Aldershot Garrison
Encyclopedia
Aldershot Garrison, also known as Aldershot Military Town, is a major garrison
in South East England
. Established in 1854, Aldershot has long been seen as the home of the British Army
. The garrison was established when the war department brought a large area of land near to the village of Aldershot
, with the objective of establishing a permanent training camp for the British Army. Over time, this camp grew into a military town
and continues to be used by the British Army to the present day. It is home to the headquarters of the 4th Division
of the British Army, and it is also the administrative base for the 145th (South) Brigade and 101st Logistic Brigade. The garrison plays host to around 70 military units and organisations. It is located between Aldershot
, and Farnborough
in Hampshire
.
In 1972 the garrison was the site of one of the worst UK mainland IRA attacks of the time when a car bomb was detonated outside the headquarters mess of 16 Parachute Brigade. The Official IRA claimed responsibility and stating that the attack was in revenge for the shootings in Derry
that came to be known as Bloody Sunday
. At the time of the attack Aldershot garrison was an entirely open garrison. Following the attack the Army took steps to secure the garrison by erecting security fences around most of the barracks and lines, as well as introducing armed security patrols.
The Garrison area covers approximately 500 hectares. The total garrison population is about 10,500. Adjacent to the military town is some 2,700 hectares of open military training area. Aldershot Garrison will serve as the hub for the future South East Super Garrison, which will include satellite establishments at Minley
, Bordon
, Sandhurst
, Pirbright
, Deepcut
, Keogh
, Arborfield
, Winchester
and Worthy Down.
, regiments of militia charged with home defence were housed at the camp, and the Brigade of Guards
used it for summer training. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert showed a keen interest in the establishment and the development of Aldershot as a garrison town. In the 1850s, they had a wooden Royal Pavilion built in which they would often stay when attending reviews of the army. In 1860 Prince Albert established and endowed the Prince Consort's Library, which exists to this day.
After the Crimean War, a division of regular troops was permanently based at Aldershot, and ‘the Division at Aldershot’ (including artillery at Christchurch, Hampshire, and cavalry at Hounslow, Middlesex) became one of the most important home commands of the British Army. In January 1876 a Mobilization Scheme for the forces in Great Britain and Ireland was published, with the Active Army divided into eight army corps based on the major Commands and Districts. The 2nd Corps was headquartered at Aldershot. This scheme disappeared in 1881, when the districts were retitled ‘District Commands’, with Aldershot usually listed as IX or X. In 1898 (when Queen Victoria’s son, the Duke of Connaught, was General Officer Commanding) Aldershot Command
was ranked I on the list. From 1901 to 1908 Aldershot Command was given the additional title of I Army Corps.
The garrison subsequently became seen as home to the British Army. This status has been reflected in the use of Aldershot as a headquarters for a variety of regional commands over the last 100 years. HQ Aldershot Command continued in existence until c. February 1941, when it was replaced by HQ Aldershot Area.
and the Army Catering Corps
, these were merged into the Royal Logistic Corps
in 1993 and the corps headquarters moved to Deepcut Barracks
. The garrison was also home to The Parachute Regiment from its formation in 1940 until the regiment moved to Colchester Garrison
in 2003.
, were killed in a car bomb
attack on the 16th Parachute Brigade headquarters mess at Aldershot garrison, and 19 people were injured. This blast was later claimed by the Official IRA
as revenge for the shootings in Derry
that came to be known as Bloody Sunday
. Until then the military town had been open-plan
, but the attack led to immediate action to secure military property by erecting security fences topped with barbed wire. Other security measures, including armed patrols were also implemented.
Following the bombing, it was decided to erect a memorial plaque in the grounds of a prominent new building approximately one mile away in Aldershot's town centre. However, this was soon rejected, and once the building of the attack was demolished, the plaque was moved to its current position, on the site of the bombing. The grounds and the site of the memorial have been preserved by the Army ever since.
. As more soldiers arrived, they were first housed in bell tents due to a shortage or permanent accommodation. Later, wooden huts were built which were in turn replaced by brick built barracks in the 1890s. Much of the Victorian camp was demolished in the 1960s.
