Princess Royal Barracks, Deepcut

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The Princess Royal Barracks, Deepcut, commonly referred to as Deepcut Barracks, is the headquarters of the Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) of the British Army. Located near Camberley, Surrey, England it was the headquarters of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps until the formation of the RLC in 1993. At that time, it was known as Blackdown Barracks.

Director, Royal Logistic Corps is based in Dettingen House and the barracks are home to the RLC Museum, the Band of the RLC, The School of Logistics and 25 Training Support Regiment RLC, which trains the officers and soldiers in a range of logistical skills.

As a consequence of the Defence Training Review and the merger of tri-service training to a single location, the barracks are to close by 2013 with the land being released for housing development.

Contents 1 RLC Training 2 Trainee deaths at Deepcut 2.1 Deaths at Deepcut 2.1.1 Sean Benton 2.1.2 Cheryl James 2.1.3 Geoff Gray 2.1.4 James Collinson 2.2 Investigations 3 References 4 External links

[edit] RLC Training

RLC personnel conduct their Phase 2 training at Deepcut, having completed Phase 1 training at an Army Training Regiment for soldiers or Royal Military Academy Sandhurst for Officers. All Officers undertake the RLC Troop Commanders Course prior to posting to a Regiment.

Soldier trainees specialise in a number of trades:

• Ammunition Technician
• Driver / Port Operator
• Seaman / Navigator
• Marine Engineer
• Supplier
• Chef
• Driver
• Driver / Radio Operator
• Driver / Air Despatcher
• Movement Controller
• Postal and Courier Operator
• Pioneer
• Petroleum Operator
• Rail Operator

Officers may undertake specialist training as:

• Ammunition Technical Officer
• Port and Maritime Operations Officer
• Petroleum Officer
• Food Services Officer
• Postal and Courier Services Officer

[edit] Trainee deaths at Deepcut

The deaths of four trainees at Deepcut, between 1995 and 2002, are the attention of significant media interest, with investigations by Surrey Police indicating suicide being rejected by families who have called for a public inquiry into the circumstances.

A review by Nicholas Blake QC published in March 2006^[1] following a two year investigation identified that the deaths were self inflicted but criticised a number of aspects of training at Deepcut which could have contributed to the opportunity for that self harm. Blake is a member of Matrix Chambers, a leading human rights legal practice in the UK.

Points identified by the report were:

• The training environment at Deepcut, causing low morale through poor accommodation, limited recreational facilities, and the balance between privacy and dormitory life.
• Unsupervised access to weapons.
• Supervision of trainees.
• Discipline, bullying and informal sanctions.
• Ventilation of grievances.
• Poor instructors.

[edit] Deaths at Deepcut

[edit] Sean Benton

On June 9, 1995, Private Sean Benton, of Hastings, East Sussex, died with five bullet wounds to his chest. The death was witnessed by two other soldiers, and tests performed for Surrey Police by the German Federal Criminal Police Office indicated a possible conclusion of suicide. The coroner concluded that he had committed suicide. This conclusion has been contested by Bentons' family who funded independent ballistics tests which contradict the official tests, indicating that only one bullet was fired from close range and the others from a distance.

Benton had a history of self harm and on the evening before his death had written a number of notes setting his affairs in order, indicating his dissatisfaction that an application was being made to effect his discharge from the Army for disciplinary failures. On the day of his death he had obtained the weapon used from another trainee under false pretences.^[1]

[edit] Cheryl James

On 27 November 1995, Private Cheryl James, of Llangollen, was found dead with a single bullet wound to her head at the headquarters of the Royal Logistic Corps in woods not far from her abandoned guard post. The coroner concluded an open verdict. Shortly before her death James' had exhibited behaviours indicative of those more likely to kill themselves, than others.^[1]

[edit] Geoff Gray

On 17 September 2001, Private Geoff Gray, from Hackney, East London, was found with two gunshot wounds to his head while on guard duty, having left colleagues to undertake a lone prowler patrol in contravention of normal policy. The coroner recorded an open verdict after hearing from witnesses that a figure was seen running away after the shots were fired. An independent ballistics expert hired by the BBC concluded that it would have been impossible for Gray to have killed himself; however, the Blake review concluded that the forensic evidence was consistent with self-harm.

In 2007 the BKA (German ballistics experts) concluded that the wounds found were consistent with self-harm but equally consistent with murder.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] James Collinson

On 23 March 2002, Private James Collinson, from Perth, was found dead with a single gunshot wound while on guard duty at the barracks. Investigations indicated that he had killed himself with a borrowed rifle; however his parents do not accept this, insisting he had been happy. The associated inquest, following extensive police investigations, concluded an open verdict in 2006. The Blake review did not reach a conclusion with respect to Collinson, due to the concurrent inquest; it however identified a number of breaches of policy by trainees and highlights that Collinson exhibited indicators consistent with an increased risk of self harm.

[edit] Investigations

Surrey Police re-opened the investigation into the deaths of Gray, James and Benton after the death of James Collinson in 2002.

Kevin McNamara MP hosted a meeting on 10 June 2002 where the families of the four soldiers killed at Deepcut requested that a public inquiry be held into the matter. On 4 July 2002, the House of Commons Defence Select Committee announced that it would conduct an investigation after the police finished their investigation. Surrey Police stated that the deaths were being reviewed.

Later, on 25 July 2002, the Army admitted that it had destroyed some of the forensic evidence available to Surrey Police by destroying some of the bloodstained uniforms of the dead soldiers.

[edit] References

1. ^ ^{a b c} A Review of the Circumstances Surrounding the Deaths of Four Soldiers at Princess Royal Barracks, Deepcut between 1995 and 2002 (HC 795), The Stationery Office March 2006

[edit] External links

• Deepcut Review
• Nicholas Blake QC, personal profile at Matrix Chambers
• The Scotsman feature page on Deepcut barracks deaths
• BBC news article
• The Royal Logistic Corps