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Base Depot Discussion & Questions


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Havre Base Depots - July 1916
 

BASE HORSE TRANSPORT DEPOT

Regular and Territorial Horse Transport and Supply personnel

Transport and Supply Personnel


HAVRE DEPOT

Army  Ordnance  Corps

Army Veterinary Corps

 

R.G.A. BASE DEPOT

Royal Garrison Artillery.

 

R.H.& F.A. BASE DEPOT

Royal Horse and Field Artillery

 

CANADIAN BASE DEPOT

All Canadians

 

GUARDS BASE DEPOT.

Grenadier Guards

Coldstream Guards

Scots Guards .

Irish Guards.

Welsh Guards.

 

No.1 INFANTRY BASE DEPOT

Kings Royal Rifle Corps

 

No.7 INFANTRY BASE DEPOT

1/1st London Regiment.

1/2nd     

1/3rd             

1/4th     

1/5th               

2/13th    

2/l4th             

2/l5th             

2/16th            

2/17th            

2/18th    

2/19th            

2/20th             

2/21st   

2/22nd          

2/23rd     

2/24th  

1st H.A.C.

 

No.8 INFANTRY BASE DEPOT.

1/9th London Regiment.

1/12th                

1/13th               

1/l4th               

1/15th     

1/6th      

1/7th                 

1/8th                 

1/15th     

1/17th    

1/18th     

1/19th     

1/20th             

1/21st     

1/22nd             

1/23rd     

1/24th              

1/28th    

 

No.36 INFANTRY BASE DEPOT

1st Bn.Royal Irish Rifles.

2nd

9th

8th

10th

11th

12th

13th   

14th 

15th

16th

1st Bn.Royal Inniskilling Fus.

2nd

9th

11th

10th

1st Bn.Royal Irish Fusiliers.

9th

 

No .47 INFANTRY BASE DEPOT

Rifle Brigade

 

No.48 BASE DEPOT

General Base Depot for 47th and 56th Divisions

1/1st Edinburgh Field Company .

 

No. 49 BASE DEPOT

General Base Depot for 49th and 60th Division.

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ETAPLES Depots - July 1916

 

AUSTRALIAN BASE DEPOT

All Australians

 

NEW ZEALAND BASE DEPOT

All New Zealand Personnel

 

ROYAL MARINE BASE DEPOT

Royal Marine Artillery

 

ROYAL NAVAL DIVISION BASE DEPOT

Royal Naval Division.

 

No . 9 INFANTRY BASE DEPOT

Lincolnshire Regiment.

South Staffordshire Regiment

 

No.12 INFANTRY BASE DEPOT

Leicestershire Regiment

North Staffordshire Regiment

 

No.14 INFANTRY BASE DEPOT

Notts & Derby Regiment

 

No.15 INFANTRY BASE DEPOT

Suffolk Regiment

Essex Regiment

Cambridgeshire Regiment

 

No.16 INFANTRY BASE DEPOT

2nd Bn Royal Irish Regiment.

6th      

1st Bn. Royal Munster Fusiliers

2nd

8th       .

9th

2nd Bn. Leinster Regiment.

7th

1st Bn Royal Dublin Fusiliers

2nd

8th

9th

6th Bn. Connaught Rangers

7th Bn Royal Irish Rifles

7th Bn Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers

8th 

7th Bn Royal Irish Fusiliers

8th

 

No.17 INFANTRY BASE DEPOT

Norfolk Regiment

Bedfordshire Regiment

Northamptonshire Regiment

Hertfordshire Regiment

 

No.18 INFANTRY BASE DEPOT

Royal Highlanders

Gordon Highlanders

Seaforth Highlanders

 

No.19 INFANTRY BASE DEPOT

Argyll !Sutherland Highlanders

Cameron Highlanders

 

No.20 INFANTRY BASE DEPOT

Royal Scots

Scottish Rifles

Royal Scots Fusiliers

 

No.21 INFANTRY BASE DEPOT

K.O.Scottish Borderers

Highland Light Infantry

 

No.23 INFANTRY BASE DEPOT

Royal Lancaster Regiment

Lancashire Fusiliers

 

No.24 INFANTRY BASE DEPOT

Liverpool Regiment

 

No.25 INFANTRY BASE DEPOT

Border Regiment.

