Colchester Garrison
Colchester Garrison | ||
---|---|---|
Shire county | ||
Region | ||
Country | England | |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom | |
Post town | COLCHESTER | |
Postcode district | CO1 – CO16 | |
Dialling code | 01206 | |
Police | Essex | |
Fire | Essex | |
Ambulance | East of England | |
UK Parliament | ||
Colchester Garrison is a major garrison located in Colchester in the county of Essex, eastern England. It has been an important military base since the Roman era. The first permanent military garrison in Colchester was established by Legio XX Valeria Victrix in AD 43, following the Roman conquest of Britain. Colchester was an important garrison town during the Napoleonic Wars and throughout the Victorian era. During the First World War, several battalions of Kitchener's Army were trained there.
Today, Colchester Garrison is most known for being home to the Parachute Regiment, known as "The Paras".
History
Napoleonic Wars (1792–1815)
Colchester Garrison played an eminent role during the Napoleonic Wars. The troops were originally billeted in local inns and houses. After petitioning from the borough council, new infantry barracks were built in 1794. By 1800 additional infantry, artillery, and cavalry barracks had been built in the area bounded by Barrack Street to the north, Wimpole Road to the west, and Port Lane to the east. In 1805 the barracks were home to 7,000 officers and men. After the Napoleonic Wars the barracks were reduced. The sale of the older barracks and the freehold site on which they stood started in 1817 and was completed in 1840. The Army retained 14 acres (57,000 m2) and an infantry barracks for 851 officers and men. Much of the old barracks land was developed as the "New Town" area of Colchester during the Victorian era.[1]
Crimean War (1854–1856)
Colchester Garrison experienced rapid expansion during the Crimean War. Between 1855 and 1856 wooden infantry barracks for 5,000 troops were erected on Ordnance Field. The government purchased 167-acre (0.68 km2) Middlewick Farm for use as a training area and a rifle range in 1857. Middlewick Ranges are still in use by the present garrison; however they will close in 2022.[2]
British German Legion
In 1856 10,000 troops of the
First World War (1914–1918)
Territorial Force
Essex Regiment
8th (Cyclist) Battalion, Essex Regiment, (TF) was based in Colchester at the outbreak of war in August 1914. It was redesignated 1/8th Battalion as additional "Terrier" battalions were raised from volunteers during the early months of the war. The 2/8th and 3/8th Battalions were formed in September 1914 and April 1915 respectively. All three Terrier battalions were allocated to home defence and remained in the United Kingdom throughout the war.[5]
Essex Yeomanry
The Essex Yeomanry (EY), a cavalry regiment, was mobilised at the outbreak of war. The regiment joined the Royal Horse Guards and the 10th Royal Hussars in France in November 1914 as part of 8th Cavalry Brigade, 3rd Cavalry Division.[6] During the war, 2nd and 3rd line regiments were raised in Colchester to reinforce the 1st line. 2 EY served as garrison troops in Ireland during the war, 3 EY was absorbed into the 4th Reserve Cavalry Regiment in 1917.[7]
On 14 March 1918, Essex Yeomanry left 8th Cavalry Brigade to become a
Essex RHA
Kitchener's Army
The
Second World War (1939–1945)
4th Infantry Division
Colchester was the home garrison of the 4th Infantry Division in September 1939. Resident units on the outbreak of war on 3 September, included 2nd Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers, 1st Battalion East Surrey Regiment, 1st Battalion Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards, 17th/21st Lancers, 27th Field Regiment Royal Artillery, 30th Field Regiment Royal Artillery and 14th Anti-Tank Regiment Royal Artillery. The division deployed to France in 1940 as part of the British Expeditionary Force.[11]
Home Guard
During the war the town was defended by local defence volunteers of 8th Essex Battalion of the
The order to "stand down" for the Home Guard came on 1 November 1944. They took their final salute on 19 November before the
Colchester Stop Line
During the war the town was ringed by over 120
Colchester Blitz
Air raid sirens sounded over 1000 times in Colchester during the course of the war. Colchester was attacked by the Luftwaffe on several occasions.[16] They included:
- Severalls Raid – On 11 August 1942 38 citizens were killed when a German plane dropped a stick of bombs on Severalls Hospital.
- Chapel Street Raid – 8 citizens were killed when a Dornier 217dropped four bombs on South Street and Essex Street on 28 September 1942. The air raid siren, in this case, only sounded after the bombs had already dropped, causing outcry in the town.
- St Botolphs Raid – In February 1944 a large Luftwaffe firebombing raid dropped a stream of 1,400 incendiary bombs on the St Botolphs area of the town, destroying 14 buildings and seriously damaging 99 others. Two-thirds of the PaxmanBritannia Works was destroyed during the raid.
