Blandford Camp is a military base comprising some 390 hectares of downland lying 2 miles (3 km) north-east of Blandford Forum in the county of Dorset in southern England. Etymology The word bases is first recorded in English language from c Explanation The hectare is commonly used in most countries around the world especially in domains concerned with land planning and management such as Agriculture, A downland is an area of open Chalk Hills This term is especially used to describe the Chalk countryside in southern England. The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand Dorset ( (or archaically, Dorsetshire) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland
Significant areas of the camp are Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) (see map at [1]). A Site of Special Scientific Interest or SSSI is a Conservation designation denoting a Protected area in the United Kingdom.
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. The Royal Corps of Signals (often simply known as the Royal Signals is one of the combat support arms of the British Army. Headquarters (HQ denotes the location where most if not all of the important functions of an organization are concentrated The Defence College of Communications and Information Systems (DCCIS was formed on 1 April 2004 as one of 6 United Kingdom Ministry of Defence Training The Royal Signals Museum is a military museum based at Blandford Camp northwest of the town of Blandford Forum in Dorset, England. A number of other telecommunications-related units, such as the MOD Land Systems Reference Centre, are also housed on the site. The Ministry of Defence ( MoD) is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters 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 Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. The United States Army is a military organization whose primary mission is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities. The site has also been used as a road racing circuit.
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History
There are numerous prehistoric 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. Stone Age Paleolithic See also Paleolithic, Recent African Origin, Early Homo sapiens, Early human migrations "Paleolithic" Horse racing is a popular Spectator sport in Great Britain, and Gambling on horseraces is the cornerstone of the British betting industry Race meetings began in the late 16th century and an annual race week was held until the end of the 19th century. [1]
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 Hussars were stationed in the area for anti-smuggling duties. Hussar (original Hungarian spelling huszár, plural huszárok, Husaria refers to a number of types of Light cavalry created in Hungary Smuggling, also known as trafficking, is the clandestine transportation of goods or persons past a point where prohibited such as out of a building into a Prison [2]
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). The Seven Years' War (1756&ndash1763 involved all of the major European powers of the period causing 900000 to 1400000 deaths Iwerne Courtney, also known as Shroton, is a village in north Dorset, England, situated under Cranborne Chase in the Blackmore Vale [3]
19th century
In 1806 an Admiralty Shutter Telegraph Station was built near the racecourse on the site now known as Telegraph Clump. The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the United Kingdom responsible for the command of the Royal Navy. A semaphore telegraph, optical telegraph, shutter telegraph chain, Chappe telegraph, or Napoleonic semaphore is a system 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 [2]). London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Shipyards and dockyards are places which repair and build ships These can be Yachts military Plymouth ( is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England about south west of London. 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. The Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815 involved Napoleon's French Empire and a shifting set of European allies and opposing coalitions
Blandford Race Down continued to be used during the 19th century as a training ground for the Yeomanry and Volunteer units of Dorsetshire and a permanent rifle range was constructed in the area of what is now Racedown Road. Yeomanry is a designation used by a number of units or sub-units of the British Territorial Army, descended from volunteer Cavalry regiments Dorset ( (or archaically, Dorsetshire) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast A shooting range is a specialized facility designed for Firearms practice
World War I - Royal Naval Division
With the outbreak of the First World War a large number of Royal Naval reservists were called for full-time service, in excess of the numbers required to man ships. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All It was therefore decided that a Royal Naval Division would be formed to augment the army divisions. The British 63rd (Royal Naval Division was a First World War division of the New Army. 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. The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located 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. Sir Francis Drake, Vice Admiral, (c 1540 &ndash 27 January 1595 was an English Privateer, navigator, Slaver, and politician Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson 1st Viscount Nelson 1st Duke of Bronté, KB (29 September 1758– 21 October 1805 was a British John Benbow (1653? &ndash November 4, 1702) was an officer in the Royal Navy, eventually rising to the rank of Admiral. Edward Hawke 1st Baron Hawke, KB ( February 21 1705 &ndash October 16 1781) was a naval officer of the Royal Navy For other related uses see Admiral Hood Samuel Hood 1st Viscount Hood ( 12 December 1724 &ndash 27 January Richard Howe 1st Earl Howe KG ( 8 March, 1726 &ndash 5 August, 1799) was a British Admiral, notable in particular Admiral George Anson 1st Baron Anson PC RN ( 23 April 1697 &ndash 6 June 1762) was a British Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood 1st Baron Collingwood ( 26 September 1748 &ndash 7 March 1810) was an Admiral of the 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 [3] for Collingwood Corner memorial). The A354 is a Primary route in England which runs from Salisbury in Wiltshire to the Isle of Portland in Dorset, a Salisbury (ˈsɒlzbri ˈsɔːlzbri ('Solzbry' or ˈzɔːwzbri ('Zawzbry' — moving from RP to local dialect) is a cathedral city in the Prelude By late May the British contingent on the Cape Helles front at Gallipoli had been expanded to three division and a Brigade: the Events 781 BC - The first historic Solar eclipse is recorded in China. Year 1915 ( MCMXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year
