I've been trying to find out where this photo was taken & it has been suggested it could be Crowborough Camp. It was developed by a photographer in Tonbridge. Anyone familiar enough with the Camp to give me a yes or no? (One of the men is my late uncle Bdr Bill Butler 13th Medium Regt RA). Bob
My recollection(1970s) of Crowborough is all huts. The various camps in the area were built for the Canadians, later some were hospitals and then POW camps. Pete
Given the state of the Virginia? creeper on the building photo taken in the winter. Do you have your uncle's service record? Checking the dates on it and/or the war diary for 13th Medium Regt RA for where he was in the winter months might give some clue.
The original thread / post was a good while ago... However I did find a bit more of the history of the West camp, at least, here... It's a book, currently previewable on Google books called: Another Way Another Way: The Horder Centre Sixty Years of Evolution By Charles Gallannaugh With some text on the 1940's and pictures of a few tanks at a tank park. Edit: The Horder Centre at 60 - Crowborough Life
And... History Event Number 2 Crowborough West Camp Purchased By The Marchioness O - Horder Healthcare Has.... "53" - BADGER Edit: "Vechicle Names" spreadsheet - BADGER - 53 - 9th Armoured Regiment, British Columbia Dragoons, 5th Armoured Brigade, 5th Armoured Division
My father was company commander of A Company 1 Royal Sussex in 1961 and he and his company were accommodated in Crowborough Camp while on a recruiting tour of Sussex. I remember visiting him there and the camp was entirely hutted. Perhaps the rather grand building in Bob Chandler's photograph was a nearby requisitioned house used by the regimental HQ? John
The OP states "it has been suggested it could be Crowborough Camp" it might help further if it was known by whom and on what basis? Two people have stated that Crowborough was entirely hutted but that part of Kent is full of large houses
P59 of this... Another Way Has a map of the camp, along with a description. There were buildings there, other than the barrack huts. Additionally there were large houses in the area, used by the army. For instance, this... from "None Had Lances" p26...