, Wellington Statue
, Aldershot Military Cemetery
, the Royal Garrison Church and other churches. Adjacent to the military town is some 2,700 hectares of open military training area. This area is open to the public when not in use for military purposes.
, Bordon
, Sandhurst
, Pirbright
, Deepcut
, Keogh
, Arborfield
, Winchester
and Worthy Down.
Garrison
Garrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....
in South East England
South East England
South East England is one of the nine official regions of England, designated in 1994 and adopted for statistical purposes in 1999. It consists of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey and West Sussex...
. Established in 1854, Aldershot has long been seen as the home of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
. The garrison was established when the war department brought a large area of land near to the village of Aldershot
Aldershot
Aldershot is a town in the English county of Hampshire, located on heathland about southwest of London. The town is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council...
, with the objective of establishing a permanent training camp for the British Army. Over time, this camp grew into a military town
Garrison town
Garrison town may refer to* Garrison* Garrison community, poor, inner-city communities controlled by either of Jamaica's two main political parties...
and continues to be used by the British Army to the present day. It is home to the headquarters of the 4th Division
4th Infantry Division (United Kingdom)
The 4th Infantry Division is a regular British Army division with a long history having been present at the Peninsular War the Crimean War , the First World War , and during the Second World War.- Napoleonic Wars :...
of the British Army, and it is also the administrative base for the 145th (South) Brigade and 101st Logistic Brigade. The garrison plays host to around 70 military units and organisations. It is located between Aldershot
Aldershot
Aldershot is a town in the English county of Hampshire, located on heathland about southwest of London. The town is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council...
, and Farnborough
Farnborough, Hampshire
-History:Name changes: Ferneberga ; Farnburghe, Farenberg ; Farnborowe, Fremborough, Fameborough .Tower Hill, Cove: There is substantial evidence...
in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
.
In 1972 the garrison was the site of one of the worst UK mainland IRA attacks of the time when a car bomb was detonated outside the headquarters mess of 16 Parachute Brigade. The Official IRA claimed responsibility and stating that the attack was in revenge for the shootings in Derry
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
that came to be known as Bloody Sunday
Bloody Sunday (1972)
Bloody Sunday —sometimes called the Bogside Massacre—was an incident on 30 January 1972 in the Bogside area of Derry, Northern Ireland, in which twenty-six unarmed civil rights protesters and bystanders were shot by soldiers of the British Army...
. At the time of the attack Aldershot garrison was an entirely open garrison. Following the attack the Army took steps to secure the garrison by erecting security fences around most of the barracks and lines, as well as introducing armed security patrols.
The Garrison area covers approximately 500 hectares. The total garrison population is about 10,500. Adjacent to the military town is some 2,700 hectares of open military training area. Aldershot Garrison will serve as the hub for the future South East Super Garrison, which will include satellite establishments at Minley
Minley
Minley is a village in the Hart District of Hampshire, England. It lies on the A327 road between the M3 and Yateley. Its nearest town is Blackwater, approximately away from the village....
, Bordon
Bordon
Bordon is a town in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It lies 5.4 miles southeast of Alton and forms a part of the civil parish of Whitehill, the adjoining village. Both settlements are on the A325 road and close to the A3 road between London and Portsmouth...
, Sandhurst
Sandhurst
Sandhurst is a small town and civil parish in England of 7,966 homes and 20,803 inhabitants , primarily domiciliary in nature with a few light industries...
, Pirbright
Pirbright
Pirbright is a village in Surrey, England. Neighbouring villages include Worplesdon, Deepcut, Brookwood and Normandy. Pirbright parish has an area of some falling into two distinct communities with the military area to the north of the railway and the village to the south...
, Deepcut
Deepcut
Deepcut is a village in Surrey, situated close to Camberley. It is home to the Princess Royal Barracks, Deepcut.Malacologist Major Matthew Connolly lived at the Lock House at Deepcut where he brought up his son the writer and critic Cyril Connolly....
, Keogh
Keogh
Keogh plans are a type of retirement plan for self-employed people and small businesses in the United States.-History:Named for U.S. Representative Eugene James Keogh of New York, they are sometimes called HR10 plans...
, Arborfield
Arborfield
Arborfield is a village in Berkshire about south-east of Reading, about west of Wokingham, and about west of the sister village of Arborfield Cross The village is on the A327 road linking Reading...
