Garrison – Artillery Barracks – boundary wall and gate in Butt Road (east)

NORTH PIER OF GATEWAY AND LENGTH OF ADJACENT WALL DEMOLISHED AND PARTLY REPLACED WITH NEW-BUILD PIER AND WALL: graffiti on bricks of original pier lost
Artillery Barracks, renamed Le Cateau Barracks in 19??, after the Battle of Le Cateau in 1914 (renamed by 1920)
The surviving length of the original garrison wall and gateway on the east side of Butt Road, the boundary of Artillery Barracks (the rest of the wall in Butt Road and the garrison wall in Military Road have been demolished). Low walls with railings survive in Mersea Road. This is an irreplaceable part of the history of the Army, Colchester and the UK.
Eastern pier of gateway taken down and rebuilt in 2013??. Surviving half of iron gate removed in 2013..
See Artillery Barracks boundary wall along Artillery Folley.
Possibly renamed the Le Cateau Barracks, after the Battle of Le Cateau in August 1914, because the three batteries of the Royal Field Artillery which were stationed in Colchester in 1914 – the 39th, 68th, 88th batteries, in the XIVth Brigade – went from Colchester to the Western Front in late August and were involved in the Battle of Le Cateau.
[In 1866, Colchester became the headquarters of the Army’s newly-formed Eastern District, and it was one of the Army’s four ‘great camps’ in Britain (with Aldershot, Shornecliffe, and the Curragh near Dublin). In 1872, the Military Localisation Bill provided the blueprint for the reorganisation of the British Army, with 66 districts for infantry regiments, 12 for artillery and 2 for cavalry (Douet 1998); infantry, artillery and cavalry regiments were stationed at Colchester camp.
The brick Cavalry Barracks at Colchester were built in two phases in 1862-4. The brick Artillery Barracks were built next to the Cavalry Barracks in the early 1870s (1875 in Ingram 2000), in the Army’s great expansion and localisation programme after 1872. The infantry in Colchester were housed in the hutment barracks between Mersea Road and Military Road until 1896, from which date the huts were replaced by brick barracks (1896-1904, Hyderabad and Meeanee Barracks; Douet 1998).] References:
Douet 1998
VCH 9
Ingram 2000
Wikipedia
1914-1918.net
Artillery Barracks plans (dated 1877): two external boundary walls, one with gateway; one internal boundary wall with gateway; 1 block of officers’ quarters, 6 blocks of stables with soldiers’ accommodation above (A-F); 2 blocks of accommodation for married soldiers, each with an outside standpipe, sink and trough; 2 blocks of infirmary stables; 2 small blocks of men’s latrines, each with a separate sergeants’ latrine and a dung pit; 2 small women’s latrines; trees; 3 x ‘sentry beat’ structures; a canteen and sergeants’ mess; ‘offices’ near the main gate; 1 block of gunsheds; a guard house which included a guard room, a prisoners’ room, engine house, ‘CRA’, ‘clerks’, and ‘COAA’; the water tower; 2 x maneges; 2 x lunging circles; forage store; granary; laundry; coal yard; and parade ground. There were two differents plans for the blocks of stables with accommodation over, and each block included different ‘offices’ (ie the adult school’, cook house, infant school, tailors’ shop, stores for meat and bread, forge, wheelwrights’ shop, shoe makers’ shop). The boundary wall on Butt Road also marked the War Department boundary. The plans were signed ?Jno. S. Mulley and were signed off by ‘J. R. Somerset Colonel R.E. / C.R.E. Eastern District’ [the Royal Engineers].
Surviving buildings of the original Artillery Barracks: water tower; external boundary wall and gateway; officers’ mess; stable/accommodation blocks A and B; the canteen and sergeants’ mess.
Later buildings which survive: NAAFI (1937), dining room and cook house (c 1935), store (1904), infirmary stables (c 1900), adult school building (1884), and carpenters’ shop.
