Blandford Camp
Encyclopedia
Blandford Camp is a military base
comprising some 390 hectare
s of downland
lying 2 miles (3 km) north-east of Blandford Forum in the county of Dorset
in southern England
.
Significant areas of the camp are Sites of Special Scientific Interest
(SSSI) (see map at http://www.natureonthemap.org.uk/map.aspx?map=sssi&feature=1001233,sssi,HYPERLINK,LABEL).
Blandford Camp is currently the home of the Royal Signals
, housing both the headquarters
of the corps as well as the headquarters of the Defence College of Communications and Information Systems
(DCCIS), the Royal School of Signals
(which includes 11 Signal Regiment), and the Royal Signals Museum
. A number of other telecommunications-related units, such as the MOD
Land Systems Reference Centre, are also housed on the site. Over the years, however, the camp has been home to Royal Navy
, Royal Air Force
, Army
and joint-Service units, as well as to a US Army
hospital complex. The site has also been used as a road racing circuit.
sites within the camp boundaries, but the first recorded use of the site was as a racecourse
, giving rise to the naming of part of the area as Race Down. Race meetings began in the late 16th century and an annual race week was held until the end of the 19th century.
s were stationed in the area for anti-smuggling
duties.
During 1756, to counter the threat of a French invasion
along the south coast, an army of some 10,000 men was formed near Blandford, at Shroton, with major exercises being held on Blandford Downs (on the site of the present day camp).
Shutter Telegraph Station was built near the racecourse on the site now known as Telegraph Clump. The Blandford station was a link in the chain used to convey messages from the Admiralty in London
to the Naval Dockyard at Plymouth
(see map at http://www.vauxhallandkennington.org.uk/telegraph.shtml). The signal station was closed in 1816 after the end of the Napoleonic Wars
, but was retained on a care and maintenance basis for some time after this.
Blandford Race Down continued to be used during the 19th century as a training ground for the Yeomanry
and Volunteer units of Dorset
shire and a permanent rifle range was constructed in the area of what is now Racedown Road.
a large number of Royal Naval reservists
were called for full-time service, in excess of the numbers required to man ships. It was therefore decided that a Royal Naval Division would be formed to augment the army divisions. After its initial action in the front line in Belgium
, the Division returned to the UK
and established a base depot and training camp at Blandford. A German POW
camp was also set up alongside it.
The RN Division had battalions named after the former naval officers Drake
, Nelson
, Benbow
, Hawke
, Hood
, Howe
, Anson
and Collingwood
, and the various encampments at Blandford took these names. Instruction on trench construction and trench warfare was carried out within the camp area and traces of the Royal Naval Division trenches can still be seen in the area beyond Drake East Lines.
The men of the Division left Blandford Camp to embark on the ill-fated Gallipoli
operation. A memorial now stands at Collingwood Corner, on the main A354
Blandford Forum to Salisbury
road, dedicated to the men of the Collingwood Battalion who lost their lives in the Third Battle of Krithia
at Gallipoli on 4 June 1915 (see http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Dorset/BlandfordCamp.html for Collingwood Corner memorial).
which was at that time being reformed as the Royal Air Force
, and a branch railway line was built to bring materials and personnel to the camp. The railway was linked with the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway
line immediately south of Blandford Forum railway station
and there was a daily passenger service to bring civilian staff to the camp from Bournemouth
and the villages in between. At the end of 1919, however, the camp was closed and both the wooden huts built for the RN Division and the camp's railway line were removed. By the end of 1920 the site had been returned to agricultural use.
, the camp was reactivated in 1939 as a mobilization
and training centre for reservist
s, with a new wooden hutted camp being built on the sites of the RN Division encampments. There are still a few huts from the 1939 camp remaining, these being in Drake East Lines and in the Benbow Lines.
