training camps

[brummie76]

Hello all,

A basic question which may not have quite so simple an answer?

Is there a list of training camp locations for British soldiers in the UK or similar such as for each area / county?

Thanks

Paul

[Moonraker]

I'm unaware of one accurate list for the entire country, though I've come across one or two on-line compiled in recent years that are not very accurate. It may well be that a list exists somewhere in the National Archive. And there may be contemporary documents that list those within a Command. I would like to think that my own list of camps in Wiltshire is as comprehensive as any for the county.

Pedantically one might differentiate between training camps (typically wooden hutments erected early in the war) and stone and brick barracks that already existed before 1914 and then trained recruits. In the case of Wiltshire such barracks included those at Tidworth, Devizes and Trowbridge, with Bulford having a mixture of brick buildings for family accommodation and wooden huts for military use.

Moonraker

[tullybrone]

Hi,

You can also consider the annual camp locations for pre war Territorials/Special Reservists -

I understand that pre 1914 Border Regiment held annual camp at Brackenber Moor, Westmorland.

I understand that East Lancashire Regiment had their annual camp at Winscales Moor, near Workington, Cumberland.

I am aware of several men from Workington who enlisted in ELR late July/Aug 1914 - presumably as 5th Border were out of the area at annual camp while ELR were at Winscales Moor.

I'm not aware whether any or all of these annual camp sites became permanent sites during WW1.

Steve Y

[Moonraker]

I'd assumed that Paul was asking about camps used during the Great War. I think that most of these would have been completed by mid-1915? There were countless prewar locations for camps, only a few of which were used in the war itself. For example, for their summer camp Yeomanry units sometimes used the grounds of a large estate whose owner might (or might not) be one of their officers.

In Wiltshire many of the permanent prewar (tented) camping sites were built on, notably Lark Hill and Perham Down; some remained as camping-sites (eg Windmill Hill, Tidworth Park - actually in Hampshire - and Tidworth Pennings), with no hutments being built on them. Another prewar camping site on Salisbury Plain was the remote Pond Farm Camp, which was used by the First Canadian Contingent in late 1914 - but, as far as I know, by no one since then.

Moonraker

[johnboy]

Was there a difference between training camps and where troops trained?

[Moonraker]

One might say that training camps were where troops were accommodated, typically for three months or so before active service, and that they trained in the neighbourhood of the camps: on route marches, in practice trenches (perhaps two or three miles from the camp) and on artillery or rifle ranges (often a little way from the camp). The 15th Royal Welsh Fusiliers, and other units in the 38th (Welsh) Division were based near Winchester but in autumn 1915 used the Salisbury Plain ranges to become used to their new SM Lee Enfield rifles because of a shortage of ranges locally. Within the camps themselves there would have been training facilities such as gas rooms, lecture halls, parade grounds and so on.

The Overseas Artillery School range (off the Tilshead-Lavington road) was situated 16 miles from Salisbury, the Headquarters of the School, where the lectures took place and where the classes and staff were billeted.

No doubt others will be able to provide all sorts of variations on the above.

Moonraker

[johnboy]

Thanks for that.

There were troops in St.Albans , Harpenden and Watford for instance that did training and used other places for various disciplines eg Sandridge - Rifle Range? Gorhambury, - Marching in formation?

[DaveKey]

Hi,

You can also consider the annual camp locations for pre war Territorials/Special Reservists -

I understand that pre 1914 Border Regiment held annual camp at Brackenber Moor, Westmorland.

I understand that East Lancashire Regiment had their annual camp at Winscales Moor, near Workington, Cumberland.

I am aware of several men from Workington who enlisted in ELR late July/Aug 1914 - presumably as 5th Border were out of the area at annual camp while ELR were at Winscales Moor.

I'm not aware whether any or all of these annual camp sites became permanent sites during WW1.

Steve Y

Since Winchester was mentioned in a later post it seemed appropriate to add a bit on this in terms of the city.

Prior to the start of the War Territorial units had been using Magadlen Hill and I'm aware of references and some photos of the North Hampshire Yeomanry using both Hursley Park and Pitt Corner. As the war began Territorial units and then the 8th Division were moved to a tented camp at Hursley Park. Following the departure of the 8th Division the Hursley Camp was considered unusuable so the 27th Division was mobilised at Magdalen Hill and when this in turn became unable to mobilise a full Division owing to its condition the subsequent Division, the 28th, was mobilised at Hursley, Pitt and Magdalen Hill through the winter of 1914-1915.

By January 1915 hutment camps were under construction at Hursley, Pitt, Flowerdown, Magdalen Hill, Avington Park, Winnall Down (these three are generally referred to as Morn Hill) and Hazeley Down. These camps were to remain in use throughout the war.

As cam be seen in other threads Avington Park became a base for Artillery training, Hazeley Down was involved with the Tanks Corps and by 1917 Hursley shifted from the basic training for infantry to RFC Cadet and then Observer training until handed over to the US AEF in May 1918.

I'm not sure whether Flowerdown or Hazeley Down were ever used as Territorial camps before the war. If anyone happens to know I'd be very interested to here from them (even better if anyone has a picture of any of these territorial camps pre war)

Hope it helps anyway

Dave

[loganshort]

Resurrecting this old topic to ask if anyone knows about a large training camp in Lincoln. My Grandfather mentioned this: After being conscripted in 1916 and initial training with the Scottish Horse in Scotland they were sent to Lincoln to a large camp there for the last few months of training before being sent over to France. Any info welcome, thanks, John

[Terry_Reeves]

He would have been a member of either 2/1st, 2/2nd or 2/3 rd Scottish Horse  part of the Scottish Horse Mounted Brigade. At the end of 1915 they moved to the Alford area of Lincolnshire having previously been sent to the Kettering area from Dunkeld and Aberdeen.  [British Regiments 1914-1918, Brig EA James]

 

 

 

 

Edited 29 September , 2018 by Terry_Reeves