Mitcham Road Barracks, Croydon

The Mitcham Road Barracks is an Army Reserve centre in Croydon, London, with a history dating back to 1794.

Mitcham Road Barracks, Croydon
Croydon
Mitcham Road Barracks, Croydon
Mitcham Road Barracks, Croydon
Location within London
Coordinates51.37781°N 0.11003°W / 51.37781; -0.11003
TypeDrill hall
Site history
Built1794
Built forWar Office
In use1794-Present

History

The barracks were designed as a depot for recruits of the Grenadier Guards, the Coldstream Guards and the Scots Guards regiments and were completed, as part of the British response to the French Revolution, in 1794.[1] The barracks became the headquarters of the 2nd Surrey Rifle Volunteers in 1859.[2] The 2nd Surrey Rifle Volunteers evolved to become the 4th Battalion, Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) in 1908.[1] The battalion was mobilised at the drill hall in August 1914 before being deployed to India.[3] After benefitting from a major modernisation of the barracks in the 1930s, the battalion became a searchlight regiment in 1938 and a light anti-aircraft regiment in 1942.[4]

The battalion was reconstituted as 598th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery in 1947 and evolved to become a battery within 565th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment Royal Artillery in 1955, while still based at the Mitcham Road Barracks.[4] The unit reverted to its county infantry regiment status title as part of the 3rd Battalion, The Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment in 1961.[4] The battalion was reduced to company size as D Company, 6th (Territorial) Battalion, The Queen's Regiment (Queen's Surreys), still based at the Mitcham Road Barracks, in 1967.[5] However the company was disbanded following a reorganisation in 1971.[5]

Meanwhile, C (Kent and County of London) Squadron, the Royal Yeomanry had also been formed at the Mitcham Road Barracks in 1967;[6] it evolved to become C (Kent and Sharpshooters Yeomanry) Company, the Royal Yeomanry in 1999.[6]

Current use

The barracks still remains an active Army Reserve Centre.[7][8] It currently (November 2017) houses C (Kent and Sharpshooters Yeomanry) Squadron, The Royal Yeomanry, 150 Recovery Company, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, and the Mortar Platoon of B Company, 4th Battalion, Parachute Regiment.[9]

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References
  1. "Mitcham Road Barracks". The Drill Hall Project. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  2. "The Surrey Rifle Volunteers 1859 - 1908". Queen's Royal Surreys. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  3. "Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment)". The Long, Long Trail. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  4. "4th Battalion, The Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey)". Regiments.org. Archived from the original on 16 November 2005. Retrieved 29 June 2017.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
  5. "The Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment". Regiments.org. Archived from the original on 22 November 2005. Retrieved 29 June 2017.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
  6. "The Royal Yeomanry". Regiments.org. Archived from the original on 23 November 2005. Retrieved 29 June 2017.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
  7. "Drill Hall Register" (PDF). Stepping Forward London. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  8. "C Squadron, the Royal Yeomanry". Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  9. According to street signage, as of November 2017.
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