After the fall of France
the British Army went through a period of reorganisation, and anti-aircraft units of the Royal Artillery
trained on the site, as well as a reconnaissance
battalion of the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers
. The camp then became a Battle Training Camp, staffed by a cadre of officer
s and NCOs
who organised the training of the units who passed through the camp. Each unit spent a month carrying out intensive training prior to being sent to a combat area such as North Africa
, or preparing for the planned invasion of Normandy in 1944.
hospital complex and, in April 1944, the first of five US Army general hospitals was established. The hospitals started receiving patients about two weeks after D-Day and many were brought from the combat area via the wartime airfield
at Tarrant Rushton
. The hospitals were often working at full capacity and receiving as many as 500 casualties
during one night. The hospital complex closed after VE Day
and the majority of the staff returned to the USA
during October 1945.
The Roosevelt
Garden and Memorial were dedicated on 30 May 1945 in the camp, and a memorial service is held there annually in November in remembrance of those who died.
(as a National Service
driver training camp), the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
, the Army Catering Corps
and the Army Physical Training Corps
.
In 1948, the 3 mile 247yd
6.75in perimeter road was used for the first 'real road' racing circuit and motorcycle racing continued for over a decade. For two years (1949–1950), the circuit was also used for Formula Two
(and other) motorcar racing, but after several serious accidents, including the curious accident when the Cooper
of Major Braid ended up on the roof of the Guardroom, and several fatalities, it was considered too dangerous to continue.
. Blandford was then selected to be the future home of the School of Signals (then at Catterick
) and the present-day camp was planned.
The School of Signals (now the Royal School of Signals) moved in in 1967, to be responsible for all management and technical courses for Royal Signals Officers and NCOs. It also ran ADP
courses for personnel of other Services, which led to a separate joint-Service unit being established - the Defence ADP Training Centre (DADPTC).
In the early 1990s, under the Government's 'Options for Change
' initiatives, DADPTC moved to Shrivenham
and 30 Signal Regiment moved to Bramcote
to make way in 1995 for Royal Signals soldier training to be moved from Catterick Camp. The Headquarters of the Corps also came to the site from London. All special-to-arm training is now carried out with 11 Signal Regiment at Blandford.
(DTR), the Ministry of Defence
proposed handing over armed forces skills training to a private sector bidder for a 25-year term, and it was announced on 17 January 2007 that the Metrix
consortium had been awarded Preferred Bidder status for Package 1 of this programme. As a consequence, it is anticipated that all communications training will move from Blandford to Metrix's main campus to be built on the RAF St Athan site over a 5-year period from 2008.
The announcement did however stress that there are no current plans to close or sell off the Blandford site, and that it is anticipated that it will continue to have a Defence use.
Military base
A military base is a facility directly owned and operated by or for the military or one of its branches that shelters military equipment and personnel, and facilitates training and operations. In general, a military base provides accommodations for one or more units, but it may also be used as a...
comprising some 390 hectare
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
s of downland
Downland
A downland is an area of open chalk hills. This term is especially used to describe the chalk countryside in southern England. Areas of downland are often referred to as Downs....
lying 2 miles (3 km) north-east of Blandford Forum in the county of Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
in southern England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Significant areas of the camp are Sites of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
(SSSI) (see map at http://www.natureonthemap.org.uk/map.aspx?map=sssi&feature=1001233,sssi,HYPERLINK,LABEL).
Blandford Camp is currently the home of the Royal Signals
Royal Corps of Signals
The Royal Corps of Signals is one of the combat support arms of the British Army...
, housing both the headquarters
Headquarters
Headquarters denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top of a corporation taking full responsibility managing all business activities...
of the corps as well as the headquarters of the Defence College of Communications and Information Systems
Defence College of Communications and Information Systems
The Defence College of Communications and Information Systems was formed on 1 April 2004 as one of 6 United Kingdom Ministry of Defence Training Establishments introduced to deliver coherent and cost effective training across defence...
(DCCIS), the Royal School of Signals
Royal School of Signals
The Royal School of Signals is a military training establishment that is part of the United Kingdom's Defence College of Communications and Information Systems. It is located at Blandford Camp in Dorset...
