about 24 Garrisons in Britain. These were used as training establishments and for home service troops. In the Tyne Garrison there were 3rd reserve battalions of the Northumberland Fusiliers, W.Yorkshires, Duke of Wellingtons, S. Staffs., N. Staffs., York & Lancs., D.L.I., a 4th Reserve battalion of the D.L.I. and the 1st Northern Cyclists. This is quite a mix of regiments. From what I have seen on this forum and on other sites, the Tyne Garrison is described as being at Whitley Bay or at Blyth. I don't know whether I am trying to find 1 large barracks or a number of small camps. Any information about garrisons would be very helpful. Kate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyford Posted 9 September , 2004 Author Share Posted 9 September , 2004 Or is it a building at all or just a designation of troops? Any information about any of the garrisons, if not about the Tyne Garrison, would help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Maier Posted 10 September , 2004 Share Posted 10 September , 2004 Good question. I don't know either. According to the latest Concise Oxford, a garrison is A body of troops stationed in a fortress or town to defend it. An old Shorter Oxford has more to say about it but the key characteristic is evidently defence. I surmise that the noun garrison strictly means a defence force. Such a force would be housed in whatever was available and defendable, and the location also became known by association as the garrison. There must be a Pal somewhere who knows a proper military definition. My money is on Langleybaston1418. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Nulty Posted 10 September , 2004 Share Posted 10 September , 2004 The Tyne Garrison was at East Boldon, just north of Sunderland. SN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyford Posted 11 September , 2004 Author Share Posted 11 September , 2004 Curiouser and curiouser. Stephen. That is very interesting. Where did you get the information about East Boldon? In searching older threads on this forum I have read that: The 4th Reserve Battalion D.L.I. were on coastal defence as part of the Tyne Garrison based at Seaham (Co. Durham). The 3/7Battalion Royal Warwickshires moved to the Blyth area( Northumberland) in 1917 as part of the Tyne Garrison. No 1 section Tyne Garrison Co Durham may have been based at Tynemouth (Northumberland). We have information that the Tyne Garrison was based at Whitley Bay and I think it is the Warpath site that mentions Blyth & Whitley Bay in its garrison section. Clive - I am starting to favour your idea that the garrisons were bodies of troops covering quite a wide area and located in many different bases. And of course, just to confuse the issue there is the Royal Garrison Artillery. Part of the North East Coast defence section of which was based in N. Shields, Seaton Delaval and Blyth. It seems like the North East was one big garrison. Kate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry_Reeves Posted 11 September , 2004 Share Posted 11 September , 2004 Kate You are quite right. The TyneGarrison was formed to defend the North-East coastal area. Troops were stationed in and around their area of operational responsibility. The word "Garrison" is being used in its widest sense. Terry Reeves Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Coulson Posted 11 September , 2004 Share Posted 11 September , 2004 Kate, Just to back up what Terry says, in the case of the Tees Garrison the Yorkshire Regiment's 3rd Reserve bn had men stationed from Hartlepool and round to Redcar on the Tees Bay, quite a large area to cover. Bob. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyford Posted 11 September , 2004 Author Share Posted 11 September , 2004 Thank you Bob & Terry. As well as these garrison troops the 6th Bn. Northumberland Fusiliers were based at Seaton Sluice/Delaval before they left for France. From veterans accounts they seemed to be in tents and some were billeted in houses in the area. All these towns mentioned Whitley Bay, Seaton Sluice, Blyth, North Shields, East Boldon are close together.(present day map attached if it isn't too big a file) Kate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Nulty Posted 13 September , 2004 Share Posted 13 September , 2004 Kate My late grandmother was from Newcastle, and many years ago, while I was doing some family research, she told me about one of her relatives who was based at East Boldon "in the garrison". It stuck in my mind, for some reason. I had a look at the maps at streetmap.co.uk, but couldn't see anything interesting, so then I went to www.old-maps.co.uk (which is ALWAYS woth a visit) to see if there were any references there, but again to no effect. Sometimes there are interesting old buildings on the maps, but I couldn't see anything relating to a garrison. SN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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