Catterick Garrison

infobox UK place
country = England
official_name= Catterick Garrison
latitude= 54.3774
longitude= -1.7220
population = 12,000
shire_district= Richmondshire
region= Yorkshire and the Humber
shire_county = North Yorkshire
constituency_westminster= Richmond
post_town= CATTERICK GARRISON
postcode_district = DL9
postcode_area= DL
dial_code= 01748
os_grid_reference= SE180980

Catterick Garrison is a major Army base located in Northern England. It is the largest British Army garrison in the world with a population of around 12,000, plus a large temporary population of soldiers, and is larger than its older neighbour
Catterick (also known locally as Catterick Village). It is said to be the largest army base in Europe

It is not a single fenced base, but several separate barracks around which a town has developed. The Garrison gained its first large supermarket, a Tesco, in 2000 along with a retail park including a McDonalds. The road signs have been changed to read "Town Centre" instead of "Camp Centre" (which is a roundabout). The Garrison houses both 19 Lt Bde and the Infantry Training Centre (Catterick) where all infantry soldiers receive their basic training. The Garrison has spread out to include four villages which are now almost (generally civilian-occupied) suburbs: Colburn, Scotton, Walkerville and Hipswell, Brough With St Giles

The siting of the Garrison was first recommended by Baden-Powell, the founder of the Scouting movement, in 1908 whilst he was based at the army barracks at that time located in Richmond Castle [http://www.army.mod.uk/catterick_garrison/about_us/history/index.htm] . The original name of the base was "Richmond Camp" before being changed to "Catterick Camp" in 1915.

Under plans announced by the UK Ministry of Defence in November 2005 the population of Catterick Garrison is expected to grow to over 25,000 by 2020, making it the largest population centre in the local area [cite news
title = Ministry's £1bn plan to upgrade garrison
publisher = The Northern Echo
date = 2005-11-30
url = http://archive.thenorthernecho.co.uk/2005/11/30/212676.html
accessdate = 2007-07-29 ] .

HQ School of Infantry, Infantry Training Centre

Catterick is the largest of three Infantry Training Centres in the UK. Infantry Training Centre (ITC) Catterick conducts infantry training combining Phase 1 and Phase 2 on the Combat Infantryman's Course (although junior soldiers destined for the infantry continue to receive Phase 1 training at Army Training Regiment at Bassingbourn and at the Army Foundation College in Harrogate).

Barracks

The Garrison is made of many different groups of buildings spread over a wide area and includes a number of individual barracks, most of which are named after historical British Army battles, many of which took place in Northern France during the First World War. They include:
* Waithwith Banks
* Gaza Barracks
* Cambrai Barracks , home to armoured unit.
* Bourlon Barracks , home to infantry unit
* Vimy Barracks, (HQ School of Infantry) named after the Battle of Vimy Ridge
* Harden Barracks
* Somme Barracks, named after the Battle of the Somme
* Helles Barracks , named for Cape Helles, Dardanelles
* Alma Barracks, named after the Battle of Alma during the Crimean War.
* Duchess of Kent's Barracks
* Piave Lines
* Wathgill Camp

Also included in the command of Catterick Garrison is Marne Barracks, located at the site of the former RAF Catterick alongside the A1 on the outskirts of Catterick Village.

Other units

*Beachhead Lines, 150 Provost Company, Royal Military Police, named after the Normandy Landings 1944. Although an RMP station owned by the MOD, the North Yorkshire Police are also co-located here.

References

External links

* [http://www.army.mod.uk/catterick_garrison/index.htm Catterick Garrison Home Page at army.mod.uk]
* [http://www.army.mod.uk/catterick_garrison/about_us/history/index.htm Historical timeline at army.mod.uk]