(which includes 11 Signal Regiment), and the Royal Signals Museum
Royal Signals Museum
The Royal Signals Museum is a military museum based at Blandford Camp northwest of the town of Blandford Forum in Dorset, England.The museum is the United Kingdom national museum of army communications...
. A number of other telecommunications-related units, such as the MOD
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
Land Systems Reference Centre, are also housed on the site. Over the years, however, the camp has been home to Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, 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...
and joint-Service units, as well as to a US Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
hospital complex. The site has also been used as a road racing circuit.
History
There are numerous prehistoricPrehistory
Prehistory is the span of time before recorded history. Prehistory can refer to the period of human existence before the availability of those written records with which recorded history begins. More broadly, it refers to all the time preceding human existence and the invention of writing...
sites within the camp boundaries, but the first recorded use of the site was as a racecourse
Horseracing in the United Kingdom
Horse racing is a popular spectator sport in Great Britain, with hundreds of years of unique heritage. Gambling on horseraces is also considered the cornerstone of the British betting industry....
, giving rise to the naming of part of the area as Race Down. Race meetings began in the late 16th century and an annual race week was held until the end of the 19th century.
18th century
It is thought that the area has been used by military forces for many centuries but the first definite use of the site was in the 18th century when local volunteer units used it as a training ground. In addition, in 1724 a troop of the HussarHussar
Hussar refers to a number of types of light cavalry which originated in Hungary in the 14th century, tracing its roots from Serbian medieval cavalry tradition, brought to Hungary in the course of the Serb migrations, which began in the late 14th century....
s were stationed in the area for anti-smuggling
Smuggling
Smuggling is the clandestine transportation of goods or persons, such as out of a building, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations.There are various motivations to smuggle...
duties.
During 1756, to counter the threat of a French invasion
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
along the south coast, an army of some 10,000 men was formed near Blandford, at Shroton, with major exercises being held on Blandford Downs (on the site of the present day camp).
19th century
In 1806, an AdmiraltyAdmiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
Shutter Telegraph Station was built near the racecourse on the site now known as Telegraph Clump. The Blandford station was a link in the chain used to convey messages from the Admiralty in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to the Naval Dockyard at Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
(see map at http://www.vauxhallandkennington.org.uk/telegraph.shtml). The signal station was closed in 1816 after the end of the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
, but was retained on a care and maintenance basis for some time after this.
Blandford Race Down continued to be used during the 19th century as a training ground for the Yeomanry
Yeomanry
Yeomanry is a designation used by a number of units or sub-units of the British Territorial Army, descended from volunteer cavalry regiments. Today, Yeomanry units may serve in a variety of different military roles.-History:...
and Volunteer units of Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
shire and a permanent rifle range was constructed in the area of what is now Racedown Road.
World War I - Royal Naval Division
With the outbreak of the First World WarWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
a large number of Royal Naval reservists
Royal Naval Reserve
The Royal Naval Reserve is the volunteer reserve force of the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom. The present Royal Naval Reserve was formed in 1958 by merging the original Royal Naval Reserve and the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve , a reserve of civilian volunteers founded in 1903...
were called for full-time service, in excess of the numbers required to man ships. It was therefore decided that a Royal Naval Division would be formed to augment the army divisions. After its initial action in the front line in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, the Division returned to the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and established a base depot and training camp at Blandford. A German POW
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
camp was also set up alongside it.
The RN Division had battalions named after the former naval officers Drake
Francis Drake
Sir Francis Drake, Vice Admiral was an English sea captain, privateer, navigator, slaver, and politician of the Elizabethan era. Elizabeth I of England awarded Drake a knighthood in 1581. He was second-in-command of the English fleet against the Spanish Armada in 1588. He also carried out the...
, Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB was a flag officer famous for his service in the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He was noted for his inspirational leadership and superb grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics, which resulted in a number of...
, Benbow
John Benbow
John Benbow was an English officer in the Royal Navy. He joined the navy aged 25 years, seeing action against Algerian pirates before leaving and joining the merchant navy where he traded until the Glorious Revolution of 1688, whereupon he returned to the Royal Navy and was commissioned.Benbow...
