Codford Camp

24th Jul 1915 Advance Party Departs The Transport and Machine Guns of the 10th Battalion Essex Regt, Lieutenants E.B.P. Davis and W.C. Neild under command of Major C.M. Wheatley entrained at Codford St Marys's, Wiltshire and proceeded to Havre via Southampton for active service.

25th Jul 1915 10th Essex Proceed to France 10th Battalion Essex Regiment entrained at Codford St Mary's for active Service in France, less Transport & Machine Guns, Major Wheatley, Lieuts Davis and Neild. They embarked at Folkstone at about midnight 25th/26th July and arrived at Boulogne camp at 3am 26th July.
Before the division set sail for France the King sent a message of farewell. It read: Officers, Non Commissioned Officers and Men, You are about to join your comrades at the front in bringing to a successful end this relentless war of nearly twelve months' duration. Your prompt patriotic answer to the Nation's Call to Arms will never be forgotten. The keen exertion of all ranks during the period of training have brought you to a state of efficiency not unworthy of my Regular Army. I am confident that in the field you will nobly uphold the traditions of the fine regiments whose names you bear. Ever since your enrolment I have closely watched the growth and steady progress of all units. I shall continue to follow with interest the fortunes of your division. In bidding you farewell, I pray that God may bless you in all your undertakings.
General Maxse replied: I beg you will convey to his Majesty our unalterable devotion to his Person and to His Throne and our fixed determination to uphold the best traditions of the British Army in war.

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There are:23 items tagged Codford Camp available in our Library

These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War.

Those known to have trained at
Codford Camp
during the Great War 1914-1918.

Biggs Ernest Alfred. Pte. (d.30th June 1915)
Chilcot Arthur Frederick. Sapper
Roach George H..

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253132

George H. Roach D Bty. 176th (Leicestershire) Brigade Royal Field Artillery

I was given a post card of St Peter's church, Shipton Bellinger, Wiltshire which is dated Oct 1915 and is addressed to a Miss H Preston, 1 The Hill, Ashby de La Douch, Leicestershire.
Before the message to this lady, it reads: 32272, D Battery, 176 Brigade, RFA, 34 Division, No 1 Camp, Boyton Park, Codford, Wilts. It is signed only by the initials GHR.
I would very much like to know who this soldier was and what happened to him.
Update: A search for the service number in the medal records reveals him to be George H Roach.
Susan Linklater

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252362

Pte. Ernest Alfred Biggs 8th Battalion Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry (d.30th June 1915)

Ernest Biggs was born in Loosley Row, Buckinghamshire in 1885, and lived on Downley Common with his wife Ella May (nee Martin), and small sons, Norman and Cyril.
On the outbreak of WWI he enlisted in High Wycombe. While at Codford Training Camp in Salisbury, he succumbed to Spotted Fever (Cerebro-spinal Meningitis) and died at the Isolation Hospital on 30th of June 1915. He was buried at Stratford-sub-Castle aged 29.

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223781

Sapper Arthur Frederick Chilcot att 3rd Canadian Tunnelling Company

Arthur Chilcot joined the NZ Expeditionary Force on 24th of December 1915 and was posted as a rifleman to 4th Btn. 3rd NZ Rifle Brigade on 20th of June 1916. Arthur was detached to the 3rd Canadian Tunnellers on 4th of May 1917, and was wounded (gunshot wound right leg) on 7th of June 1917. Arthur was sent to convalesce in Codford, UK, until 15th of November 1917 where he was transferred as a Sapper to 5 (NZ) Light Railway Operating Section.
Lyle Holt

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Codford Camp

Want to know more about Codford Camp?

Those known to have trained at Codford Campduring the Great War 1914-1918.

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Recomended Reading.

Links

The Wartime Memories Project
- Codford Camp during the Great War -

Those known to have trained at
Codford Camp
during the Great War 1914-1918.