Great war british army camp time capsule

[grandads-kitbag]

Whilst away for a few days stumbled on this superb time capsule of a Great war period army camp .

typical wooden construction with a door at either end as seen in the hundreds of period postcard photos the tommies had taken whist in recuit training .

( if any one has a period photo that would fit please feel free to add to this thread ta )

[grandads-kitbag]

Second photo shows a view down the main drag of the camp , the white building on the left is a pre-fab type concrete construction from the WW2 period visible on the right half way down is the old guard room / camp office .

[grandads-kitbag]

view from the ` Guard room` ,
although rebuilt as the holliday camp office it is still possible to imagine how it would have looked in 1915 I can just imagine a sgt in the Regimental police with Boer war medal ribbons on his chest an a waxed mustache barking orders out to the young recuits from his vantage point ...........

[grandads-kitbag]

camp church hut and admin / officers quarters

[grandads-kitbag]

soldiers tea / recreation room

[byterock]

Only the "British" would consider going to this camp as a 'Holiday'

Lovely stuff. The last of the WWII temporary buildings where just recently torn down here in Ottawa. There was talk of preserving it but it was such a fire-trap and filled with asbestos I was just too expensive to do anything with it.

These must be some of the last of these out there.

Is it in use any-more?

[grandads-kitbag]

Why this camp has never been used in tv or films I have no idea but it is one of the few surviving great war camps in this condition some of the interiors have not been touched and im told have original bunks stacked up ?

Im trying to contact the owners and get permission to get access to one of the unts would be great if there are any period cavings , names of graffiti to research .

[camouk]

This reminds me of the evacuees camp at Marchants Hill that our school used to use for activity holidays (more like hard labour!).The memories of that place still send shivers down my spine.

[Marc Sherriff]

I was living in camps like that through the 1960's and 1970's.

Marc

[grip3846]

I agree

I was living in camps like that through the 1960's and 1970's.

Marc

That's right Marc,me too,wern't they referred to as "SPIDERS",brings back some really good memories.
Great pics
Regtards,Ivan

[grandads-kitbag]

happy days ! does anyone remember the old camp used in the film the
` Mackenzie break ` About the german u-boat crews great escape fimed in an original an complete war time camp some were in IRELAND

[byterock]

happy days ! does anyone remember the old camp used in the film the
` Mackenzie break ` About the german u-boat crews great escape fimed in an original an complete war time camp some were in IRELAND

Like I said only a Brit would say 'happy days' and this camp in the same sentence.

I 'alf expect Greengras to peeking in a window and Sgt. Blaketont behind ready to put 'im in the nick.

[ROBB]

Great stuff . You want to keep it quiet or someone will come along and demolish it for an out of town Tescos . Rob .

I thought our holidaying in a caravan was bad ! Rob