Princess Royal Barracks, Deepcut
Encyclopedia
The Princess Royal Barracks, Deepcut, commonly referred to as Deepcut Barracks, is the headquarters of the Royal Logistic Corps
(RLC) 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 formation of the RLC in 1993. At that time, it was known as Blackdown Barracks.
Director, Royal Logistic Corps is based in Dettingen House and the barracks are home to the RLC Museum, the Band of the RLC, The Defence School of Logistics and 25 Training Support Regiment RLC, which trains the officers and soldiers in a range of logistical skills.
As a consequence of the Defence Training Review
and the merger of tri-service training to a single location, the barracks are to close by 2013 with the land being released for housing development.
Update
An update was given at Deepcut on 6th December 2010 on the future planned move of HQ RLC & Defence Logistics School from Deepcut to Worthy Down (Project KESTREL) the date of 2013 was announced for early moves, with new buildings being built from April 2013 with 'ring-fenced' cash not affected by the 'Strategic Defence Review'
commenced the build of a number of camps, including Blackdown. The land was owned by the Pain family of Frimley Green who built a number of high status dwellings on the land.
Blackdown camp was established in the late 1903 initially to accommodate artillery and infantry, centred around Winchester house, renamed Blackdown House when it was appropriated by the War Office
for military use.
The barracks built in Blackdown Camp were Blackdown, Deepcut, Dettingen, Alma and Frith. By the Second World War these had a capacity of 25,000 soldiers.
The Victorian houses were demolished in the 1950s, the land around Blackdown House being left to forestry, and around Dettingen House being redeveloped for a modernised Officers Mess.
Between 1967 and 1971 Minden Barracks was demolished and rebuilt as Blackdown Barracks.
Frith Barracks were closed in the late 1970s and the land left to vegetation, Aisne and Marne Barracks were also closed and the sites used for Defence Housing. Dettingen and Alma Barracks have been closed and sold, in 2004, for housing development.
The Barracks was the garrison of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, and the school of Ordnance, until it merged into the Royal Logistic Corps, which established its Headquarters at the camp.
The School has its headquarters at the Barracks with some specialist training taking place elsewhere, with access to special equipment or terrain.
for Officers. All Officers undertake the RLC Troop
Commanders Course prior to posting to a Regiment
.
Soldier trainees specialise in a number of trades:
Officers may undertake specialist training as:
indicating suicide
being rejected by families who have called for a public inquiry into the circumstances. Criticism had also been directed at the army investigations of the deaths with concerns over record keeping, maintenance of evidence and forensic
material and transparency.
The four deaths were:
and the Royal Military Police
, as each was an independent incident. A later review by Surrey Police treated the four deaths as potentially related, but sustained a judgement of suicide, a further investigation by Surrey Police identified a number of failures of the Army's duty of care
at the barracks, leaving the opportunity and motive for suicide available.
Finally a review by Nicholas Blake QC
published in March 2006 following a two year investigation suggested the deaths were self-inflicted but criticised a number of aspects of training at Deepcut which could have contributed to the deaths. Blake was then a member of Matrix Chambers
, a leading set of barristers' chambers.
Points identified by the report were:
A report by the Army Board of Inquiry was due to be published in December 2007, but was delayed by the Ministry of Defence
until published in May 2009. The inquiry supported Blake's findings and returned open verdicts.
Articles critical of the investigations by journalists Brian Cathcart and Heather Mills have been published in Private Eye
. The publication has been consistently critical of these judgements and continues to support the families' appeals for further investigations. These criticisms identify the initial forensic investigations as a weakness, undermining the later judgements. Cathcart has also been critical of the treatment of the four cases in the media.
The deaths were used as the basis for a play, Deep Cut
, premiered at the Edinburgh Festival
followed by a short run at the Tricycle Theatre
in London.
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...
(RLC) 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...
and the Defence School of Logistics. Located near Camberley
Camberley
Camberley is a town in Surrey, England, situated 31 miles southwest of central London, in the corridor between the M3 and M4 motorways. The town lies close to the borders of both Hampshire and Berkshire; the boundaries intersect on the western edge of the town where all three counties...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, 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...
, it was 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 Royal Army Ordnance Corps
Royal Army Ordnance Corps
The Royal Army Ordnance Corps was a corps of the British Army. It dealt only with the supply and maintenance of weaponry, munitions and other military equipment until 1965, when it took over most other supply functions, as well as the provision of staff clerks, from the Royal Army Service...
until the formation of the RLC in 1993. At that time, it was known as Blackdown Barracks.
