Kimberley Barracks Explained

Kimberley Barracks
Type:Barracks
Map Type:United Kingdom Preston
Pushpin Map Caption:Location within Preston
Location:Preston, Lancashire
Ownership:Ministry of Defence
Occupants:4th Battalion, Duke of Lancaster's Regiment

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

Naming

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

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]

After the reformation of the Territorial Army (TA) in 1947, the role of Kimberley Barracks expanded. Three Royal Artillery units were based here, including:[7] [8]

From 1967, a Troop from 202 Training Squadron, Royal Engineers (73 Engineer Regiment) was based at the location. This troop was disbanded in 1999 following the reorganisation of 73 Engineer Regiment.[10] [11]

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.[12] 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[13] at the location.[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.[15] By 2007, D (Waterloo) (Queen's Lancashire) Company, Lancashire and Cumbrian Volunteers had its company headquarters and 2 Rifle Platoons at the barracks.[16] 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.[17] [18] [19] [20]

In November 2016, the Ministry of Defence announced Fulwood Barracks (located in the North of town) would close by 2022.[21] In February 2019 the decision to cut the barracks was pushed back to 2027.[22]

Current units

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

British Army

Community Cadet Forces

See also

Footnotes

  1. Web site: The Army Reserves Kimberley Barracks, Deepdale Road, Preston, Lancashire, PR1 6PR - Lancashire Evening Post. 2021-03-29. findit.lep.co.uk.
  2. Regimental Handbook, p. 10.
  3. Regimental Handbook, p. 4.
  4. Web site: 5th County of Lancaster (Preston County) Battalion. National Archives. 30 March 2021.
  5. Web site: 5th County of Lancaster (Preston County) Battalion. Lancashire County Council. 30 March 2021.
  6. Web site: Gunner Joseph Francis Silver, 88th Field Regiment. Roll of Honour. 30 March 2021.
  7. Web site: THE TERRITORIAL ARMY 1947. 2021-03-29. www.orbat.info.
  8. Johnson
  9. Litchfield, p. 329.
  10. Watson & Rinaldi, p. 320.
  11. Web site: BIG INTERVIEW: 'An officer's first duty is to look after his troops, even in retirement' - Colonel David Waters. 2021-03-29. www.lep.co.uk. en.
  12. Web site: British Army units from 1945 on - Lancastrian Volunteers. 2021-03-29. british-army-units1945on.co.uk.
  13. Web site: Contact Us at The Queen's Lancashire Regiment The Red Rose Regiment. bot: unknown. 2021-03-29. webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk. 1 November 2005. http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20051101053146/http://www.army.mod.uk/qlr/contact_us.htm.
  14. Web site: British Army units from 1945 on - Lancastrian and Cumbrian Volunteers. 2021-03-29. british-army-units1945on.co.uk.
  15. Web site: Soldiers quizzed over fake photos. 2021-03-29. Lancashire Telegraph. en.
  16. Web site: Contact. 2021-03-29. webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk. 8 January 2007. http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20070108222837/http://www.army.mod.uk/lcv/contact_us.htm. bot: unknown.
  17. Web site: British Army units from 1945 on - Duke of Lancaster's Regiment. 2021-03-29. british-army-units1945on.co.uk.
  18. Web site: Limited. Alamy. Stock Photo - Kimberley Barracks, Preston. 2021-03-29. Alamy. en.
  19. Web site: Kimberley Barracks, Deepdale Road, Preston PR1 6QB. 28 March 2021. Army Careers.
  20. Web site: British Army - Battalion Headquarters 4th Battalion The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment. 2021-03-29. Cylex UK. en-GB.
  21. Web site: November 2016. A Better Defence Estate. 8 November 2016. Ministry of Defence.
  22. Web site: Preston's army barracks wins stay of execution from Ministry of Defence. 6 November 2019. Lancashire Post. https://web.archive.org/web/20191106230718/https://www.lep.co.uk/news/latest/preston-s-army-barracks-wins-stay-of-execution-from-ministry-of-defence-1-9622815 . 6 November 2019 . dead.
  23. Regimental Handbook, p. 5.
  24. Web site: Duke of Lancaster's Regiment. 2021-03-29. www.army.mod.uk. en-GB.
  25. Web site: 4th Infantry Brigade and HQ North East. 2021-03-29. www.army.mod.uk. en-GB.
  26. Web site: Council. Lancashire County. Armed forces and support personnel. 2021-03-29. Lancashire.gov.uk.
  27. Web site: 22 November 2018. Army, Question for Ministry of Defence — current Order of Battle by manpower and basing locations for the corps.. 20 February 2021. United Kingdom Parliament — Written questions, answers, and statements.
  28. Web site: Ministry. of Defence. July 2013. Transforming the British Army an Update. 31 January 2021. Parliamentary Publishments.
  29. Web site: Find a Unit. 2021-03-29. North West Reserve Forces & Cadets Association. en-US.
  30. Web site: Lancashire Army Cadets. 2021-03-29. Army Cadets UK. en-GB.
  31. Web site: 341 (City of Preston). 2021-03-29. RAF Air Cadets. en-GB.

References

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Kimberley Barracks".

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