, Hawke
Edward Hawke, 1st Baron Hawke
Admiral of the Fleet Edward Hawke, 1st Baron Hawke KB, PC was an officer of the Royal Navy. He is best remembered for his service during the Seven Years' War, particularly his victory over a French fleet at the Battle of Quiberon Bay in 1759, preventing a French invasion of Britain...
, Hood
Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood
Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood was a British Admiral known particularly for his service in the American War of Independence and French Revolutionary Wars...
, Howe
Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe
Admiral of the Fleet Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe KG was a British naval officer, notable in particular for his service during the American War of Independence and French Revolutionary Wars. He was the brother of William Howe and George Howe.Howe joined the navy at the age of thirteen and served...
, Anson
George Anson, 1st Baron Anson
Admiral of the Fleet George Anson, 1st Baron Anson PC, FRS, RN was a British admiral and a wealthy aristocrat, noted for his circumnavigation of the globe and his role overseeing the Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War...
and Collingwood
Cuthbert Collingwood, 1st Baron Collingwood
Vice Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood, 1st Baron Collingwood was an admiral of the Royal Navy, notable as a partner with Lord Nelson in several of the British victories of the Napoleonic Wars, and frequently as Nelson's successor in commands.-Early years:Collingwood was born in Newcastle upon Tyne...
, and the various encampments at Blandford took these names. Instruction on trench construction and trench warfare was carried out within the camp area and traces of the Royal Naval Division trenches can still be seen in the area beyond Drake East Lines.
The men of the Division left Blandford Camp to embark on the ill-fated Gallipoli
Battle of Gallipoli
The Gallipoli Campaign, also known as the Dardanelles Campaign or the Battle of Gallipoli, took place at the peninsula of Gallipoli in the Ottoman Empire between 25 April 1915 and 9 January 1916, during the First World War...
operation. A memorial now stands at Collingwood Corner, on the main A354
A354 road
The A354 is a primary route in England which runs from Salisbury in Wiltshire to Easton on the Isle of Portland in Dorset, a total distance of . From Salisbury the road crosses Cranborne Chase and briefly merges with the A350 at the Blandford Forum bypass before crossing the Dorset Downs and...
Blandford Forum to Salisbury
Salisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
road, dedicated to the men of the Collingwood Battalion who lost their lives in the Third Battle of Krithia
Third Battle of Krithia
The Third Battle of Krithia , fought on the Gallipoli peninsula during World War I, was the final in a series of Allied attacks against the Ottoman defences aimed at capturing the original objectives of 25 April 1915...
at Gallipoli on 4 June 1915 (see http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Dorset/BlandfordCamp.html for Collingwood Corner memorial).
Royal Flying Corps/Royal Air Force
During 1918, the camp changed from being the depot for the Royal Naval Division to being an 'Intake Camp' for the Royal Flying CorpsRoyal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
which was at that time being reformed as the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, and a branch railway line was built to bring materials and personnel to the camp. The railway was linked with the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway
Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway
The Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway – almost always referred to as "the S&D" – was an English railway line connecting Bath in north east Somerset and Bournemouth now in south east Dorset but then in Hampshire...
line immediately south of Blandford Forum railway station
Blandford Forum railway station
Blandford Forum railway station was a station on the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway between Templecombe and Broadstone, England. It served the town of Blandford Forum...
and there was a daily passenger service to bring civilian staff to the camp from Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
and the villages in between. At the end of 1919, however, the camp was closed and both the wooden huts built for the RN Division and the camp's railway line were removed. By the end of 1920 the site had been returned to agricultural use.
World War II
With the build up of tension leading up to the Second World WarWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the camp was reactivated in 1939 as a mobilization
Mobilization
Mobilization is the act of assembling and making both troops and supplies ready for war. The word mobilization was first used, in a military context, in order to describe the preparation of the Prussian army during the 1850s and 1860s. Mobilization theories and techniques have continuously changed...
and training centre for reservist
Reservist
A reservist is a person who is a member of a military reserve force. They are otherwise civilians, and in peacetime have careers outside the military. Reservists usually go for training on an annual basis to refresh their skills. This person is usually a former active-duty member of the armed...
s, with a new wooden hutted camp being built on the sites of the RN Division encampments. There are still a few huts from the 1939 camp remaining, these being in Drake East Lines and in the Benbow Lines.
