- Princess Royal Barracks, Deepcut
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The Princess Royal Barracks, Deepcut, commonly referred to as Deepcut Barracks, is the headquarters of the Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) of the British Army and the Defence School of Logistics. Located near Camberley, Surrey, England, it was the headquarters of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps until the formation of the RLC in 1993. At that time, it was known as Blackdown Barracks.
Director, Royal Logistic Corps is based in Dettingen House and the barracks are home to the RLC Museum, the Band of the RLC, The Defence School of Logistics and 25 Training Support Regiment RLC, which trains the officers and soldiers in a range of logistical skills.
As a consequence of the Defence Training Review and the merger of tri-service training to a single location, the barracks are to close by 2013 with the land being released for housing development.
Update An update was given at Deepcut on 6th December 2010 on the future planned move of HQ RLC & Defence Logistics School from Deepcut to Worthy Down (Project KESTREL) the date of 2013 was announced for early moves, with new buildings being built from April 2013 with 'ring-fenced' cash not affected by the 'Strategic Defence Review'
Contents
History
The area had been used as a training ground for the army from the late 19th century with no formal military infrastructure until 1900 when the Royal Engineers commenced the build of a number of camps, including Blackdown. The land was owned by the Pain family of Frimley Green who built a number of high status dwellings on the land.
Blackdown camp was established in the late 1903 initially to accommodate artillery and infantry, centred around Winchester house, renamed Blackdown House when it was appropriated by the War Office for military use.
The barracks built in Blackdown Camp were Blackdown, Deepcut, Dettingen, Alma and Frith. By the Second World War these had a capacity of 25,000 soldiers.
The Victorian houses were demolished in the 1950s, the land around Blackdown House being left to forestry, and around Dettingen House being redeveloped for a modernised Officers Mess.
Between 1967 and 1971 Minden Barracks was demolished and rebuilt as Blackdown Barracks.
Frith Barracks were closed in the late 1970s and the land left to vegetation, Aisne and Marne Barracks were also closed and the sites used for Defence Housing. Dettingen and Alma Barracks have been closed and sold, in 2004, for housing development.
The Barracks was the garrison of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, and the school of Ordnance, until it merged into the Royal Logistic Corps, which established its Headquarters at the camp.
Defence College of Logistics
The Defence College of Logistics is responsible for training in logistics skills for Army and Royal Air Force officers and other ranks, as well as some naval logistics disciplines.
The School has its headquarters at the Barracks with some specialist training taking place elsewhere, with access to special equipment or terrain.
RLC Training
RLC personnel conduct their Phase 2 training at Deepcut, having completed Phase 1 training at an Army Training Regiment for soldiers or Royal Military Academy Sandhurst for Officers. All Officers undertake the RLC Troop Commanders Course prior to posting to a Regiment.
Soldier trainees specialise in a number of trades:
- Ammunition Technician
- Driver / Port Operator
- Seaman / Navigator
- Marine Engineer
- Supplier
- Chef
- Driver
- Driver / Radio Operator
- Driver / Air Despatcher
- Movement Controller
- Postal and Courier Operator
- Pioneer
- Petroleum Operator
- Rail Operator
Officers may undertake specialist training as:
- Ammunition Technical Officer
- Port and Maritime Operations Officer
- Petroleum Officer
- Food Services Officer
- Postal and Courier Services Officer
Trainee deaths at Deepcut
The deaths of four trainees at Deepcut, between 1995 and 2002, were the attention of significant media interest, with investigations by Surrey Police indicating suicide being rejected by families who have called for a public inquiry into the circumstances. Criticism had also been directed at the army investigations of the deaths with concerns over record keeping, maintenance of evidence and forensic material and transparency.
The four deaths were:[1]
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- On 9 June 1995, Private Sean Benton, of Hastings, East Sussex, died with five bullet wounds to his chest.
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- On 27 November 1995, Private Cheryl James, of Froncysllte, Llangollen was found dead with a single bullet wound to her head at the headquarters of the Royal Logistic Corps in woods not far from her abandoned guard post.
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- On 23 March 2002, Private James Collinson, from Perth, was found dead with a single gunshot wound while on guard duty at the barracks.
Investigations
First investigations of each death were undertaken by Surrey Police and the Royal Military Police, as each was an independent incident. A later review by Surrey Police treated the four deaths as potentially related, but sustained a judgement of suicide, a further investigation by Surrey Police identified a number of failures of the Army's duty of care at the barracks, leaving the opportunity and motive for suicide available.
Finally a review by Nicholas Blake QC published in March 2006[1] following a two year investigation suggested the deaths were self-inflicted but criticised a number of aspects of training at Deepcut which could have contributed to the deaths. Blake was then a member of Matrix Chambers, a leading set of barristers' chambers.
Points identified by the report were:
- The training environment at Deepcut, causing low morale through poor accommodation, limited recreational facilities, and the balance between privacy and dormitory life.
- Unsupervised access to weapons.
- Supervision of trainees.
- Discipline, bullying and informal sanctions.
- Ventilation of grievances.
- Poor instructors.
A report by the Army Board of Inquiry was due to be published in December 2007, but was delayed by the Ministry of Defence until published in May 2009. The inquiry supported Blake's findings and returned open verdicts.[2]
Articles critical of the investigations by journalists Brian Cathcart and Heather Mills have been published in Private Eye. The publication has been consistently critical of these judgements and continues to support the families' appeals for further investigations. These criticisms identify the initial forensic investigations as a weakness, undermining the later judgements.[3][4] Cathcart has also been critical of the treatment of the four cases in the media.[5]
The deaths were used as the basis for a play, Deep Cut, premiered at the Edinburgh Festival followed by a short run at the Tricycle Theatre in London.[6]
References
- ^ a b A Review of the Circumstances Surrounding the Deaths of Four Soldiers at Princess Royal Barracks, Deepcut between 1995 and 2002 (HC 795), The Stationery Office March 2006
- ^ http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6289919.ece
- ^ Private Eye, 1236, p.27
- ^ Private Eye, 1263, p.29
- ^ Brian Cathcart, Deepcut: the media messed up, British Journalism Review Vol. 18, No. 1, 2007, pages 7-12 [1]
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/7546504.stm
External links
Categories:- British Army bases
- Barracks in England
- Buildings and structures in Surrey
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