MoD Bicester

Last updated

MoD Bicester
Bicester, Oxfordshire
Entrance to the MOD Storage and Distribution Centre at Bicester - geograph.org.uk - 1744185.jpg
Entrance at DE&S Bicester
Oxfordshire UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
MoD Bicester
Coordinates 51°52′44″N1°08′49″W / 51.87881°N 1.14682°W / 51.87881; -1.14682
TypeStorage and Distribution Centre
Barracks
Site information
Open to
the public
No
Site history
Built1942 (1942)
In use1942Present
Garrison information
Occupants1 Regiment RLC

MoD Bicester is a large military installation consisting of two barracks and a storage and distribution centre, just outside Bicester in Oxfordshire. The St David's Barracks part of the base, home to 1 Regiment RLC, is set to close in 2028.

Contents

History

COD Bicester prior to D-Day, 1944. Preparations For Operation Overlord (the Normandy Landings)- D-day 6 June 1944 H37362.jpg
COD Bicester prior to D-Day, 1944.

The site dates back to September 1942, when a depot was constructed near Bicester to provide logistical support for operations in Europe during the Second World War. [1] In 1961 the ordnance depots at Didcot and Branston were closed and a Central Ordnance Depot was created at Bicester. [1] Between 1980 and 1982, the ordnance depots at Chilwell and Ruddington were also closed, resulting in an increased role for the remaining central ordnance depots at Bicester and Donnington. [1] The depot became known as the Defence Storage and Distribution Centre in April 1999. [1] The base is serviced by the Bicester Military Railway. [1]

A bomb disposal training base, built at a cost of circa £100 million and including a cave complex, a dive pool and roadways was established at St George's Barracks on the site in March 2013. [2]

In September 2014, 23 Pioneer Regiment, which had been based at St David's Barracks on the site since the 1940s, was disbanded. [3]

1 Regiment RLC moved from Gütersloh in Germany to St David's Barracks at Bicester in 2016. [4]

Current units

Units based at the site include: [5]

St David’s Barracks

Royal Logistic Corps

St George’s Barracks

Royal Engineers

Future

The St David's Barracks portion is earmarked for disposal, with a closure date of 2028. [7]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Logistic Corps</span> Logistic arm of the British Army

The Royal Logistic Corps provides logistic support functions to the British Army. It is the largest Corps in the Army.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Army Ordnance Corps</span> Military unit

The Royal Army Ordnance Corps (RAOC) was a corps of the British Army. At its renaming as a Royal Corps in 1918 it was both a supply and repair corps. In the supply area it had responsibility for weapons, armoured vehicles and other military equipment, ammunition and clothing and certain minor functions such as laundry, mobile baths and photography. The RAOC was also responsible for a major element of the repair of Army equipment. In 1942 the latter function was transferred to the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) and the vehicle storage and spares responsibilities of the Royal Army Service Corps were in turn passed over to the RAOC. The RAOC retained repair responsibilities for ammunition, clothing and certain ranges of general stores. In 1964 the McLeod Reorganisation of Army Logistics resulted in the RAOC absorbing petroleum, rations and accommodation stores functions from the Royal Army Service Corps as well as the Army Fire Service, barrack services, sponsorship of NAAFI (EFI) and the management of staff clerks from the same Corps. On 5 April 1993, the RAOC was one of the corps that amalgamated to form The Royal Logistic Corps (RLC).

An ammunition technician (AT) is a British Army soldier, formerly of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps but since 1993 of the Royal Logistic Corps, trained to inspect, repair, test, store, and modify all ammunition, guided missiles, and explosives used by the British Army. These technicians are also trained to use demolition to safely dispose of individual items of ammunition and explosives (EODs) or to conduct logistics disposal of bulk stocks of multi items. After gaining sufficient experience, those who show the appropriate qualities are given extra training to render safe improvised explosive devices (IEDs) by a process called improvised explosive device disposal. Experienced ATs may be called to give evidence as expert witnesses in criminal or coroner's courts in relation to ammunition or explosives or to EOD and IEDD duties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ammunition technical officer</span>

An ammunition technical officer (ATO) is an officer involved in all aspects of the army, air force, and navy's use of ammunition. This includes: bomb disposal, clearance of ERW, explosives accident investigation, procurement, in service management, storage, and inspection and repair.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dalton Barracks</span>

Dalton Barracks is a military installation near Abingdon in Oxfordshire, England and home to 3 and 4 Regiments of the Royal Logistic Corps. The site is set to close in 2030.