Notes on the plans:
‘… Cubical space per Man – 700 cubic feet
” ” ” Horse – 1740 ” ” …’
Notes on ventilation
‘… Adult school for 32 scholars
Infant school for 30 children
Recreation and reading rooms, Library and Librarians’ Qrs., Coffee Bar, Sergeants’ Mess and Canteen keeper’s Qrs. are all provided in Canteen – Bat. Ord.y R.M., harness, collar makers’ shop …’
Table of Accommodation:
Field officers – 2
Officers – 10
Married soldiers – 32
NCOs and men – 288
Horses –
Officers – 18
Troop – 186
Hospital patients – Nil
Infirmary stables –
Stalls – 9
Loose boxes – 4
Capacity of magazine stores – 2,500 lbs each
Image shows original plan of Artillery Barracks.
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History of Royal Artillery:
‘… The Regimental Mottoes and Arms were granted by King William IV in 1832.
Mottoes:
Ubique – Everywhere,
Quo Fas et Gloria Ducunt – Where Right and Glory lead.
A general Regimental Order was published in 1833 which stated that the word ‘Ubique’ was to be substituted in lieu of all other terms of distinction hitherto borne on any part of the Dress of Appointments, throughout the whole Regiment. The motto ‘Ubique’ thus took the place of all battle honours conferred on the Regiment prior to that date and all which have been earned by the regiment since then. The Regiment proudly refers to ‘Ubique’ as its Battle Honour…’ – http://www.thegarrison.org.uk/history/index.php
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In 1890:
The 18th Field Battery of the Field Artillery was based at Colchester.
Equipment: 13 pounder. RML (4 Guns)
Men: 5 officers; 8 Warrant Officers, Sergeants & Farriers; 2 Trumpeters; 100 ORs (total: 115 men, 50 horses).
The 56th Field Battery of the Field Artillery was based at Colchester.
Equipment: 13 pounder. RML (4 Guns)
Men: 5 officers; 8 Warrant Officers, Sergeants & Farriers; 2 Trumpeters; 100 ORs (total: 115 men, 50 horses).
The 63rd Field Battery of the Field Artillery was based at Colchester.
Equipment: 13 pounder. RML (4 Guns)
Men: 5 officers; 8 Warrant Officers, Sergeants & Farriers; 2 Trumpeters; 100 ORs (total: 115 men, 50 horses).
[Shornecliffe, Woolwich and Newcastle also had three batteries, while Aldershot had six. There were 80 batteries in all.] In 1894, ‘… The Royal Artillery is organised in one regiment, which, until recently, was divided into two brigades of Horse Artillery (distinguished by a letter), consisting of ten and eleven service batteries, with double depots at Woolwich; four brigades of Field Artillery (distinguished by a number), two of twenty four batteries and two of nineteen batteries each, one half in each case being in India; and eleven territorial divisions of Garrison Artillery, containing one garrison brigade and the regiments of Artillery Militia. For special service there are also ten mountain batteries …’ – “The British Army and Auxiliary Forces” Colonel C. Cooper King, R.M.A., 1894
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Two old postcards by kind permission of J Jephcott. Above: showing the Royal Field Artillery at Artillery Barracks in ?1914 (possibly showing the eastern married soldiers’ accommodation block, two single-storey buildings, part of the parade ground, and Jumbo in the distance – all three buildings have been demolished. The historic parade ground survived until September 2012, when a housing development was begun to be built on it). Postcard by Gill, posted 2nd Sep 1914? to Mrs S Gladwell of Woodbridge. The Battle of Le Cateau was on the 26th August 1914.
Below: the Artillery Barracks gate on a postcard date-stamped 1946.
Note
From Wikipedia: ‘… The Battle of Le Cateau was fought on 26 August 1914, after the British and French retreated from the Battle of Mons and had set up defensive positions in a fighting withdrawal against the German advance at Le Cateau-Cambrésis.