Loyal.North Lancs. Regiment

 

No.30 INFANTRY BASE DEPOT

East Lancashire Regiment 

Manchester Regiment 

 

No.31 INFANTRY BASE DEPOT

1st Northumberland Fusiliers

10th

11th

12th

13th

14th

16th

17th

18th

20th

21st

22nd

23rd

24th

25th

26th

27th

 

No.32 INFANTRY BASE DEPOT

1/4th Northumberland Fusiliers

1/5th

1/6th

1/7th

8th

9th

19th

2nd Bn. K.O. Yorkshire Light Infatry

1/4th

1/5th

6th

7th

8th

9th

10th

12th

 

No.33 INFANTRY BASE DEPOT

West Yorkshire Regiment

 

No.34 INFANTRY BASE DEPOT

West Riding Regiment

York & Lancs Regiment

 

No.35 INFANTRY BASE DEPOT

Durham Light Infantry

 

No.37 INFANTRY BASE DEPOT

Yorkshire Regiment

East Yorkshire Regiment

 

No.38 INFANTRY BASE DEPOT

Royal West Surrey Regiment

East Surrey Regiment

East Kent Regiment

 

No.39 INFANTRY BASE DEPOT

Royal Fusiliers

 

No.40 INFANTRY BASE DEPOT

Royal Sussex Regiment

Royal West Kent Regiment

 

No.41 INFANTRY BASE DEPOT

Middlesex Regiment

 

No.51 INFANTRY BASE DEPOT

General Base Depot for 50th and 51st Divisions

 

MACHINE GUN CORPS BASE DEPOT

Machine Gun Corps

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ROUEN Depots - July 1916

 

No1. BASE MECHANICAL TRANSPORT DEPOT

Mechanical Transport Details

 

No2. BASE MECHANICAL TRANSPORT DEPOT

Mechanical Transport Details

 

BASE PAY UNIT

ARMY PAY CORPS

 

No1. BASE REMOUNT DEPOT

5 Remount Squadrons & HQ unit.

3 Sections of Indian Base Remount Depot from Marseilles (Aug 1916)

 

No.4 GENERAL BASE DEPOT

All Regular Royal Engineers of :-

Field Companies

Army Troops Companies

Tunnelling Companies

Special Companies

Base Park Companies

Advanced Park Companies

Advanced Parks

Pontoon Parks

Land Drainage Companies

Field Squadrons

Labour Bns

Entrenching battalions( R. E.  Personnel)

Inland Water Transport Corps

Pigeon Service

Special Brigades

Field Survey Companies

(& if no special instructions have been received,  Postal Section and Railway Companies )


Special Reserve Royal Engineers :-

1st Royal Anglesey Siege Company

2nd Royal Anglesey Siege Company

1st Royal Monmouth Siege Company

4th Royal Monmouth Siege Company

2nd Royal Monmouth Railway Company

3rd Royal Monmouth Railway Company

3rd Royal Anglesey Railway Company

 

No.5 GENERAL BASE DEPOT

Regular & Special reserve Cavalry and RAMC

Military Mounted Police

Military Foot Police

Yeomanry Territorial Force

 

No.2 INFANTRY BASE DEPOT

Devonshire Regiment.

Duke of Cornwall's L.I.

South African Regiment.


No.3 INFANTRY BASE DEPOT

Hampshire   Regiment

Dorsetshire Regiment

Wiltshire Regiment

Somerset Light Infantry

 

No.4 INFANTRY BASE DEPOT

Cheshire Regiment.

Shropshire Light Infantry

Monmouth  Regiment

 

No.5 INFANTRY BASE DEPOT

Royal Welsh Fusiliers.

South Wales Borderers

 

No.6 INFANTRY BASE DEPOT.  

Welsh Regiment.

South Lancashire Regiment .

 

No.29 INFANTRY BASE DEPOT

Royal Warwickshire Regiment .