Director, Royal Logistic Corps is based in Dettingen House and the barracks are home to the RLC Museum, the Band of the RLC, The Defence School of Logistics and 25 Training Support Regiment RLC, which trains the officers and soldiers in a range of logistical skills.
As a consequence of the Defence Training Review
Defence 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...
and the merger of tri-service training to a single location, the barracks are to close by 2013 with the land being released for housing development.
Update
An update was given at Deepcut on 6th December 2010 on the future planned move of HQ RLC & Defence Logistics School from Deepcut to Worthy Down (Project KESTREL) the date of 2013 was announced for early moves, with new buildings being built from April 2013 with 'ring-fenced' cash not affected by the 'Strategic Defence Review'
History
The area had been used as a training ground for the army from the late 19th century with no formal military infrastructure until 1900 when the Royal EngineersRoyal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
commenced the build of a number of camps, including Blackdown. The land was owned by the Pain family of Frimley Green who built a number of high status dwellings on the land.
Blackdown camp was established in the late 1903 initially to accommodate artillery and infantry, centred around Winchester house, renamed Blackdown House when it was appropriated by the War Office
War Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...
for military use.
The barracks built in Blackdown Camp were Blackdown, Deepcut, Dettingen, Alma and Frith. By the Second World War these had a capacity of 25,000 soldiers.
The Victorian houses were demolished in the 1950s, the land around Blackdown House being left to forestry, and around Dettingen House being redeveloped for a modernised Officers Mess.
Between 1967 and 1971 Minden Barracks was demolished and rebuilt as Blackdown Barracks.
Frith Barracks were closed in the late 1970s and the land left to vegetation, Aisne and Marne Barracks were also closed and the sites used for Defence Housing. Dettingen and Alma Barracks have been closed and sold, in 2004, for housing development.
The Barracks was the garrison of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, and the school of Ordnance, until it merged into the Royal Logistic Corps, which established its Headquarters at the camp.
Defence College of Logistics
The Defence College of Logistics is responsible for training in logistics skills for Army and Royal Air Force officers and other ranks, as well as some naval logistics disciplines.The School has its headquarters at the Barracks with some specialist training taking place elsewhere, with access to special equipment or terrain.
RLC Training
RLC personnel conduct their Phase 2 training at Deepcut, having completed Phase 1 training at an Army Training Regiment for soldiers or Royal Military Academy SandhurstRoyal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
for Officers. All Officers undertake the RLC Troop
Troop
A troop is a military unit, originally a small force of cavalry, subordinate to a squadron and headed by the troop leader. In many armies a troop is the equivalent unit to the infantry section or platoon...
Commanders Course prior to posting to a Regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
.
Soldier trainees specialise in a number of trades:
- Ammunition Technician
- Driver / Port Operator
- Seaman / Navigator
- Marine Engineer
- Supplier
- ChefChefA chef is a person who cooks professionally for other people. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who cooks for a living, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation.-Etymology:The word "chef" is borrowed ...
- Driver
- Driver / Radio Operator
- Driver / Air Despatcher
- Movement Controller
- Postal and Courier Operator
- Pioneer
- Petroleum Operator
- Rail Operator
Officers may undertake specialist training as:
- Ammunition Technical OfficerAmmunition Technical OfficerAn Ammunition Technical Officer is an officer involved in all aspects of the army's use of ammunition. This includes; bomb disposal, explosives accident investigation, procurement, in service management, storage, and inspection and repair....
- Port and Maritime Operations Officer
- Petroleum Officer
- Food Services Officer
- Postal and Courier Services Officer
Trainee deaths at Deepcut
The deaths of four trainees at Deepcut, between 1995 and 2002, were the attention of significant media interest, with investigations by Surrey PoliceSurrey Police
Surrey Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing the county of Surrey in the south of England.The force is led by Chief Constable Mark Rowley and has its headquarters at Mount Browne, Guildford, Surrey...
indicating suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
being rejected by families who have called for a public inquiry into the circumstances. Criticism had also been directed at the army investigations of the deaths with concerns over record keeping, maintenance of evidence and forensic
Forensics
Forensic science is the application of a broad spectrum of sciences to answer questions of interest to a legal system. This may be in relation to a crime or a civil action...
material and transparency.