On the morning of 26 August, the Germans arrived and heavily attacked the British forces commanded by General Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien. Unlike the Battle of Mons, where the majority of casualties inflicted by the British were from rifle fire, Le Cateau was an artilleryman’s battle, demonstrating the devastating results which modern quick-firing artillery using airbursting shrapnel shells could have on infantry advancing in the open. Holding their ground tenaciously against superior odds despite taking heavy casualties, by mid-afternoon, the right, then left flanks of the British, began to break under unrelenting pressure from the Germans. The arrival of Sordet’s French cavalry acted as a shield for the British left flank, and supported a highly-co-ordinated tactical withdrawal despite continued attempts by the Germans to infiltrate and outflank the retreating British forces.
That night, the Allies withdrew to Saint-Quentin. Of the 40,000 Allied men fighting at Le Cateau, 7,812 were killed, wounded, or taken prisoner. Several British regiments had even disappeared from the rolls altogether.[citation needed] Thirty-eight artillery pieces (guns) were abandoned to the advancing Germans, the majority having their breech blocks removed and sights disabled by the gunners before retirement.
For these losses, however, the engagement at Le Cateau had achieved its objective, and enabled the British Expeditionary Force to retreat unmolested by the Germans for a further five days. Despite being later criticised for his decision to “stand and fight” at Le Cateau by his superior Field Marshal Sir John French, Smith-Dorrien was lionised by both the army and the public at home for his actions. The consensus amongst military historians considers Le Cateau as amongst the most successful holding actions in British military history …’
See ERO C249, 1871, Artillery Barracks, drawings of H Everett & Son, builder
See ERO C249, 1875, Artillery Barracks??, maried soldiers’ quarters, north block, drawings of H Everett & Son, builders
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/85/a6982185.shtmlhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/17/a8591817.shtml
The Garrison church of Christ the King was completed at Le Cateau barracks c. 1954 (VCH)
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Photo.s taken 20.08.12 – detail of wall shows inside face of north pier of gateway with graffiti.
[images to add: 1 stretch of wall; also inside of wall; also wall, gateway and gate details; also steps and folley; etc] ————–
Notes on garrison
From Wiki: ‘… First World War (1914-1918)
Territorial Army
Essex Regiment
The Territorial Army (volunteer reserve) 1/8th Battalion the Essex Regiment, was based in Colchester at the outbreak of war in August 1914. Additional “Terrier” battalions were raised from volunteers during the early months of the war. The 2/8th and 3/8th Battalions were formed in September 1914 and April 1915 respectively. All three Terrier battalions were allocated to home defence and remained in Britain throughout the war.[4] Essex Yeomanry
The Essex Yeomanry (EY), a cavalry regiment, was mobilised at the outbreak of war. The regiment joined the Royal Horse Guards and the 10th Royal Hussars in France in November 1914 as part of 8th Cavalry Brigade.[5] During the war, 2nd and 3rd line regiments were raised in Colchester to reinforce the 1st. 2 EY served as garrison troops in Ireland during the war, 3 EY was absorbed into the 4th Reserve Cavalry Regiment in 1917. 1/1st (Essex Yeomanry) Battery, RHA was mobilised in Colchester in 1914. The battery was a reserve Royal Horse Artillery unit aligned to the Essex Yeomanry. The battery was attached to 8th Cavalry Brigade in France from 1914-1918.[6] In April 1918, 1 EY was broken up as reinforcements for three other cavalry regiments. Lieutenant Colonel Whitmore was appointed to command the 10th Royal Hussars, the only Territorial and EY officer without previous regular service to command a regular cavalry regiment.
Kitchener’s Army
The 12th (Eastern) Division was organised at Colchester from August 1914 to February 1915. The division was one of the first New Army divisions to be formed, as part of K1. The division included Kitchener battalions from the Essex Regiment, the Suffolk Regiment, the Norfolk Regiment, the Royal Berkshire Regiment, the Cambridgeshire Regiment, the Royal Fusiliers, the Queen’s Regiment, The Buffs, the Royal West Kent Regiment, and the East Surrey Regiment. The division moved to France in 1915 and fought at the Battle of Loos (1915), the Battle of the Somme (1916),[7] the Battle of Cambrai (1917) and the Battle of the Hindenburg Line (1918).