11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Search Regiment RLC is a specialist regiment of the British Army's Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) responsible for counter terrorist Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), the safe recovery or disposal of conventional munitions. The regiment also has an ammunition inspectorate role supporting the Inspector Explosives (Army). With headquarters in Didcot, the regiment has sub units geographically based throughout the UK to provide a nationwide high readiness response capability in support of the police.

The Defence Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Munitions and Search Training Regiment is an element of the Royal School of Military Engineering responsible for the delivery of training to British Army Ammunition Technicians, Ammunition Technical Officers and Search Operators. The Regiment delivers training from two locations: Marlborough Barracks, MoD Kineton near Kineton, Warwickshire and St George's Barracks, MoD Bicester, near Bicester, Oxfordshire.

This is the Operation Herrick ground order of battle, which lists any British ground forces that have taken part in the duration of Operation Herrick between 2002 and 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Defence School of Transport</span> Educational institution in England

The Defence School of Transport (DST) Leconfield is located at Normandy Barracks, Leconfield near Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire in England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">17 Port and Maritime Regiment RLC</span> Military unit

17 Port and Maritime Regiment is a regiment of the British Army's Royal Logistic Corps. The unit is the Army's only regular Port & Maritime capability, though it is twinned with 165 Port and Maritime Regiment RLC, of the Army Reserve.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vauxhall Barracks</span>

Vauxhall Barracks is a British Army installation in Didcot, Oxfordshire. It is set to close in 2034.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MoD Donnington</span> British military base

MoD Donnington consists of a British Army barracks and the Defence Fulfilment Centre, and is situated to the north of Donnington, Telford, Shropshire. The barracks on the site will close in 2029.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chetwynd Barracks</span> Military installation in Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom

Chetwynd Barracks is a British Army installation at Chilwell, Nottinghamshire, England. It is set to close in 2026.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prince William of Gloucester Barracks</span> Barracks near Grantham, Lincolnshire, England

Prince William of Gloucester Barracks is a British Army installation near Grantham in Lincolnshire. It is set to close in 2028.

33 Engineer Regiment (EOD&S) is a regiment of the British Army's Royal Engineers. It is based at Carver Barracks, Essex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1 Regiment RLC</span> Military unit

1 Regiment RLC is a regiment of the British Army's Royal Logistic Corps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Structure of the British Army</span> Organisation of the British Army

The structure of the British Army is being reorganised to the Future Soldier structure. The Army is commanded by the Chief of the General Staff (CGS), with Army Headquarters which is located in Andover, Hampshire. Subordinate to that post, there is a Commander Field Army, and a personnel and UK operations command, Home Command.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chattenden and Lodge Hill Military Camps</span>

Chattenden and Lodge Hill Military Camps were British Army training camps in Chattenden and Hoo St Werburgh in Kent. They were built as ordnance depots and functioned as such through to the second half of the twentieth century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">29 (Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Search) Group</span> Military unit

The 29 Group, formerly 29 Engineer Brigade, is an engineer formation of the British Army responsible for Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Search. Its headquarters were at Aldershot, now at Didcot.

The Army Recruiting and Initial Training Command (ARITC) is a two-star command of the British Army and "is responsible for all recruiting, selection, and basic training of soldiers and the recruitment and selection of officers".

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Bicester Military Railway". Bicester Local History Society. Retrieved 2 May 2015.
  2. "Bicester bomb disposal training base opens". BBC. 15 March 2013. Retrieved 2 May 2015.
  3. "Disbanded 23 Pioneer Regiment in final parade". BBC. 26 September 2014. Retrieved 2 May 2015.
  4. "Future of British Army bases in Germany Revealed" (PDF). Ministry of Defence. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 2 May 2015.
  5. "1 Regiment RLC | The British Army".
  6. "British Army - DEFENCE EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE DISPOSAL, MUNITIONS AND SEARCH - DEMS TRAINING REGIMENT". 30 September 2023.
  7. "Is Your Military Base Closing? Read The Full List Of Sites Shutting". Forces News. 20 October 2020. Retrieved 20 October 2020.