Americans in Colchester
The first American military personnel arrived in Britain in January 1942. A significant American presence was established in the Colchester area, with many air bases of the US Eighth Air Force located in the district – at Earls Colne, Langham, Wormingford, Messing, and Dedham. In accordance with racial segregation of the American military during World War II, the American Red Cross established several social clubs in the area.[17]
Post-war
Headquarters Eastern District was established at Colchester in 1967,[18] but, after a merger with North East District the enlarged district moved to Imphal Barracks in York in 1992.[19]
A scheme to redevelop the garrison was procured under a
Colchester Garrison today
Regular Army
Colchester Garrison is currently home to the British Army's
Army Reserve
Colchester has a tradition of its citizen volunteers serving in the Army Reserve, formerly known as the Territorial Army. During the
Garrison church
The old garrison church in Military Road was a former Crimean War era hospital, similar to those shipped in prefabricated sections to
In Easter 2007, services transferred to a new church built situated behind the Community Centre, and was built as part of the ongoing regeneration of Colchester Garrison.[26]
Barracks
Barracks include:
- Merville Barracks (Gryphon Road) - Headquarters, 16 Air Assault Brigade; Garrison Headquarters, 216 Parachute Signal Squadron - Royal Corps of Signals, 16 Close Support Medical Regiment - Royal Army Medical Corps, 2nd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment, 3rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment, 7th Parachute Regiment - Royal Horse Artillery, 13 Air Assault Support Regiment - Royal Logistic Corps, 18 Army Education Centre - Educational and Training Services Branch, 16 VHR MI Coy - Intelligence Corps
- Goojerat Barracks (Goojerat Road) - 156 Provost Company Royal Military Police
- Berechurch Hall Camp (Berechurch Hall Road) - Military Corrective Training Centre
- Territorial Army Centre (Circular Road East Lower) - Territorial Armyunits
- The following former barracks are now considered to be part of Merville Barracks as they are no longer physically separate from the town centre barracks, and are all behind 1 perimeter fence
- Kirkee and McMunn Barracks (Reed Hall Avenue)
- Roman Way Camp (Roman Way)
Former barracks (not in use)
- Cavalry Barracks (Circular Road North) - former cavalry barracks, built between 1862 and 1863, occasionally used as a transit camp. The large parade ground of the Cavalry barracks served as the backdrop for the opening credits of Blackadder Goes Forth and in a scene in Monty Python's The Meaning of Life.
- Le Cateau Barracks (Le Cateau Road) - the former name of the Royal Artillery Barracks, built in 1874–1875, but named after the Battle of Le Cateau in 1914, in which the RA played a leading role.[27]
- Gymnasium (Circular Road South) - built in 1862
- Meeanee Barracks (Mersea Road) - Developed and restored as housing
- Hyderabad Barracks (Mersea Road) - Developed and restored as housing
- Garrison Church (Military Road) - Now in civilian use by the Russian Orthodox church.
Former barracks (demolished)
- Sobraon Barracks (Circular Road South) - former infantry barracks, built 1900, demolished 1960s
- Military Hospital - Victorian building, demolished 1990s (Circular Road South)
- Cherrytree camp (Cherrytree Lane) - the former home of 19 Brigade, in use until the 1960s - built before World War I as temporary accommodation for Kitchener's Army, now a housing estate, it also has the Essex Army Cadet Force Weekend Training Centrel
- Pool (Circular Road South)
- Roman Barracks. (Roman Way) built in the 1960s and formerly housed an infantry battalion. Demolished and redeveloped as civilian housing.
- Militia Barracks. (St. Andrews Ave.) In use 1850s-80s. Demolished due to incorporation of Militia into Essex Regt. under Cardwell Reforms.
Military Corrective Training Centre (MCTC)
Berechurch Hall Camp is the home of the Armed Forces Military Corrective Training Centre which incorporates the Naval Detention Quarters and is the only dedicated military facility of its kind in the United Kingdom.
- Those from the RN, RM, British Army and RAF who are to remain in the Services after sentence and will serve their detention in A Company.
- Those from the RN, RM, British Army and RAF who are to be discharged after their sentence and will serve their detention in D Company.
- Those held in military custody either awaiting the outcome of an investigation, or awaiting HM Prison or HM Young Offender Instituteplacement.
BFBS Radio
References
- ^ a b Barracks | A History of the County of Essex: Volume 9 (pp. 251-255)
- ^ "MOD Confirms Changes To Base Closure Plans". Forces News. 19 November 2020. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
- ^ In-depth research guides | The National Archives
- ^ European Regiments Archived 12 February 2006 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Baker, Chris. "The Essex Regiment". The Long, Long Trail. Retrieved 2 October 2013.
- ^ Short history of Essex Yeomanry Archived 24 February 2006 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Baker, Chris. "Essex Yeomanry". The Long, Long Trail. Retrieved 2 October 2013.
- ^ James 1978, p. 18
- ^ Baker, Chris. "The Royal Horse Artillery". The Long, Long Trail. Retrieved 2 October 2013.
- ^ The 12th (Eastern) Division of the British Army in 1914-1918
- ^ "Badge, formation, 4th Infantry Division". UK: Imperial War Museum. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
- ^ "Essex". Home Guard. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
- ^ Nash, Fred. "Essex Home Guard". Seax Archaeology - Unlocking Essex's Past. Archived from the original on 25 September 2008. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
- ^ "essex". Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 16 April 2006.
- ^ "Archaeology Data Service: myADS". Archived from the original on 15 May 2011. Retrieved 16 April 2006.
- ^ Downloads - Colchester & Ipswich Museums
- ^ "A friendly invasion". Essex Life. 17 October 2012. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
- ISBN 978-0-230-27101-2.
- ^ "TA Command Structure 1967–2000". Archived from the original on 8 June 2011. Retrieved 2 February 2013.
- ^ "Public Finance Initiative: the deals". The Telegraph. 25 January 2011. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
- ^ Knuckey, James (16 August 2021). "Afghanistan: All You Need To Know About 16 Air Assault Brigade". Forces Network. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
- ^ "Colchester paratroopers honoured for heroic Afghan evacuation efforts". Gazette. 13 May 2022. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
- ^ "158 Regiment The Royal Logistic Corps". Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
- ^ "Garrison Church". Retrieved 22 December 2019.
- ^ Orthodox England
- ^ "Garrison Church, Homefield Road, Colchester". Colchester Hive. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
- ^ The Battle of Le Cateau August 1914
- ^ "Military Corrective Training Centre (MCTC)". www.army.mod.uk. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
- ^ 107 Garrison FM, Colchester, Wattisham, Bassingbourn and Woodbridge
Bibliography
- James, Brigadier E.A. (1978). British Regiments 1914–18. London: Samson Books Limited. ISBN 0-906304-03-2.