After the fall of France
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
the British Army went through a period of reorganisation, and anti-aircraft units of the Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
trained on the site, as well as a reconnaissance
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
battalion of the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers
Royal Northumberland Fusiliers
The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers was an infantry regiment of the British Army. Originally raised in 1674, the regiment was amalgamated with three other fusilier regiments in 1968 to form the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.-Origins:...
. The camp then became a Battle Training Camp, staffed by a cadre of officer
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
s and NCOs
Non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer , called a sub-officer in some countries, is a military officer who has not been given a commission...
who organised the training of the units who passed through the camp. Each unit spent a month carrying out intensive training prior to being sent to a combat area such as North Africa
North African campaign
During the Second World War, the North African Campaign took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943. It included campaigns fought in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts and in Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia .The campaign was fought between the Allies and Axis powers, many of whom had...
, or preparing for the planned invasion of Normandy in 1944.
US Army hospital complex
Since, once the invasion of Europe was underway, Blandford Camp would no longer be required as a training camp, it was decided to convert the camp into a US ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
hospital complex and, in April 1944, the first of five US Army general hospitals was established. The hospitals started receiving patients about two weeks after D-Day and many were brought from the combat area via the wartime airfield
Airbase
An airbase is a military airfield that provides basing and support of military aircraft....
at Tarrant Rushton
RAF Tarrant Rushton
RAF Tarrant Rushton was a Royal Air Force station near the village of Tarrant Rushton east of Blandford Forum in Dorset, England from 1943 to 1947.It was used for glider operations during World War II and later revived for civilian operations...
. The hospitals were often working at full capacity and receiving as many as 500 casualties
Casualty (person)
A casualty is a person who is the victim of an accident, injury, or trauma. The word casualties is most often used by the news media to describe deaths and injuries resulting from wars or disasters...
during one night. The hospital complex closed after VE Day
Victory in Europe Day
Victory in Europe Day commemorates 8 May 1945 , the date when the World War II Allies formally accepted the unconditional surrender of the armed forces of Nazi Germany and the end of Adolf Hitler's Third Reich. The formal surrender of the occupying German forces in the Channel Islands was not...
and the majority of the staff returned to the USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
during October 1945.
The Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
Garden and Memorial were dedicated on 30 May 1945 in the camp, and a memorial service is held there annually in November in remembrance of those who died.
Post-war years
After the closure of the hospitals the camp was reconverted to a training camp, and from 1946 until 1962 it was used by the Royal Army Service CorpsRoyal Army Service Corps
The Royal Army Service Corps was a corps of the British Army. It was responsible for land, coastal and lake transport; air despatch; supply of food, water, fuel, and general domestic stores such as clothing, furniture and stationery ; administration of...
(as a National Service
National service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
driver training camp), the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers is a corps of the British Army that has responsibility for the maintenance, servicing and inspection of almost every electrical and mechanical piece of equipment within the British Army from Challenger II main battle tanks and WAH64 Apache...
, 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....
and the Army Physical Training Corps
Army Physical Training Corps
The Royal Army Physical Training Corps is the British Army corps responsible for physical fitness and physical education. Its members are all Royal Army Physical Training Corps Instructors ....
.
In 1948, the 3 mile 247yd
Yard
A yard is a unit of length in several different systems including English units, Imperial units and United States customary units. It is equal to 3 feet or 36 inches...
6.75in perimeter road was used for the first 'real road' racing circuit and motorcycle racing continued for over a decade. For two years (1949–1950), the circuit was also used for Formula Two
Formula Two
Formula Two, abbreviated to F2, is a type of open wheel formula racing. It was replaced by Formula 3000 in 1985, but the FIA announced in 2008 that Formula Two would return for 2009 in the form of the FIA Formula Two Championship...