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 Corps 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 Royal Flying Corps (RFC was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. 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. 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 Blandford Forum railway station was a station on the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway between Templecombe and Broadstone, England. Bournemouth ( is a large coastal resort town in the Borough of Bournemouth in Dorset, England. 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 War, the camp was reactivated in 1939 as a mobilization and training centre for reservists, with a new wooden hutted camp being built on the sites of the RN Division encampments. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including This article describes military mobilization For other meanings see Mobilization (disambiguation. 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. In World War II, the Battle of France, also known as the Fall of France, was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries The Royal Artillery, is the common name for the Royal Regiment of Artillery, is an Arm of the British Army. Reconnaissance (also scouting) is a military and medical term denoting exploration conducted to gain information The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers was one of England's premier county Regiments and can trace its ancestry back to the year 1674 The camp then became a Battle Training Camp, staffed by a cadre of officers and NCOs who organised the training of the units who passed through the camp. En cadre is a military expression for a group around whom a unit is formed or a training staff An officer is a member of an armed force who holds a position of authority A non-commissioned officer (sometimes noncommissioned officer) also known as an NCO or Noncom, is an enlisted member of an Armed force 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. During World War II, the North African Campaign, also known as the Desert War, took place in the North African desert from June 10, 1940
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 Army hospital complex and, in April 1944, the first of five US Army general hospitals was established. The United States Army is a military organization whose primary mission is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities. 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. An airbase, sometimes referred to as an Air Force Station, a military Airport or airfield, provides basing and support of Military Tarrant Rushton is a village in north Dorset, England, situated in the Tarrant Valley five Miles east of Blandford Forum. The hospitals were often working at full capacity and receiving as many as 500 casualties during one night. A casualty is a person who is the victim of an accident injury or trauma. The hospital complex closed after VE Day and the majority of the staff returned to the USA during October 1945. Victory in Europe Day ( V-E Day or VE Day) was May 7 and May 8, 1945, the dates when the World War II Allies The United States of America —commonly referred to as the
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. Events 1416 - The Council of Constance, called by the Emperor Sigismund a supporter of Antipope John XXIII burns Jerome of Prague following Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar
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 Corps (as a National Service driver training camp), the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, the Army Catering Corps and the Army Physical Training Corps. The Royal Army Service Corps ( RASC) was a former Corps of the British Army. National service is a common name for mandatory or voluntary government service programs (most often focusing on military service The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers ( REME; pronounced phonetically as "Reemee" is a Corps of the British Army that has The Army Catering Corps was a Corps of the British Army, responsible for the feeding of all Army units The Army Physical Training Corps ( APTC) is the British Army Corps responsible for Physical fitness and Physical education.
In 1948, the 3 mile 247yd 6. A yard (abbreviation yd) is a unit of Length in several different systems including English units Imperial units and United 75in perimeter road was used for the first 'real road' racing circuit[4] and motor cycle racing continued for over a decade. Inches redirects here To see the Les Savy Fav album see Inches. For 2 years (1949 - 1950) the circuit was also used for Formula Two (and other) motor car racing,[5] but after several nasty accidents, including one fatality, it was considered too dangerous to continue. Formula Two, abbreviated to F2, was a type of Formula racing. [6]
Royal Signals
In 1960, 30 Signal Regiment moved into the camp from Middle Wallop. Middle Wallop is the local name given to an area between the two Parishes of Over Wallop and Nether Wallop Blandford was then selected to be the future home of the School of Signals (then at Catterick) and the present-day camp was planned. Catterick Garrison is a major Army base located in Northern England.
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. The Royal Corps of Signals (often simply known as the Royal Signals is one of the combat support arms of the British Army. 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). Computing is usually defined like the activity of using and developing Computer technology Computer hardware and software.
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. 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. Shrivenham is a large Village and Civil parish in Oxfordshire, England. Bramcote is a settlement in the Broxtowe district of Nottinghamshire, about five miles south-west of Nottingham. 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 Review (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 Jan 2007 that the Metrix consortium had been awarded Preferred Bidder status for Package 1 of this programme. The Ministry of Defence ( MoD) is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters Events 38 BC - Octavian marries Livia Drusilla. 1287 - King Alfonso III of Aragon invades Minorca Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Metrix UK Ltd is a Joint venture company between LandSecurities Trillium and QinetiQ, specifically set up to bid for the 2 main contracts under the 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. [7]
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. [8]
Notable connections
- Sub Lieutenant Rupert Brooke (1887-1915), stationed at Blandford between November 1914 and February 1915. Rupert Chawner Brooke (middle name sometimes given as Chaucer) was an English Poet known for his idealistic war sonnets written during the First World It is thought that some of his best known sonnets were written here.
- Joe Fry (1915-1950), British racing car driver. Joe Fry ( October 26 1915, Chipping Sodbury – July 29 1950, Blandford Camp) was a British Racing driver and Killed in an accident at the 1950 Blandford hillclimb.
References
- ^ Royal Signals Museum - A History of Blandford Camp
- ^ Royal School of Signals - Blandford Camp
- ^ Royal School of Signals - Blandford Camp History
- ^ Gear Wheels Magazine Archive 16
- ^ Gear Wheels Magazine Archive 27
- ^ The Dorset Page - Blandford Camp
- ^ Government News Network - Wednesday 17 January 2007 13:22
- ^ This is Dorset - Monday 22 January 2007
i met jonsey and lee from that army base on sunday! it is a googd place to go they cab run relii fast.
External links
- Map sources for Blandford Camp:
- Royal-Signals.org.uk datasheet, describing use of shutter telegraph station.
- Blandford Camp 1914-18.
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