, Winchester
Winchester
Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
and Worthy Down.
Early history
Aldershot has been a centre for the British Army since the mid-19th century. In 1854 the British Government's War Department bought 10,000 acres of heathland around the quiet village of Aldershot to establish a permanent training camp. During the Crimean WarCrimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
, regiments of militia charged with home defence were housed at the camp, and the Brigade of Guards
Brigade of Guards
The Brigade of Guards is a historical elite unit of the British Army, which has existed sporadically since the 17th century....
used it for summer training. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert showed a keen interest in the establishment and the development of Aldershot as a garrison town. In the 1850s, they had a wooden Royal Pavilion built in which they would often stay when attending reviews of the army. In 1860 Prince Albert established and endowed the Prince Consort's Library, which exists to this day.
After the Crimean War, a division of regular troops was permanently based at Aldershot, and ‘the Division at Aldershot’ (including artillery at Christchurch, Hampshire, and cavalry at Hounslow, Middlesex) became one of the most important home commands of the British Army. In January 1876 a Mobilization Scheme for the forces in Great Britain and Ireland was published, with the Active Army divided into eight army corps based on the major Commands and Districts. The 2nd Corps was headquartered at Aldershot. This scheme disappeared in 1881, when the districts were retitled ‘District Commands’, with Aldershot usually listed as IX or X. In 1898 (when Queen Victoria’s son, the Duke of Connaught, was General Officer Commanding) Aldershot Command
Aldershot Command
-History:After the success of the Chobham Manoeuvres of 1853, a permanent training camp was established at Aldershot in 1854 on the recommendation of the Commander-in-Chief, Viscount Hardinge...
was ranked I on the list. From 1901 to 1908 Aldershot Command was given the additional title of I Army Corps.
The garrison subsequently became seen as home to the British Army. This status has been reflected in the use of Aldershot as a headquarters for a variety of regional commands over the last 100 years. HQ Aldershot Command continued in existence until c. February 1941, when it was replaced by HQ Aldershot Area.
In the 20th century
The garrison used to be the corps headquarters for the Royal Corps of TransportRoyal Corps of Transport
The Royal Corps of Transport was a British Army Corps formed in 1965 from the transport elements of the Royal Army Service Corps and the movement control element of the Royal Engineers . The depot was Buller Barracks in Aldershot...
and the Army Catering Corps
Army Catering Corps
The Army Catering Corps was a corps of the British Army, responsible for the feeding of all Army units. It was originally formed in March 1941 as part of the Royal Army Service Corps, and became a corps in its own right in 1965....
, these were merged into the Royal Logistic Corps
Royal Logistic Corps
The Royal Logistic Corps provides logistic support functions to the British Army. It is the largest Corps in the Army, comprising around 17% of its strength...
in 1993 and the corps headquarters moved to Deepcut Barracks
Deepcut Barracks
The Princess Royal Barracks, Deepcut, commonly referred to as Deepcut Barracks, is the headquarters of the Royal Logistic Corps of the British Army and the Defence School of Logistics. Located near Camberley, Surrey, England, it was the headquarters of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps until the...
. The garrison was also home to The Parachute Regiment from its formation in 1940 until the regiment moved to Colchester Garrison
Colchester Garrison
Colchester Garrison is located in Colchester in the county of Essex. 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 43 AD following the Claudian invasion of Britain. Colchester was an...
in 2003.
1972 IRA bombing
On 22 February 1972 Aldershot experienced one of the worst UK mainland IRA attacks of the time. Seven people, all civilian support staff, including cooks, cleaners, and a Catholic priestRoman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, were killed in a car bomb
Car bomb
A car bomb, or truck bomb also known as a Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device , is an improvised explosive device placed in a car or other vehicle and then detonated. It is commonly used as a weapon of assassination, terrorism, or guerrilla warfare, to kill the occupants of the vehicle,...
attack on the 16th Parachute Brigade headquarters mess at Aldershot garrison, and 19 people were injured. This blast was later claimed by the Official IRA
Official IRA
The Official Irish Republican Army or Official IRA is an Irish republican paramilitary group whose goal was to create a "32-county workers' republic" in Ireland. It emerged from a split in the Irish Republican Army in December 1969, shortly after the beginning of "The Troubles"...
as revenge for the shootings in Derry
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
that came to be known as Bloody Sunday
Bloody Sunday (1972)
Bloody Sunday —sometimes called the Bogside Massacre—was an incident on 30 January 1972 in the Bogside area of Derry, Northern Ireland, in which twenty-six unarmed civil rights protesters and bystanders were shot by soldiers of the British Army...
