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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Bettisfield Farm Camp 1917


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I have found this photo of Hut10 boys 1917 Bettisfield farm camp 1917.

my grandfather Charles Clarkson is in the middle on the back row

Not sure if it is of interest to the forum

Julie Fox

image.jpeg

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Welcome to the Forum.

 

I'm sure it will be of interest to some.

 

Bettisfield was, I believe, an RFA training camp.

 

And the cap badges on display are indeed artillery badges.

 

Do you know your GF's regimental number?

 

Regards

 

Russ

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Just a minor correction, it was Bettisfield Park.  The main entrance lay on the present A495 Whitchurch-Ellesmere road, just west of the road down to Bettisfield village, though all overgrown with trees and brush now.   A and B Battery huts were close together in the southern portion of the camp, C Battery lines to the west, and D Battery in the north-west.  

 

Some of the huts were salvaged locally after the war, the most complete being the present-day village hall in Penley.  Though dismantled from 1919 the site was used as a camp in WW2 as well.

 

There are a few photos in Alan Wakefield's edition of J. Ivor Hanson, Plough and Scatter.  The Diary-Journal of a First World War Gunner. (J.H.Haynes & Co., 2011-12).  Hanson was training as an RFA signaller on the site for at least 10 months during 1916-17, so there's a good description of life there at that time.  

 

Clive

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Clive

A few years ago I managed to get hold of a 1961 OS map of Shrewsbury (Sheet 118 one inch) to remind me of my time at Park Hall Camp Oswestry in 1967. This is taken from it. I could not get an image from Old maps.co uk. The letter is from the WO 364 papers of 2180/711150 Stephen Dawber, a Police Constable who enlisted into the Bolton Artillery in 1915. On 09/01/1916 he was transferred to 2 Artillery Training School before going to Salonika. It is addressed to the OC No 2 Reserve Brigade RFA. Note the date stamp reads Battisfield. 

Brian

bettisfield.JPG

711150.jpg

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47 minutes ago, brianmorris547 said:

1961 OS map of Shrewsbury (Sheet 118 one inch) ..... This is taken from it. I could not get an image from Old maps.co uk.

 

The map is available on the National Library of Scotland site:

https://maps.nls.uk/view/91576784

 

Edit: ...as are many others of earlier dates and different scales.

Edited by Dai Bach y Sowldiwr
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Thanks very much, I never knew that. I use old-maps.co.uk a lot but have only used NLS for WW1. 

Brian

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