Figsbury Barracks, Winterbourne Gunner

Figsbury Barracks was close to the Finsbury Rings Hill Fort at Winterbourne Gunner.

I have a man who served here in 1941. Can anyone please tell me when the barracks opened and closed?

The current CBRN Establishment is not the same place.

Thanks

Dave

 

Hello Dave,

According to https://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk Figsbury Barracks dates from 1938 and converted to a US hospital in 1943 and is still used by the MoD today. The grid reference given is SU 183347 which is the site of the present day Defence CBRN Centre. Their website says that the site was established in 1917 and was known as Porton South Camp.

Richard

 

My father was stationed at Old Sarum in 1959 and our Army quarter was at Figsbury Ridge, Winterbourne Gunner (very close to the Officers Mess of what was then the Defence NBC school). However, at that time there was still another barracks in Winterbourne Gunner, further west towards Salisbury from the NBC school; though probably equidistant from Figsbury Ring, occupied then by a unit of a Guards Brigade. Regrettably the passage of a good deal of time has rendered my memory quite clueless in the matter of the name of either barracks (or the Guards Brigade in question)..
Chris

 

Apologies for the late response - I somehow contrived to miss your helpful replies.

Thanks Richard & Chris