(and other) motorcar racing, but after several serious accidents, including the curious accident when the Cooper
Cooper Car Company
The Cooper Car Company was founded in 1946 by Charles Cooper and his son John Cooper. Together with John's boyhood friend, Eric Brandon, they began by building racing cars in Charles' small garage in Surbiton, Surrey, England in 1946...
of Major Braid ended up on the roof of the Guardroom, and several fatalities, it was considered too dangerous to continue.
Royal Signals
In 1960, 30 Signal Regiment moved into the camp from Middle WallopMiddle Wallop
Middle Wallop is the local name given to an area between the two Parishes of Over Wallop and Nether Wallop in Hampshire, England. As it does not have its own parish technically it does not exist, however road signs and maps make reference to the location and have done so since the 18th century,...
. Blandford was then selected to be the future home of the School of Signals (then at Catterick
Catterick Garrison
Catterick Garrison is a major Army base located in Northern England. It is the largest British Army garrison in the world with a population of around 12,000, plus a large temporary population of soldiers, and is larger than its older neighbour...
) and the present-day camp was planned.
The School of Signals (now the Royal School of Signals) moved in in 1967, to be responsible for all management and technical courses for Royal Signals Officers and NCOs. It also ran ADP
Computing
Computing is usually defined as the activity of using and improving computer hardware and software. It is the computer-specific part of information technology...
courses for personnel of other Services, which led to a separate joint-Service unit being established - the Defence ADP Training Centre (DADPTC).
In the early 1990s, under the Government's 'Options for Change
Options for Change
Options for Change was a restructuring of the British Armed Forces in 1990, aimed at cutting defence spending following the end of the Cold War....
' initiatives, DADPTC moved to Shrivenham
Shrivenham
Shrivenham is a large village and civil parish in Oxfordshire, England, close to the boundary with Wiltshire. It is in the Vale of White Horse, between Swindon and Faringdon. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire.-Character:Shrivenham features many...
and 30 Signal Regiment moved to Bramcote
Bramcote
Bramcote is a settlement in the Broxtowe district of Nottinghamshire, about five miles west of Nottingham. It was a separate village but is now a suburb of Greater Nottingham. Originally one of the main roads between the cities of Nottingham and Derby passed through the village centre...
to make way in 1995 for Royal Signals soldier training to be moved from Catterick Camp. The Headquarters of the Corps also came to the site from London. All special-to-arm training is now carried out with 11 Signal Regiment at Blandford.
Future
Following the UK Government's 2001 Defence Training ReviewDefence Training Review
The Defence Training Review was established by the then Defence Secretary, Lord Robertson, on 22 July 1999 toexamine all individual training and education, Service and civilian, in the British armed forces. The review report, entitled Modernising Defence Training, was published in 2001...
(DTR), the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
proposed handing over armed forces skills training to a private sector bidder for a 25-year term, and it was announced on 17 January 2007 that the Metrix
Metrix UK
Metrix UK Ltd is a joint venture company, originally a 50/50 equity partnership between QinetiQ and LandSecurities Trillium, specifically set up to bid for the two main contracts under the UK Government's 2001 Defence Training Review rationalisation programme...
consortium had been awarded Preferred Bidder status for Package 1 of this programme. As a consequence, it is anticipated that all communications training will move from Blandford to Metrix's main campus to be built on the RAF St Athan site over a 5-year period from 2008.
The announcement did however stress that there are no current plans to close or sell off the Blandford site, and that it is anticipated that it will continue to have a Defence use.
Notable connections
- Sub Lieutenant Rupert BrookeRupert BrookeRupert Chawner Brooke was an English poet known for his idealistic war sonnets written during the First World War, especially The Soldier...
(1887–1915), stationed at Blandford between November 1914 and February 1915. It is thought that some of his best known sonnets were written here.
- Joe FryJoe FryJoe Fry was a British racing driver and distant member of the Fry's Chocolate family....
(1915–1950), British racing car driver. He was killed in an accident at the 1950 Blandford hill-climb.