The four deaths were:
- On 9 June 1995, Private Sean Benton, of HastingsHastingsHastings is a town and borough in the county of East Sussex on the south coast of England. The town is located east of the county town of Lewes and south east of London, and has an estimated population of 86,900....
, East SussexEast SussexEast Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
, died with five bullet wounds to his chest.
- On 27 November 1995, Private Cheryl James, of Froncysllte, LlangollenLlangollenLlangollen is a small town and community in Denbighshire, north-east Wales, situated on the River Dee and on the edge of the Berwyn mountains. It has a population of 3,412.-History:...
was found dead with a single bullet wound to her head at the headquarters of the Royal Logistic Corps in woods not far from her abandoned guard post.
- On 17 September 2001, Private Geoff Gray, from HackneyLondon Borough of HackneyThe London Borough of Hackney is a London borough of North/North East London, and forms part of inner London. The local authority is Hackney London Borough Council....
, East LondonLondonLondon 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...
, was found with two gunshot wounds to his head while on guard duty, having left colleagues to undertake a lone prowler patrol in contravention of normal policy.
- On 23 March 2002, Private James Collinson, from PerthPerth, ScotlandPerth is a town and former city and royal burgh in central Scotland. Located on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire...
, was found dead with a single gunshot wound while on guard duty at the barracks.
Investigations
First investigations of each death were undertaken by Surrey PoliceSurrey Police
Surrey Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing the county of Surrey in the south of England.The force is led by Chief Constable Mark Rowley and has its headquarters at Mount Browne, Guildford, Surrey...
and the Royal Military Police
Royal Military Police
The 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...
, as each was an independent incident. A later review by Surrey Police treated the four deaths as potentially related, but sustained a judgement of suicide, a further investigation by Surrey Police identified a number of failures of the Army's duty of care
Duty of care
In tort law, a duty of care is a legal obligation imposed on an individual requiring that they adhere to a standard of reasonable care while performing any acts that could foreseeably harm others. It is the first element that must be established to proceed with an action in negligence. The claimant...
at the barracks, leaving the opportunity and motive for suicide available.
Finally a review by Nicholas Blake QC
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
published in March 2006 following a two year investigation suggested the deaths were self-inflicted but criticised a number of aspects of training at Deepcut which could have contributed to the deaths. Blake was then a member of Matrix Chambers
Matrix Chambers
Matrix Chambers is a barristers’ set situated at Gray’s Inn, London. It was founded in April 2000 by 22 barristers from 7 different chambers.Matrix was founded shortly before the implementation of the Human Rights Act in October 2000...
, a leading set of barristers' chambers.
Points identified by the report were:
- The training environment at Deepcut, causing low morale through poor accommodation, limited recreational facilities, and the balance between privacy and dormitory life.
- Unsupervised access to weapons.
- Supervision of trainees.
- Discipline, bullying and informal sanctions.
- Ventilation of grievances.
- Poor instructors.
A report by the Army Board of Inquiry was due to be published in December 2007, but was delayed by 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....
until published in May 2009. The inquiry supported Blake's findings and returned open verdicts.
Articles critical of the investigations by journalists Brian Cathcart and Heather Mills have been published in Private Eye
Private Eye
Private Eye is a fortnightly British satirical and current affairs magazine, edited by Ian Hislop.Since its first publication in 1961, Private Eye has been a prominent critic and lampooner of public figures and entities that it deemed guilty of any of the sins of incompetence, inefficiency,...
. The publication has been consistently critical of these judgements and continues to support the families' appeals for further investigations. These criticisms identify the initial forensic investigations as a weakness, undermining the later judgements. Cathcart has also been critical of the treatment of the four cases in the media.
The deaths were used as the basis for a play, Deep Cut
Deep Cut
Deep Cut is a play performed by Cardiff based theatre company Sherman Cymru and written by Philip Ralph. It premiered at the Edinburgh Festival in 2008 and won the Amnesty International Freedom of Expression Award in the same year as well as best Actor and Best Actress awards with The Stage's...
, premiered at the Edinburgh Festival
Edinburgh Festival
The Edinburgh Festival is a collective term for many arts and cultural festivals that take place in Edinburgh, Scotland each summer, mostly in August...
followed by a short run at the Tricycle Theatre
Tricycle Theatre
The Tricycle Theatre is located on Kilburn High Road in Kilburn in the London Borough of Brent, England. During the last 30 years, the Tricycle has been presenting plays reflecting the cultural diversity of its community; in particular Black, Irish, Jewish, Asian and South African works, as well as...
in London.