Monthly feature
The Camera Returns
INDEX
Date Subject
Dec 24 Colwall Home Guard
Nov 24 Hunderton Railway Bridge
Oct 24 Cpl Fred Batchelor
Sep 24 Copthorne Barracks Shrewsbury
Aug 24 Ledbury - Home Guard parade
July 24 Ledbury Home Guard/Prisoner of War Camp
Jun-24 Hereford Railway Station
May-24 Penally camp
Apr-24 Hereford Prison
Feb-24 Friars St Barrack - Hereford
Jan-24 Gasworks Lane Ledbury ACF
Dec-23 Ledbury Railway Station
Nov-23 Officers dining at The Green Dragon
December 2024
Colwall Home Guard
This month's photo shows the Colwall Home Guard, part of 5 (Ledbury) Battalion.
It is not certain what the building was used for during WW2, but it is now part of the Elms school. As you cross the railway bridge towards Ledbury it is immediately on the left.
November 2024
Hunderton Railway Bridge
This month's photos are again non military, but many servicemen would have left for camp or operations passing over this bridge and walked or been on manouevres on the banks of the Wye.
The first picture shows a freight train on the 'down line' towards Newport probably taken about 1900. The modern photo is taken from the car park of Hereford Rugby Club. The bridge is no longer a railway but a footbridge over the Wye. Railings have been added and there is much more vegetation, but still very similar!
October 2024
Cpl Fred Batchelor
This month's photograph comparison is a little different! It is a comparison photograph of 3 pals of the Herefordshire Regiment taken in Germany in 1945 and then again at a pub lunch in 1995.
The 3 are: Cpl Fred Batchelor, LCpl Frank Cartwright and Cpl Albert Western.
Photo courtesy of his nephew Steve Clarke
September 2024
Copthorne Barracks Shrewsbury
This month’s feature is Copthorne Barracks in Shrewsbury. The former home of the King’s Shropshire Light Infantry (KSLI) and by association the Herefordshire Regiment. Many local men joined the Regular Army and the local Regiment was the KSLI. Territorial soldiers of The Herefordshire Regiment also undertook training courses at the barracks and there was an enduring link between the forces of the 2 counties manifested in Copthorne Barracks.
The barracks were ‘sold’ off’ in 2018, much of it demolished and is now a housing estate called Copthorne Keep; there is some acknowledgement of its history – the barracks Keep remains and some of the roads on the new estate bear ‘regimental’ names – Moore Drive, Stokes Close and Eardley Close (KSLI VC winners). The ‘TA Enclave’ remains with a new entrance being built and the site occupied by E Company, 8th Battalion, The Rifles and 202 (Midlands) Field Hospital.
Copthorne Barracks was built between 1877 and 1881 and initially included quarters, messes, canteen, hospital, married quarters, stabling and stores. The build was part of the Cardwell Reforms which matched geographically units to regions. The barracks became the depot for the 43rd (Monmouthshire) and the 53rd (Shropshire) Regiments of Foot. Following the Childers Reforms of 1881, the 53rd (Shropshire) Regiment of Foot amalgamated with the 85th Regiment of Foot (Bucks Volunteers) to form the King's Shropshire Light Infantry with its depot in the barracks.
The Volunteer Service Companies of the 2nd Battalion the KSLI formed up in the barracks in 1900 and 1901 before deploying to South Africa and the Boer War. The Barracks were again the centre for mobilization of Regular, Reservist and Territorial soldiers in 1914 and 1939. During both World Wars it was a recruit training centre.
The barracks went on to become the regional centre for infantry training as the Light Infantry Brigade Depot in 1960 and was referred to in that period as Sir John Moore Barracks. This function moved to the Light Division Depot at a new barracks at Flowerdown, Winchester in 1986.
In 1967 the West Midlands District was established with its HQ at Copthorne Barracks. In the early 1980s West Midlands District became ‘Western District’. West Midland District became 143 (West Midlands) Brigade with its HQ in the barracks. In 1991, North West District, Western District and Wales were amalgamated to form Wales and Western District with its HQ in the barracks. Wales and Western District was disbanded on the formation of HQ Land Command in 1995, when Copthorne Barracks then became the location for HQ 5th Infantry Division from 1995 until the Division was disbanded in 2012.
Two areas of the barracks are centred on for this months photographs:
The first is the Barracks entrance and gates and the second the Officers Mess.
August 2024
Home Guard Parade Ledbury
Following on from last months post - 2 more photographs of the Home Guard on parade have come to light. It is not known if they are all the same parade!
The first is taken at the Top Cross and the parade is turning from the High Street into New Street. The second is taken about 800 metres down New Street outside the Cemetery, just before the entrance to the Football Ground.
July 2024
Ledbury Home Guard and Prisoner of War Camp
This month we feature 2 seemingly unrelated photos but they are related!