. Until then the military town had been open-plan
Open plan
Open plan is the generic term used in architectural and interior design for any floor plan which makes use of large, open spaces and minimizes the use of small, enclosed rooms such as private offices...
, but the attack led to immediate action to secure military property by erecting security fences topped with barbed wire. Other security measures, including armed patrols were also implemented.
Following the bombing, it was decided to erect a memorial plaque in the grounds of a prominent new building approximately one mile away in Aldershot's town centre. However, this was soon rejected, and once the building of the attack was demolished, the plaque was moved to its current position, on the site of the bombing. The grounds and the site of the memorial have been preserved by the Army ever since.
Barracks, buildings and geography
Historical military town
Following Aldershot's establishment as a large permanent training camp in the 1850s, the military presence continued to grow. The garrison was divided into the North Camp and the South Camp, either side of the Basingstoke CanalBasingstoke Canal
The Basingstoke Canal is a British Canal, completed in 1794, built to connect Basingstoke with the River Thames at Weybridge via the Wey Navigation....
. As more soldiers arrived, they were first housed in bell tents due to a shortage or permanent accommodation. Later, wooden huts were built which were in turn replaced by brick built barracks in the 1890s. Much of the Victorian camp was demolished in the 1960s.
North Camp
Prior to 1890 Aldershot garrison lacked permanent accommodation to house the growing military presence, following the Barracks Act of 1890, North Camp was rebuilt with brick barracks named: Blenheim, Lille, Malplaquet, Oudenarde, Ramillies and Tournay. The new barracks were built by Henry Wells, a locally based building contractor. This group of barracks then became known as the Marlborough Lines. Today, the only surviving barracks of the Marlborough Lines group is Lille barracks. The Victorian buildings were largely demolished in 1958, and then rebuilt with more modern facilities, although the original officers mess survives.South Camp
Like North Camp, the area known as South Camp was rebuilt at much the same time. Construction was completed by the same local company responsible for Marlborough Lines. This phase of construction saw nine barracks built, namely those of: Albuhera, Barossa, Corunna, Gibraltar, Maida, Buller, Mandora and McGrigor barracks. This group of barracks became known as Stanhope Lines. Many of these brick-build Victorian barracks were demolished in the late 1960s, to make way for what is now Montgomery Lines. One of the Victorian barracks did survive, Clayton barracks is presently used as a transit camp to house soldiers attending Aldershot garrison on courses, or for sporting events and training. Montgomery Lines was completed in the 1970s and was built on the site of several barracks that formally made up Stanhope Lines. Buller barracks also survives today, although the original Victorian barracks were demolished in the late 1960s, it was rebuilt in the 1970s.Modern military town
The military town today, has a population of around 10,500. This consists of around 3,900 resident soldiers, some 1,000 transient military personnel on courses or sport, 770 MOD Civil Servants and some 5,000 service dependents. The garrison contains 2,145 Service Family Accommodation quarters. The rest of the garrison comprises barracks, the Aldershot Military Stadium, Queens Parade playing fields, Garrison Sports Centre, and the Aldershot Centre For Health, which is a joint MOD and local authority venture. The garrison is mostly centred around the crossroads that join Queen's Avenue and Alison's Road. The military town includes some local landmarks, such as the Aldershot ObservatoryAldershot Observatory
Aldershot observatory is a circular red-brick building with a domed roof standing on Queens Avenue in Aldershot Military Town near Aldershot, England, home to the British Army since circa 1854. Inside is an refracting telescope on a German-type equatorial mount with a clockwork drive which will...
, Wellington Statue
Wellington Statue, Aldershot
The Wellington Statue in Aldershot is a monument to Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington victor at the Battle of Waterloo and later Prime Minister of the United Kingdom...