Second World War (1939-1945)
4th Infantry Division
Colchester was the home garrison of the 4th Infantry Division in September 1939. Resident units on the outbreak of war on 3 September, included 2nd Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers, 1st Battalion East Surrey Regiment, 1st Battalion Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards, 17th/21st Lancers, 27th Field Regiment Royal Artillery, 30th Field Regiment Royal Artillery and 14th Anti-Tank Regiment Royal Artillery. The division deployed to France in 1940 as part of the British Expeditionary Force.
Home Guard
During the war the town was defended by local defence volunteers of 8th Essex Battalion of the Home Guard. At the height of its strength the battalion mustered over 2,000 men. The battalion possessed no fewer than 22 different types of weapon, including Vickers machine guns, flame throwers, and 2 pounder anti tank guns. Additional support throughout the area was provided by 13th Essex Battalion, made up of volunteers from the GPO who were charged with the protection of critical telecommunications infrastructure.
The order to “stand down” for the Home Guard came on 1 November 1944. They took their final salute on 19 November before the Lord Lieutenant of the county, Colonel Sir Francis Whitmore. Whitmore said, “You have, by your sense of duty, your loyalty and patriotism, contributed pages of tradition to the historical records of our nation… you took a prominent part in the defence of our country at the most critical period of the war… In the name of the County of Essex, I thank you.”
Sub-units of the Auxiliary Units served in the Colchester area during the war, although their existence and activities remained little known to the public until the 1990s.
Colchester Stop Line
During the war the town was ringed by over 120 pillboxes or other defensive structures as part of the Colchester Stop Line. A small number of pillboxes can still be found around the borough, such as at Mount Bures, and the Hythe railway station.
Colchester Blitz
Air raid sirens sounded over 1000 times in Colchester during the course of the war. Colchester was attacked by the Luftwaffe on several occasions.[11] They included:
Severalls Raid – On 11 August 1942 38 citizens were killed when a German plane dropped a stick of bombs on Severalls Hospital.
Chapel Street Raid – 8 citizens were killed when a Dornier 217 dropped four bombs on South Street and Essex Street on 28 September 1942. The air raid siren, in this case, only sounded after the bombs had already dropped, causing outcry in the town.
St Botolphs Raid – In February 1944 a large Luftwaffe firebombing raid dropped a stream of 1400 incendiary bombs on the St Botolphs area of the town, destroying 14 buildings and seriously damaging 99 others. Two-thirds of the Paxman Britannia Works was destroyed during the raid.
Home Guard anti-aircraft batteries were established on Abbey Field and engaged enemy aircraft 14 times during a 21 month period.
Americans in Colchester
The first American military personnel arrived in Britain in January 1942. A significant American presence was established in the Colchester area, with many air bases of the US Eighth Air Force located in the district – at Earls Colne, Langham, Wormingford, Messing, and Dedham. In accordance with racial segregation of the American military during World War II, the American Red Cross established separate social clubs for black GIs at St Botolph’s parish hall and for white GIs in St Nicholas Street …’
In 1937, Eastern Command consisted of:
Cavalry
16th/5th Royal Lancers (1)
1st The Royal Dragoons (2)
Royal Tank Corps
3rd Bn. The Royal Tank Corps (3)
Infantry
2nd Bn. The Essex Regiment (4)
Royal Artillery
XIV Field Brigade (Army), Royal Artillery (5)
(H.Q., 38th (Howitzer), 61st (Howitzer), 68th & 88th Field Batteries, Royal Artillery)
XXX Field Brigade (Army), Royal Artillery (6)
(H.Q., 111th (Howitzer), 112th (Howitzer) & 117th Field Batteries, Royal Artillery)
XXXII Field Brigade (Army), Royal Artillery (7)
