Tidworth Campis a military installation atTidworthinWiltshire,England. It forms part of the Tidworth, Netheravon and Bulford (TidNBul) Garrison.[1]

Tidworth Camp
Tidworth
Tidworth camp from Clarendon Hill.
Tidworth Camp is located in Wiltshire
Tidworth Camp
Tidworth Camp
Location within Wiltshire
Coordinates51°13′56″N1°40′28″W/ 51.23217°N 1.67451°W/51.23217; -1.67451
TypeBarracks
Site information
OwnerMinistry of Defence
OperatorBritish Army
Site history
Built1897
Built forWar Office
In use1897–present
Garrison information
OccupantsVarious

History

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The Camp was established when theWar Officeacquired a 19th-century mansion –Tedworth House– and large tracts of land to its north in 1897.[2]HeadquartersSouthern Commandwas established at Tidworth Camp in 1905.[3]

Lucknow Barracks and Mooltan Barracks were completed in 1905, TidworthMilitary Hospitalwas finished in 1907. Aliwal Barracks, Assaye Barracks, Bhurtpore Barracks, Candahar Barracks, Delhi Barracks and Jellalabad Barracks were added later,[4]and aRoyal Ordnancedepot was established during theFirst World War.The barracks are named for battles in India and Afghanistan:Aliwal,Assaye,Bhurtpore,Candahar,Delhi,Jellalabad,LucknowandMooltan.[5](Jellalabad Barracks should not be confused with the formerbarracks of the same namein Taunton, Somerset).[6]

There was also an army hospital during the First World War. A description of it, including actions taken to address a suspected meningitis outbreak, is provided by Arthur Bullock, who spent around a week there in 1918.[7]

In theSecond World War,the Camp was home from 1942 to 1944 to various formations of theUnited States Armyincluding7th Armored Division(14 June to 7 August 1944),[8]9th Armored Division,[9]and8th Armored Division.[10]HQ Southern Command left the Camp and moved toErskine BarracksnearFugglestone St Peterin 1949.[11]The military hospital closed in March 1977.[12]

Extensive reconstruction at the Camp involving 160 new or refurbished buildings was carried out underProject Allenby Connaughtbetween 2006 and 2014.[4]

Tedworth House had various military uses, including providing accommodation for nurses; from 1977 to 2011 it was the Officers' Mess for the Camp.[13]It is now a recovery centre operated by theHelp for Heroescharity.[14]

Military cemetery

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Tidworth Military Cemetery, north of the Camp and surrounded by farmland, is under the care of theCommonwealth War Graves Commission.417 First World War burials from Tidworth, and from Fargo Military Hospital nearLarkhill,include many of Australian or New Zealand servicemen. There are also 106 graves of theSecond World Warand 40 of other nationalities.[15]

Former branch railway

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A branch from theMidland and South Western Junction RailwayatLudgershallwas built in 1901 and opened to passengers in 1902.[16]Goods tracks known as Tidworth Military Railway continued west from Tidworth station into the military area. The branch returned to military control in 1955 and was closed in 1963.[17][18]

Barracks

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The barracks which encompass the camp include:

References

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  1. ^"Garrison Commander assists with construction of new Officers' Mess".Aspire Defence Limited.20 December 2017.
  2. ^Page, William, ed. (1911)."Victoria County History: Hampshire: Vol 4 pp391-394 – Parishes: Tidworth, South".British History Online.University of London.Retrieved30 May2020.
  3. ^"General Sir Ian Hamilton".Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives.Retrieved22 November2014.
  4. ^ab"Tidworth Overview".Aspire Defence. Archived fromthe originalon 26 March 2014.
  5. ^"Mooltan Barracks, Tidworth".British listed buildings.Retrieved6 March2017.
  6. ^"The Keep, Jellalabad Barracks, Mount Street, Taunton".Somerset County Council.Retrieved9 December2014.
  7. ^Bullock, Arthur (2009).Gloucestershire Between the Wars: A Memoir.The History Press. p. 54.ISBN978-0-7524-4793-3.
  8. ^"Order of Battle of the U.S. Army, World War II, European Theater of Operations, Divisions".U.S. Army Center of Military History.OFFICE OF THE THEATER HISTORIAN.Retrieved7 July2020.
  9. ^Ken Wakefield (24 March 2014).The Other Ninth Air Force: Ninth US Army Light Aircraft Operations in Europe 1944-45.Fonthill Media. GGKEY:6KCZWNPHUL0.
  10. ^Charles R. Leach (1992).In tornado's wake: a history of the 8th Armored Division.Battery Press. p. 47.ISBN9780898391763.
  11. ^"'Fugglestone St Peter', inA History of the County of Wiltshire: Volume 6".1962. pp. 37–50.Retrieved22 November2014.
  12. ^"Tidworth Military Hospital".Retrieved22 November2014.
  13. ^"Last lunch at Tedworth House".Salisbury Journal. 3 February 2011.Retrieved22 November2014.
  14. ^"Recovery in the South | Tedworth House".Help For Heroes.Retrieved27 May2020.
  15. ^"Tidworth Military Cemetery".Commonwealth War Graves Commission.Retrieved2 December2014.
  16. ^Historic England."Tidworth Military Railway (1359011)".Research records (formerly PastScape).Retrieved1 March2015.
  17. ^Steph Gillett (15 August 2018).The Midland & South Western Junction Railway Through Time.Amberley Publishing.ISBN978-1-4456-6337-1.
  18. ^Oakley, Mike (2004).Wiltshire Railway Stations.Wimbourne: The Dovecote Press. pp. 133–134.ISBN1-904349-33-1.
  19. ^abcdef"Order of Battle, Manpower, and Basing Locations".parliament.uk.Retrieved14 July2020.
  20. ^"Queen's Royal Hussars".www.army.mod.uk.Retrieved15 July2020.
  21. ^"Google Maps".Google Maps.Retrieved15 July2020.
  22. ^Sadler, Claire (13 May 2019)."Army Medics Exercise Freedom Of Aldershot Ahead Of Tidworth Move".Forces Network.Retrieved15 July2020.
  23. ^"Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers".www.army.mod.uk.Retrieved15 July2020.
  24. ^"1 Armoured Medical Regiment".www.army.mod.uk.Retrieved15 July2020.
  25. ^"10 Army Education Centre".webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk.Retrieved29 March2021.
  26. ^Army Policy & Secretariat,FOI(A) Request relating to current AECs (7 December 2020).whatdotheyknow.com.Retrieved 8 December 2020.
  27. ^"1st Deep Reconnaissance Strike Brigade Combat Team".British Army.Retrieved2 April2023.
  28. ^"Historic change of command parade in South West |".Retrieved15 July2020.
  29. ^Hartle, Lisa (1 March 2019)."Royal Welsh Troops Mark St David's Day At Tidworth".Forces Network.Retrieved15 July2020.
  30. ^"British Army Music".www.army.mod.uk.Retrieved15 July2020.
  31. ^"A Reshape of British Army Bands in 2019".4 November 2019.Retrieved20 November2020.