Lathbury Barracks

Lathbury Barracks was a military barracks in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar now used by civilians. It is located in the southern part of the Rock, south of Spur Battery on Windmill Hill. The last United Kingdom regiment was the 3rd Battalion Royal Green Jackets who handed it over to the local Royal Gibraltar Regiment and it is now owned by the Government of Gibraltar.[1][2]

Lathbury Barracks
Part of Fortifications of Gibraltar
Gibraltar
View south from Spur Battery showing Lathbury Barracks in the bottom left
Lathbury Barracks
Coordinates36.118792°N 5.344905°W / 36.118792; -5.344905
TypeBarracks
Site information
OwnerGovernment of Gibraltar

History
The Devil's Bellows fortification near Lathbury Barracks

During World War II the extensive tunnels within the Rock of Gibraltar were further extended. This included a tunnel that joined these barracks to the Gun Operations Room. This operations room was well connected to other tunnels meaning that it was possible to travel to the north face of Gibraltar whilst remaining within the rock. Some of this journey would be down the Great North Road where you could take a ride on a passing truck. The tunnel between the operations room and the barracks was closed following a number of falls including one that killed a civilian visitor.[3]

Lieutenant Colonel Mohamed Amekrane who had ordered an unsuccessful coup against King Hassan II of Morocco, was once imprisoned at Lathbury Barracks.[4] The British Government extradited him to Morocco where he was executed. The British Government later made an out of court settlement in 1972 with his widow Malika Amekrane to avoid a case at the European Commission of Human Rights regarding his extradition.[5]

In 1995 the government furnished the barracks with 1,000 bunkbeds to accommodate the athletes competing at the Island Games hosted by Gibraltar that year.[2] The Royal Navy had previously used the barracks as a training camp.[6]

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References
  1. Gold, Peter (12 November 2012). Gibraltar: British or Spanish?. Routledge. p. 150. ISBN 978-1-134-27674-5. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
  2. Roebuck, Matthew. The Other Olympics. Autharium. p. 44. ISBN 978-1-78025-432-6. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
  3. "Gun Operations Room (South)". Gibraltar Caving Unit. Archived from the original on 24 June 2013. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
  4. Council of Europe/Conseil de L'Europe (1 November 1975). European Convention on Human Rights Year: 1973. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. p. 366. ISBN 978-90-247-1784-2. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
  5. Out-of-court settlement paid by UK to Frau Malika Amekrane (widow of Lieutenant Colonel Amekrane)..., UK National Archives, 16 August 1972, accessed 8 May 2013
  6. United States. Marine Corps. Media Branch (April 1993). Marines. Division of Public Affairs, Media Branch, HQMC. p. 19. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
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