(H.Q., 115th (Howitzer), 120th (Howitzer) & 121st Field Batteries, Royal Artillery)
3rd Medium Brigade, Royal Artillery (8)
(H.Q., 4th (Howitzer), 7th (Howitzer), 8th & 12th (Howitzer) Medium Batteries, Royal
Artillery)
Riding Establishment, Royal Artillery (9)
Royal Engineers (10)
Detachment, Survey Bn. Royal Engineers
Royal Corps of Signals (11)
Signals Experimental Establishment, Royal Corps of Signals
No. 8 Artillery Signal Section, Royal Corps of Signals
No. 10 Artillery Signal Section, Royal Corps of Signals
Eastern Command Signal Company, Royal Corps of Signals
Royal Army Service Corps (12)
18th Company, Royal Army Service Corps
22nd Company, Royal Army Service Corps
37th Company, Royal Army Service Corps
– from the British Military History web-site
In 1944, the US Army/Air Force in Colchester:
9 District Headquarters, Eastern Base Section, HQ Essex WM4543
563 Army Postal Unit Essex WM4543
839 Signal Service Company, Detachment D Essex WM4543
1192 Military Police Company (Aviation), Detachment B Essex WM4543
HQ Eastern Base Section, Dispensary, Detachment C Essex WM4543
HQ Eastern Base Section, Detachment D Essex WM4543
HQ Eastern Base Section, Detachment D, District Essex WM4543
HQ Eastern Base Section, Detachment D, Signal
[from D-Day Museum web-site] After 1985, the garrison at Colchester included:
[Ordnance] Supply Sub Depot Offices, Stores and Ordnance Support Unit Offices, Stores [plus Hadleigh Ammunition Compound Offices, Stores and Thatcham 4 Sub-Depot Accommodation, Offices, Stores, Workshops – http://archive.treasury.gov.uk/pub/html/docs/nar/c1.pdf
After 1999, a public information leaflet published by defence Estates, DTE East:
‘… Colchester is the headquarters of the East Anglia training area, and comprises about 2,500 acres (1,000 hectares) for dry training, plus ranges at Middlewick, which includes a sniper training facility, and Fingringhoe, which
permits grenade, anti-tank and machine-gun practice …’ – published online
Berechurch, Colchester WWII & post WWII Detention Barracks
Colchester WWI Veterinary Hospital
Colchester Cavalry Barracks Built c.1863
Colchester, Le Cateau Barracks Built c.1874 as the Royal Artillery Barracks
Colchester, Goojerat Hyderabad, Meeanee Barracks Built 1898–1904, modernised 1960–1970
Colchester, Kirkee, McMunn Barracks Built c.1938 at Reed Hall
Colchester Sobraon Infantry Barracks Built c.1901, demolished 1971
Colchester, Roman Barracks Built c.1962. In use
Colchester, Reed Hall WWI Army Camp. Tented, then wooden huts provided
Colchester (AAF number n/a) WWII US Army Detachment ‘B’,1192nd Military Police Company Aviation
Colchester, Cherry Tree Camp Pre WWII camp for 19th Brigade In use post-war but demolished and now a housing estate (Mersea Road)
Colchester, Lexden Camp WWII camp principally using private accommodation,e.g. Holmwood House – http://www.airfieldinformationexchange.org/community/showthread.php?682…
Colchester Ordnance Depot and Royal Artillery Ordnance Corps –
Ordnance Depot at Colchester – photo. 1927, Hansard ref. 1947, London Gazette ref. 1951
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SEAX:
SA 8/478/1 – created 1988
Title: Memories of Colchester Garrison Tailor
Speaker(s): Jolliffe, William H
Colchester Recalled
Synopsis of tape: Interview with William H. (Bill) Jolliffe, Colchester Garrison tailor until 1984; born Newport, Isle of Wight, 1922; father became civilian master tailor to the military, moving to Colchester in 1936; joined father in business when demobbed after war in 1947; relations with military in Colchester, development of garrison and civilian shops, system of contracts, description and pricing of work; close association with local Conservative Party since war, President of the Conservative Association; reminiscences about Margaret Thatcher when she was Secretary of the Association and lodged in Colchester and anecdotes about her when Leader of the Party visiting Colchester; account of 1939-45 Group, canvassing elections, procedures of selection committees.
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