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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Drill halls


Graeme Fisher

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I tried the Speedbid site but couldn't find the postcard that Heritage Plus mentioned, I suspect the auction finished between the post and my reading it - did anyone 'right click' this image? And if so can you e-mail me a copy? Thanks.....

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Lytton Street,Middlesbrough still about in the 30,s as the 12th Yorkshire Battalion where holding re-unions.

Regards Kevin

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The drill hall at Bury still exist and was the home of the 5vbn Lancashire Fusiliers during both wars.Today it is used by a machine platoon of Fusiliers and 207 field ambulance.I served there myself between 1989 and 1992 when it was 'D company' 5th RRF. I have several pictures of the building that you may be interested in.

I think it was built in 1904 and was occupied by the 1st VBn Lancashire Fusiliers

A Schofield

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Guest Fusilier1

Grahame,

I've got pictures of Bury Drill hall past and present,but being quite new to this forum business.

Could you advise me on how to send you a picture?

Fusilier1

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Either email me directly (click on my name on the left hand side of this post) or post the picture as described in the 'miscellaneous > how to drive this forum' section of this website. Thanks for the offer of pictures - they are such a valuable resource.

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Graeme

Came across arefrence to ,Stockton Drill Hall that was the home of the 5th Batt D.L.I. and at the outbreak of the war was used as there Depot,do you have infomation on this hall? like address etc.

Regards Kevin

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Switching south, the Drill Hall, Estreham Road, Streatham was the HQ of the Streatham contingent of 'D' Company, 10th (Lambeth) Battalion, CLVR.

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Graeme

Have you got in your list the Drill Hall at Blackwood,Gwent former home of the 1st Battalion Monmouthshire Regiment.

Ray Westlake has a photgraph of the Drill Hall on a website taken in 1915 with a bunch of TAs in attendance. I took a photograph of the building in 1999.It has not changed in appearance and looks very much the same as it was when my uncles passed through the place in 1914.

Regards

Frank East

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Graeme

Have you got in your list the Drill Hall at Blackwood,Gwent former home of the 1st Battalion Monmouthshire Regiment.

Ray Westlake has a photgraph of the Drill Hall on a website taken in 1915 with a bunch of TAs in attendance. I took a photograph of the building in 1999.It has not changed in appearance and looks very much the same as it was when my uncles passed through the place in 1914.

Regards

Frank East

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Firstly, my thanks to Kate, Kevin and Frank for the responses, and in no particular order:

Frank, could you let me have a copy of your photo, and details of Ray's website where said photo resides? Thankyou.

Kate - thanks - lovely crisp precise info!

Kevin - don't think 'the archive' has much on Stockton at the moment - I'll have a look in a while and check some other resources - watch this space!

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Graeme. 1st Battalion Monmouthshire Drill Hall

Go to www.hellfire-corner.demon.co.uk/WESTLAKE6.htm for 1915 and 2001 photographs of the Blackwood Drill Hall.

I will let you have my 1999 photograph of the Drill Hall as soon as I can find it.

Regards

Frank East

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Thanks on both counts, Frank - I,ve tried Ray Westlake's site and will be contacting him for his permission to scavenge photos.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Do we have any yeomanry experts out there? I'm trying to understand the difference in terminology between a 'drill station' of a Yeomanry squadron and a drill hall.... Did the squadrons share premises with their infantry colleagues for dismounted drill, or would they have had attached stabling?

Any help really appreciated.

Graeme

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  • 1 month later...

I was wondering if anybody had anny information on the KOYLI dril halls. As I am doing some work on the Terratorial units prior to 1914

JOhn

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John

5th KOYLI drill hall was in French Gate, Doncaster. The 4th Bn's was in Wakefield but I don't have the exact location. Most towns and cities had official directories and the drill halls were often listed.

Terry Reeves

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John - as Terry rightly points out, 4 Bn KOYLI HQ was at Wakefield along with A and B coys. C was at Normanton, D Ossett, E and F in Dewsbury, G in Batley and H in Morley.

5 Bn KOYLI had HQ, B, C and F coys at French Gate, Doncaster, with A at Pontefract, D Goole, E Featherstone, G at Conisboro' and H in Castleford.

I don't have anything further but would be grateful for anything that you might turn up.

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PRO ref WO114/55 'Territorial Forces - Returns showing Headquarters of Units and Outlying Drill Sections 1913 ' is exactly what is says on the box.

For the 5th Seaforth is lists the Bn HQ, the 8 company HQs and another 16 'drill stations'. I would say a 'drill station' is the location (town/village) where a TF sub-unit holds drills - I guess a drill hall is the actual building in which they drill (because I know there were drill halls at most/all of these 'drill stations').

The number of drill stations for this unit is far above the norm and is a result of the large area/low population density of the battalion's recruiting area - I wouldn't expect anything approaching this for a city unit.

Jock Bruce

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Many thanks Terry and Graham

I Have discovered that the minute boks of the West Yorkshire association are in the Leeds Branch of the West Yorks Archives. There is some day to day detail about the drill halls, mostly about having to pay for telephones!!!!!!!!

John

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Following on from my previous question, does anybody know if there was a standard "plan" for Drill Halls. or did they all contain the same basic sets of amenities.

JOhn

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thankyou! I wasn't aware of this one - it's the drill hall of F and G coys Buckinghamshire Battalion, Ox & Bucks Light Infantry.

How did you find it?

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