1st & 2nd Northern Coys. NCC

1st, 2nd & 3rd Eastern Coys. NCC

1st Southern Coy. NCC

1st Western Coy. NCC

1st Scottish Coy. NCC

Newfoundland Regiment

Army Cyclist Corps.

 

No.46 INFANTRY BASE DEPOT.              

Worcestershire  Regiment.

Royal Berkshire Regiment.

 

No.55 INFANTRY BASE DEPOT

Cheshire Regiment.

Shropshire Light Infantry

Monmouth  Regiment

Gloucestershire Regiment

Oxford & Buckinghamshire L.I.

Bucks Bns.

 

No. 1 TERRITORIAL BASE DEPOT

General Base Depot for 61st & 48th Divisions, and Reinforce­ments for T.F. R.A.M.C.units with Regular Divisions.

 

No. 2 TERRITORIAL BASE DEPOT

General Base Depot for 55th and 46th Divisions and Reinforcements of :-

1/1st Lowland Field Company

1st East Anglian Field Company

1st Cheshire Field Company

1/1st East Riding Field Company

1/1st Durham Field Company

1/2nd  Durham  Field Company

1/3rd Durham Field Company

1/1st Renfrew Field Company

1/1st Home Counties Field Company

1/2nd Home Counties Field Company

1/1st London Field Company

1/1st West Riding Field Company.

2/2nd West Riding Field Company

1/3rd Kent Field Company

1/2nd London Field Company

1st Aberdeen Army Troops Company

1/3rd  Cornwall Army Troops Company .

1/2nd Cornwall Army Troops Company

1st Glamorgan Army Troops Company

1/2nd Glamorgan Army Troops Company

Sussex Army Troops Company

Dundee Army  Troops Company

Devon Army Troops Company

 

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The above records are derived from the war diary of the Inspector General of communications and reflect the situation in July 1916.

 

I will add extra information as required to the base data and try to update it.

 

Craig

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Craig,

 

Outstanding - many thanks for posting.  There has been previous conjecture on the forum as to whether each IBD fed a specific division or some specific regiments; the above show both to be true to different degrees (e.g. Nos 16 and 36 feeding numbered divisions) but with seemingly little rhyme or reason (e.g. ACC, Warwicks and Newfoundlanders?); also duplication for several regiments and divisions. 

 

Is there mention in subsequent months whether there was any rationale as to how these IBD links changed or direction on how losses were to be replaced  during the Somme where battalions were often replaced by drafts from completely different regiments?  I think Dunn of the RWF saw it as a concerted attempt to break the regimental system. 

 

Very interesting

 

Kind regards

 

Colin

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No. 29 depot seems to be a dumping ground for someone's forgotten about units.

 

It is interesting that some of the TF divisions kept their own base depots but their infantry were placed in to the infantry depots. Seems like an odd mix, especially so when there were 2 TF base depots.

 

I suspect that the setup was tweaked over time to balance the load slightly (and possibly simply on the grounds of camp capacity).There was always a constant battle over space for camps and depots.

 

The answer I suspect is in the earlier LoC diaries (an amazing resource in their appendices) but I haven't got the diaries for mid 1915 which would cover quite a lot of the arrival time of the units and their depots being set up - when I get the money I'll get a few of the diaries and see what they say (donations accepted). I'd actually got the diaries for another little project but this one is interesting!

 

The diaries I have June /July /Aug 16 don't mention much about the Somme side of it except the preparation work before hand to deal with the liberated civilians that the great advance would free.

 

Craig

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Yes, this is excellent work - thank you. I think this explains a lot of the transfers between certain regiments upon arrival at the IBD.

-

As you seem to know your way around, if I went looking for Lt Col AS Blair, commandant of Abancourt area May16 - Dec 17, where in, what looks like WO95, do you think I should take a look?

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11 minutes ago, Neill Gilhooley said:

Yes, this is excellent work - thank you. I think this explains a lot of the transfers between certain regiments upon arrival at the IBD.

