| Shorncliffe Army Camp | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1794 - Present |
| Country |
 United Kingdom |
| Branch |
 British Army |
| Type | Military Camp |
| Garrison/HQ | Shorncliffe, Kent |
Shorncliffe Army Camp is a large military camp near Cheriton in Kent.
Shorncliffe today
Map dated 1801 showing Shorncliffe Redoubt on the left and the camp ground on the right
History[]
The camp was established in 1794 when the British Army bought over 229 acres of land at Shorncliffe; it was then extended in 1796 and 1806.[1] It was at Shorncliffe that in 1803 Sir John Moore trained the Light Division which fought under the Duke of Wellington in the Napoleonic Wars.[2]
Shorncliffe was used as a staging post for troops destined for the Western Front during World War I and in April 1915 a Canadian Training Division was formed there.[3] The Canadian Army Medical Corps had general hospitals based at Shorncliffe from September 1917 to December 1918.[4] The camp at that time composed five unit lines known as Ross Barracks, Somerset Barracks, Napier Barracks, Moore Barracks and Risborough Barracks.[3]
During World War II Shorncliffe was again used as a staging post and Queen Mary visited the camp in 1939.[5]
After the War the camp was known for a while as the Sir John Moore Barracks but the name was changed when The Light Infantry moved out in October 1986.[6] Shorncliffe Camp remains the home of 2 (South East) Brigade.[7]
References[]
- ↑ "Folkestone History". http://www.askshepway.com/history/folkestone/. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
- ↑ "Proposed Memorial at Shorncliffe Camp to Lieutenant-General Sir John Moore". http://archive.spectator.co.uk/article/24th-may-1913/18/proposed-memorial-at-shorncliffe-camp-to-lieutenan. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Formation Of The 2nd And 3rd Divisions". http://www.oldandsold.com/articles11/canada-worldwar1-18.shtml. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
- ↑ "Royal Military Hospital, Shorncliffe Camp". http://images.oakville.halinet.on.ca/74214/data. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
- ↑ "Queen Mary Visits Shorncliffe Camp". http://www.britishpathe.com/video/queen-mary-visits-shorncliffe-camp/query/18th. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
- ↑ "The history of the Light Infantry". http://www.lightinfantry.me.uk/yearsofcons.htm. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
- ↑ "Forces Shorncliffe Information Portal". http://forcesshorncliffe.2day.ws/. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
The original article can be found at Shorncliffe Army Camp and the edit history here.