Up-Park Camp
Encyclopedia
Up-Park Camp was the headquarters of the British Army
in Jamaica
from the late 18th century to independence in 1962. From that date, is has been the headquarters of the Jamaica Defence Force
. It is located in the heart of Kingston
.
The mortality rate of British soldiers in Jamaica was very high, particular as a result of yellow fever
. A 156 acre (0.63131016 km²) estate known as Up Park Pen was purchased by the War Department in 1784, to set up barracks. However, the mortality rate fell only when many were posted away to a new camp at Newcastle, Jamaica, high in the Blue Mountains (Jamaica)
.
The camp expanded in the 19th century, and was a base for the West India Regiment
s.
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...
in Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
from the late 18th century to independence in 1962. From that date, is has been the headquarters of the Jamaica Defence Force
Jamaica Defence Force
The Jamaica Defence Force is the combined military forces of Jamaica, consisting of an Army, Air Wing and Coast Guard. The JDF is based upon the British military model with organisation, training, weapons and traditions closely aligned with Commonwealth Realm countries...
. It is located in the heart of Kingston
Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
.
The mortality rate of British soldiers in Jamaica was very high, particular as a result of yellow fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
. A 156 acre (0.63131016 km²) estate known as Up Park Pen was purchased by the War Department in 1784, to set up barracks. However, the mortality rate fell only when many were posted away to a new camp at Newcastle, Jamaica, high in the Blue Mountains (Jamaica)
Blue Mountains (Jamaica)
The Blue Mountains form the longest mountain range in Jamaica. They include the island's highest point, Blue Mountain Peak, at 2256 m . From the summit, accessible via a walking track, both the North and South coasts of the island can be seen...
.
The camp expanded in the 19th century, and was a base for the West India Regiment
West India Regiment
The West India Regiment was an infantry unit of the British Army recruited from and normally stationed in the British colonies of the Caribbean between 1795 and 1927. The regiment differed from similar forces raised in other parts of the British Empire in that it formed an integral part of the...
s.