Kimberley Barracks

Kimberley Barracks
Preston, Lancashire
HQ Company sign outside of Kimberley Barracks
Kimberley Barracks is located in Preston
Kimberley Barracks
Kimberley Barracks
Location within Preston
Coordinates53°46′17″N 02°41′16.3″W / 53.77139°N 2.687861°W / 53.77139; -2.687861
TypeBarracks
Site information
OwnerMinistry of Defence
Operator British Army
Garrison information
Occupants4th Battalion, Duke of Lancaster's Regiment

Kimberley Barracks is a military installation on Deepdale Road in Preston in Lancashire, England PR1 6PR.[1]

Naming

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The name of the barracks is based on the battle honour won by the Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire) when it was besieged by Boer forces during the Siege of Kimberley. The regiment was able to hold the town for four months and one day until the siege was lifted. The regiment was posthumously awarded the battle honour 'Defence of Kimberley'.[2] From December 1925 the regiment maintained a formal alliance with the Kimberley Regiment, which has continued into the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment.[3]

History

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The barracks were established during the Second World War and were initially used to accommodate the 5th County of Lancaster (Preston County) Battalion, Home Guard.[4][5][6][a]

After the reformation of the Territorial Army (TA) in 1947, the role of Kimberley Barracks expanded. Three Royal Artillery units were based here, including:[8][9]

From 1967, a Troop from 202 Training Squadron, Royal Engineers (73 Engineer Regiment) was based at the location.[9] This troop was disbanded in 1999 following the reorganisation of 73 Engineer Regiment.[11][12]

Following the formation of the 4th (Volunteer) Battalion, Queen's Lancashire Regiment on 1 April 1975, Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Company were based at the barracks.[13] After the battalion's disbandment and subsequent absorption into the Lancastrian and Cumbrian Volunteers in 1999, the new regiment established its Regimental Headquarters and Headquarters (Quebec) Company[14] at the location.[13][15][14]

In 2004 the British Army launched an investigation over the release of a photo showing an 'Iraqi prisoner' being urinated on by Queen's Lancashire Regiment soldiers, apparently done on the premises.[16] By 2007, D (Waterloo) (Queen's Lancashire) Company, Lancashire and Cumbrian Volunteers had its company headquarters and 2 Rifle Platoons at the barracks.[17] In 2007, the Lancastrian and Cumbrian Volunteers became 4th (Volunteer) Battalion, Duke of Lancaster's Regiment. The Battalion HQs and HQ Company continue to be the only units based at the location to this day.[18][19][20][21]

In November 2016, the Ministry of Defence announced Fulwood Barracks (located in the North of town) would close by 2022.[22] In February 2019 the decision to cut the barracks was pushed back to 2027.[23]

Current units

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Today only a small garrison of troops are located at the barracks, consisting of the following.[20][21]

British Army

Community Cadet Forces

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ The site is shown as open land in the 1938 ordnance survey map.[7]

Footnotes

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  1. ^ "The Army Reserves Kimberley Barracks, Deepdale Road, Preston, Lancashire, PR1 6PR - Lancashire Evening Post". findit.lep.co.uk. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  2. ^ Regimental Handbook, p. 10.
  3. ^ Regimental Handbook, p. 4.
  4. ^ "5th County of Lancaster (Preston County) Battalion". National Archives. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  5. ^ "5th County of Lancaster (Preston County) Battalion". Lancashire County Council. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  6. ^ "Gunner Joseph Francis Silver, 88th Field Regiment". Roll of Honour. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  7. ^ "Ordnance Survey Map". 1938. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  8. ^ "THE TERRITORIAL ARMY 1947". www.orbat.info. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  9. ^ a b Johnson
  10. ^ a b Litchfield, p. 329.
  11. ^ Watson & Rinaldi, p. 320.
  12. ^ "BIG INTERVIEW: 'An officer's first duty is to look after his troops, even in retirement' - Colonel David Waters". www.lep.co.uk. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  13. ^ a b "British Army units from 1945 on - Lancastrian Volunteers". british-army-units1945on.co.uk. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  14. ^ a b "Contact Us at The Queen's Lancashire Regiment The Red Rose Regiment". webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 1 November 2005. Retrieved 29 March 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  15. ^ "British Army units from 1945 on - Lancastrian and Cumbrian Volunteers". british-army-units1945on.co.uk. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  16. ^ "Soldiers quizzed over fake photos". Lancashire Telegraph. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  17. ^ "Contact". webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 8 January 2007. Retrieved 29 March 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  18. ^ "British Army units from 1945 on - Duke of Lancaster's Regiment". british-army-units1945on.co.uk. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  19. ^ Limited, Alamy. "Stock Photo - Kimberley Barracks, Preston". Alamy. Retrieved 29 March 2021. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  20. ^ a b "Kimberley Barracks, Deepdale Road, Preston PR1 6QB". Army Careers. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  21. ^ a b "British Army - Battalion Headquarters 4th Battalion The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment". Cylex UK. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  22. ^ "A Better Defence Estate" (PDF). Ministry of Defence. November 2016. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
  23. ^ "Preston's army barracks wins stay of execution from Ministry of Defence". Lancashire Post. Archived from the original on 6 November 2019. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
  24. ^ Regimental Handbook, p. 5.
  25. ^ a b "Duke of Lancaster's Regiment". www.army.mod.uk. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  26. ^ "4th Infantry Brigade and HQ North East". www.army.mod.uk. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  27. ^ Council, Lancashire County. "Armed forces and support personnel". Lancashire.gov.uk. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  28. ^ "Army, Question for Ministry of Defence — current Order of Battle by manpower and basing locations for the corps". United Kingdom Parliament — Written questions, answers, and statements. 22 November 2018. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  29. ^ Ministry, of Defence (July 2013). "Transforming the British Army an Update" (PDF). Parliamentary Publishments. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  30. ^ a b "Find a Unit". North West Reserve Forces & Cadets Association. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  31. ^ "Lancashire Army Cadets". Army Cadets UK. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  32. ^ "341 (City of Preston)". RAF Air Cadets. Retrieved 29 March 2021.

References

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  • "The Regimental Handbook of The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment". British Army. Preston, United Kingdom: The Regimental Charity of The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment. 2007. Retrieved 28 March 2021. * Watson, Graham E. and Rinaldi, Richard A. The Corps of Royal Engineers: Organisation and Units 1889-2018 (2018). p. 217 Tiger Lilly Books. ISBN 9781717901804
  • Johnson, Keith (2019). Preston's Military Heritage. Preston, United Kingdom: Amberley Publishing. ISBN 978-1445684055. OCLC 1091648878.
  • Litchfield, Norman (1992). The Territorial Artillery, 1908-1988 : (their lineage, uniforms and badges. Nottingham: The Sherwood Press. ISBN 978-0-9508205-2-1. OCLC 59971033.
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