The first is taken on the Ledbury Town football ground at the 'bottom' of New Street and shows members of 5th Battalion Herefordshire Home Guard on parade on the 16 May 1943 - the third anniversary of their formation. Lord Somers, Lord-Lieutenant was the reviewing officer. The other officers include: Colonel Frisby, Major Hatfield, Captains Dougherty and Chapman and Lieutenants Haggard and Slatford. The football ground is still in the same location and the modern photo clearly shows the stone wall separating the football ground from the cemetery.
The second shows the burial of an Italian prisoner of war in Ledbury cemetery. The PoW camp was located in the Southend and is now the site of the John Masefield High School. The photographer was stood on the stone wall. The tree growth in the cemetery makes the modern photo comparison challenging. No trace of a headstone for the PoW could be located.
June 2024
Hereford Railway Station
This month's photos are taken at Hereford Railway Station on the 'down line' platform towards the Commercial Road/Aylestone Hill bridge. The 'then' photo shows a group of Herefordshire Light Infantry Soldiers gathered at the station ready to depart to annual camp - the date is not known but probably early 1960s.
In the 'now' photo the houses in Barrs Court Road are partially obscured by tree growth and the old semaphore railway signals have been replaced by electronic light signals.
may 2024
Penally Camp (Tenby)
This months photos are of Penally camp a few miles to the west of Tenby in Pembrokeshire.
The first picture shows the Regiment at camp in the late 1930s and the later Hereford and Worcester Army Cadet Force at the same camp for their Annual camp in 2015.
The prominent building was in the 1930s the Officers Mess in 2015 it was the Other Ranks canteen.
April 2024
Hereford Prison
A non-military photograph comparison this month - but there is a military connection!
Hereford County prison stood in Commercial Road where the old cinema and bus station stand now. The only remnants are the governors house and the rear wall of the prison (backing onto the hospital).
The prison was closed shortly before the First World War, but was reopened during the war as a military prison - little else is known about it - how long it was opened and it capacity - but accounts exist of prisoners being escorted from the Railway Station to the prison and in one account the prisoners escaped en route!
Another military prison was established as Rotherwas House for Conscientious Objectors and Terrorists but little is known about this prison.
February 2024
Friars St Barracks
This month’s photographs are of the Friars St Drill Hall in Hereford.
The Barracks were the home of The HQ and Hereford Companies of The Herefordshire Rifle Volunteer Corps and after the formation of the Territorial Force in 1908 it became the location of a Rifle Coy of the new Herefordshire Regiment. The HQ of the new Regiment was in the old Militia Barracks in Harold St.
The Barracks ‘closed’ after the Second World War – the corrugated iron Drill Hall became a bus garage and the only link to the military was (and still is) the Military Club on the site. The club is still there and the site is now a sheltered housing development – ‘Williams’ Grange’ names after a permanent Staff Instructor who served at the Barracks for many years – William Pullinger.
It is difficult to get the exact perspective of the then and now due to new buildings but the church spire of All Saints and the tower of St Nicholas are excellent reference points.
January 2024
Little Marcle Road (previously Gasworks Lane!) - Ledbury
This month photos are taken at the junction of Albert Road and Little Marcle Road in Ledbury.
The TA garages were here (but long gone) whilst the Drill hall was in New St.
The ground behind the garages was 'open' and a wooden hut located there became the Army Cadet Force hut. This old hut was replaced by a more modern building in the 1960s.
The phot is taken looking North West towards the 'Brook bridge' over the River Leadon towards the 'Jam factory'. The area has changed totally with new houses and the Ledbury bypass and a new bridge.
December 2023
Ledbury Railway Station
This month's feature shows a photograph of C (Ledbury) Company of The Herefordshire Regiment mobilising on August 5th 1914. The company had formed up at the Drill Hall in New Street and marched to the station led by a Boy Scout band. They then entrained and joined with the rest of the Battalion at Hereford before travelling on to their war station at Pembroke Dock.
The 1914 photo is taken looking towards Hereford, the rails to the branch line to Gloucester (a Beeching loss!) can clearly be seen. In the current photo all of the station buildings have gone as has the roof of the bridge.
November 2023
Officers Dining At The Green Dragon Hotel Hereford
Thi month' s featured 'old' photographs shows the officers of the Regiment dining at The Green Dragon Hotel in Hereford. The photo is taken outside the 'backdoor' which leads to Aubrey Street.
The Regiment would hold regular dinner nights for their own amusement but also to entertain visiting officer and local dignitaries.
It is thought the photograph was taken in the early 1930s - many officers are wearing First World War medals and some served with the Regiment including: Col Pateshall, Majors Green and Barker and Maj (QM) Millington (who was RSM) and Capt Taylor who also served with the Royal Flying Corps/Royal Air Force. Capt Taylor was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross which is always interesting to see a Herefordshire Regiment Army Officer wearing this decoration.
The rear door has changed but is still clearly identifiable.
A Dinner night is still held annually to maintain the tradition - but is now somewhat less formal!
