The Guards and Caterham

"For more than a century, the Guards’ Depot at Caterham-on-the-Hill in Surrey played a significant part in this country’s military history and, consequently, in the safeguarding of Britain’s freedoms and interests. When it was built, the Boer War was still a couple of decades in the future, the two World Wars were nightmares yet to come, few in these islands had even heard of Korea, and the Irish Troubles, world terrorism, the Falklands War and Desert Storm were over an almost infinite number of future horizons…”

Interesting book, little snippets of information and accounts of what it was like at the Depot. Photos, sketches, plans and Guards' humour ...

 

Hi Rich,
Glad that you had good memories.

Here's a link to the list of mascot names, as I don't know when:
IG Mascots

Regards,
Diane

 

Thanks for that Diane.
My Great-Uncle was there in 1917.
I also knew a couple of chaps that were there in 1915 & 1918.
I'll have to dig out somestories they told me about Caterham.

 

Hi Owen,
My Grandfather was there in 1913, and my father in 1943.
Would love to read the stories.
Diane

 

Haven't had chance to find the WW1 stories yet but I have to post this story that I find really funny.
It's an extract from An Active Service by Richard Dorney.
An excellent on life in the Guards & SAS from 1935 to 1958 .
>> Book
This episode happened when the Grenadiers were forming their 6th Bn at Caterham.
It shows the rivalry between The Grenadiers and The Coldstream.

 

Hi Lee,
Any photos of the general area and esp. those plaques would be brilliant. Don't put yourself out, I can wait, but really would appreciate it if you could manage that.

Thanks for the offer,
Diane

 

Hi
Thanks so much for these. Will show them to my father to see if it brings back a memory or too.

Appreciate you doing this,
Diane

 

Excellent photos Lee, thanks.
They've converted the old Le Marchant Barracks in Devizes in a similar way.

Here's Charles Steer's CWGC entry.
CWGC :: Casualty Details

 

Thanks again Lee,
Did you take all of these yourself?

D

 

Lee
Regards that extract I posted, is the Coldstream block still there?
I believe the bullet holes are still in visable.

 

I believe the bullet holes are still in visable

:redface:

Oops!

 

Just had to post this clip here ...

BOY GUARDSMAN - British Pathe

Caterham, Surrey.

M/S of a convoy of cars entering the gates to some army barracks, inside a row of guardsmen in busbies are waiting. M/S of a sign reading '2nd Battalion Grenadier Guards'. M/S of 9 year old Alexander Morris stepping out of the Commanding Officer's car - he won this trip as a prize. Alexander walks over and shakes hands with an officer, in the background stand his parents. C/U of the officer smiling. Various shots of Alexander walking past the row of guardsmen standing to attention. Panning shot along the row of guardsmen. M/S of the Commanding Officer placing a busby on Alexander's head. C/U of Alexander wearing the busby. C/U of a guardsman shouting orders. M/S of Alexander and the row of guardsmen marching past the barracks. Low angle shot of the guardsman shouting. Alexander and the guardsmen do an 'about turn' and march the other way. C/U of two officers chatting. M/S of Alexander sitting on the grass next to an army bugler. The bugler shows Alexander how to blow his bugle. C/U of Alexander blowing his bugle.

M/S of Alexander wearing headphones talking into a radio to a nearby Grenadier. C/U of the Grenadier insignia on the bonnet of an army vehicle. M/S of Alexander looking out of a hatch of an armoured car as it drives past. M/S of the armoured car driving over a field. M/S of the two officers talking. M/S of a soldier showing Alexander how to load a machine gun.

Central London.

M/S of Alexander sitting next to a sergeant in the audience of Horse Guards Parade. L/S of a guardsmen's brass band marching past. C/U of Alexander and the officer. L/S of the marching troops with Alexander and the sergeant in the foreground.




1st June 1961: Nine year-old Alexander Morris, on parade with the Grenadier guards at Caterham barracks. Morris is a guest of the guards for three days as a prize for being the best marcher in a youth parade in Bootle, Lancashire.
edit:
extra link to photo
Getty Images - Unsupported browser detected

 

Sorry, I promised to post this ages ago.
Part of the memoirs of a WW1 Veteran, Horace Calvert born 1899, enlisted underaged into the West Yorks TF, so impressed by the Guards he never went back to them & joined the Grenadiers instead , Regimental Number 23553.
This describes his time at Caterham in 1915.