-

As you seem to know your way around, if I went looking for Lt Col AS Blair, commandant of Abancourt area May16 - Dec 17, where in, what looks like WO95, do you think I should take a look?

There are some base commandant diaries around, not sure which one would cover Avancourt though (or whether any relevant one still survives).

 

Craig

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Thanks Craig

I had noticed in the WD of 1/2 South Midland FC RE (475 FC) 10/10/1015 that reinforcements were received from 48 Div Base Depot and No 1 Territorial Base Depot, Madrillet Camp, Rouen. 

The WD of 1/2 Northumbrian FC RE (447 FC) of 50 Div 31/10/1916 also records that reinforcements were received from No 1 Territorial Base Depot, Rouen.

Brian

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Thanks Craig. I suspect you are venturing into places that few (any?) have been.

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5 minutes ago, Neill Gilhooley said:

Thanks Craig. I suspect you are venturing into places that few (any?) have been.

I think you're probably right (I tend to stumble in to topics like this).

 

16 minutes ago, brianmorris547 said:

Thanks Craig

I had noticed in the WD of 1/2 South Midland FC RE (475 FC) 10/10/1015 that reinforcements were received from 48 Div Base Depot and No 1 Territorial Base Depot, Madrillet Camp, Rouen. 

The WD of 1/2 Northumbrian FC RE (447 FC) of 50 Div 31/10/1916 also records that reinforcements were received from No 1 Territorial Base Depot, Rouen.

Brian

The diaries I've seen so far don't go on to manpower too much when it comes to existing units but they certainly show the number of queries that came up about scraping around the bases for fit men to be weeded out and how PB men were to be utilised.

 

Craig

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Thanks for posting, Craig. This is very useful indeed. I had long wondered about these. 

 

Cheers,

Chris

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Good stuff, Craig.

 

I have the 38 IBD Diaries and I posted some notes/queries here some 3 yrs ago (no replies!).

 

Charlie

 

PS Base Commandant Etaples has several threads, particularly re Mutiny.

Edited by charlie962
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  • 8 months later...

Superb information Craig, thank you for taking the time to type it all out.  Much appreciated. 

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51 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said:

Superb information Craig, thank you for taking the time to type it all out.  Much appreciated. 

I just stumbled across it in a diary I was looking through and suddenly realised I'd never seen a full list of Base Depots. It's amazing, considering how many millions went through the places, that we seem to have so little information on them.


Craig

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15 minutes ago, ss002d6252 said:

I just stumbled across it in a diary I was looking through and suddenly realised I'd never seen a full list of Base Depots. It's amazing, considering how many millions went through the places, that we seem to have so little information on them.


Craig


Yes, I agree.  It would be nice if they could be recorded in the IBD section of long long trail.  Purely because it’s such a useful single resource that everyone can access quickly without having to do an internet, or forum search, and then spending ages trawling through links.

Edited by FROGSMILE
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Hi Craig,

An excellent resource you have put together. You mentioned it came from the Inspector General of communications war diary. I dont suppose you have the WO 95 reference for it?

Thanks.

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  • 1 month later...
On 30/04/2020 at 19:49, ss002d6252 said:

I just stumbled across it in a diary I was looking through and suddenly realised I'd never seen a full list of Base Depots. It's amazing, considering how many millions went through the places, that we seem to have so little information on them.


Craig


Craig, do you know what other base units there were at Calais?  It’s been discussed some years back that there were workshops and other units there and I wondered if you knew of a comprehensive list.  Certainly there was more than the remounts depot mentioned here.

Regards,

FS

Edited by FROGSMILE
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Do you have anything on Ostrohove , near Boulogne, Was it an IBD or just reception camp?

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2 hours ago, FROGSMILE said:


Craig, do you know what other base units there were at Calais?  It’s been discussed some years back that there were workshops and other units there and I wondered if you knew of a comprehensive list.  Certainly there was more than the remounts depot mentioned here.

Regards,

FS

I don't, this was just what was in the list in the diary.

 

I've not seen a list of facilities - I am aware of the ASC petrol filling facilities etc etc but past that I don't know. I might give the diaries another look to see what they say.

 

Craig

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