, Aldershot Military Cemetery
Aldershot Military Cemetery
Aldershot Military Cemetery, is a burial ground for military personnel, or ex-military personnel. It is located in Aldershot Military Town, Hampshire...
, the Royal Garrison Church and other churches. Adjacent to the military town is some 2,700 hectares of open military training area. This area is open to the public when not in use for military purposes.
Brigades, regiments and units
- HQ 145 Infantry Brigade (South)
- HQ 101 Logistic Brigade
- 10 Tpt Royal Logistic Corps (Provides 3rd line support to HQ 101 Log Bde)
- 4 Regiment Royal Military PoliceRoyal Military PoliceThe Royal Military Police is the corps of the British Army responsible for the policing of service personnel, and for providing a military police presence both in the UK, and whilst service personnel are deployed overseas on operations and exercises.Members of the RMP are generally known as...
- 160 Provost Company Royal Military Police
- 1st Bn Coldstream GuardsColdstream GuardsHer Majesty's Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, also known officially as the Coldstream Guards , is a regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division or Household Division....
- 1st Bn Grenadier GuardsGrenadier GuardsThe Grenadier Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards...
- Training Centre, Royal Logistic CorpsRoyal Logistic CorpsThe Royal Logistic Corps provides logistic support functions to the British Army. It is the largest Corps in the Army, comprising around 17% of its strength...
- 27 Regt Royal Logistic Corps
- 10 Queen's Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment
- 4 Medical Regiment
- Ministry of Defence Hospital Unit at Frimley Park HospitalFrimley Park HospitalFrimley Park Hospital is a large, 720-bed NHS hospital in Frimley, Surrey, part of the Frimley Park Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.It opened in 1974 to provide a full range of district general hospital services for North East Hampshire and West Surrey, a catchment population of about 365,000...
- Defence Dental ServiceRoyal Army Dental CorpsThe Royal Army Dental Corps is a specialist corps in the British Army that provides dental care services to British Army personnel and their families in war and in peace...
- 22 Field HospitalField hospitalA field hospital is a large mobile medical unit that temporarily takes care of casualties on-site before they can be safely transported to more permanent hospital facilities...
- 101 Military Working Dog Unit
- HQ PAT Group and Army School of Physical TrainingArmy School of Physical TrainingThe Army School of Physical Training is the headquarters of the British Army Physical Training Corps and the central training establishment for physical education, physical fitness and sports instructors in the British Army. It is located in Hammerseley Barracks and Fox Lines, Aldershot,...
South East Super Garrison
The Army selected Aldershot garrison as the hub of the new South East Super Garrison, which will include satellite establishments at MinleyMinley
Minley is a village in the Hart District of Hampshire, England. It lies on the A327 road between the M3 and Yateley. Its nearest town is Blackwater, approximately away from the village....
, Bordon
Bordon
Bordon is a town in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It lies 5.4 miles southeast of Alton and forms a part of the civil parish of Whitehill, the adjoining village. Both settlements are on the A325 road and close to the A3 road between London and Portsmouth...
, Sandhurst
Sandhurst
Sandhurst is a small town and civil parish in England of 7,966 homes and 20,803 inhabitants , primarily domiciliary in nature with a few light industries...
, Pirbright
Pirbright
Pirbright is a village in Surrey, England. Neighbouring villages include Worplesdon, Deepcut, Brookwood and Normandy. Pirbright parish has an area of some falling into two distinct communities with the military area to the north of the railway and the village to the south...
, Deepcut
Deepcut
Deepcut is a village in Surrey, situated close to Camberley. It is home to the Princess Royal Barracks, Deepcut.Malacologist Major Matthew Connolly lived at the Lock House at Deepcut where he brought up his son the writer and critic Cyril Connolly....
, Keogh
Keogh
Keogh plans are a type of retirement plan for self-employed people and small businesses in the United States.-History:Named for U.S. Representative Eugene James Keogh of New York, they are sometimes called HR10 plans...
, Arborfield
Arborfield
Arborfield is a village in Berkshire about south-east of Reading, about west of Wokingham, and about west of the sister village of Arborfield Cross The village is on the A327 road linking Reading...
, Winchester
Winchester
Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
and Worthy Down.