Albemarle Barracks, England
| Albemarle Barracks | |
|---|---|
| Near Stamfordham, Northumberland in England | |
|
Disused airfield at Albemarle Barracks | |
  Albemarle Barracks Shown within Northumberland | |
| Coordinates | 55°01′03″N 001°52′25″W / 55.01750°N 1.87361°WCoordinates: 55°01′03″N 001°52′25″W / 55.01750°N 1.87361°W |
| Type | Barracks |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Ministry of Defence |
| Operator |
 British Army |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1970 |
| In use | 1970-Present |
| Garrison information | |
| Occupants | 39th Regiment Royal Artillery |
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Albemarle Barracks is a British Army barracks located 1.7 miles (2.7 km) south of Stamfordham, Northumberland and 10.5 miles (16.9 km) west of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear.
History
The barracks were established, on the site of the former RAF Ouston airbase, in 1970. The first unit in was the Junior Signalmans Wing of 11 Signal Regt. Later to become 26th Signal Regt. Its runways are allegedly used for police driver training and as a stop-off point for nuclear warheads convoys en route via road between RNAD Coulport and AWE Aldermaston as part of the UK Trident programme.[1] Since 1995, the barracks have been home to 39th Regiment Royal Artillery.[2]
Time Line: 20 February 2015
39 Regiment Royal Artillery - also known by its traditional name the Welsh Gunners - bid an emotional farewell to the local community at a ceremony in Albemarle Barracks, near Prudhoe.
Restructuring of the British armed forces means the unit is disbanding after a 68-year history featuring deployments in Palestine, Libya, both Gulf conflicts, Cyprus, the Balkans, Northern Ireland and Afghanistan.
To mark the historic moment, hundreds of veterans, community figures and family members of serving soldiers attended the barracks to watch a parade and the lowering of the regimental flag, four months after the unit received the Freedom of Hexham.
Soldiers have been move to different regiments, either remaining at Albemarle, where the 39th has been based since 1995, or heading to Wiltshire.
Their place will be filled this summer by soldiers from 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery, who will return to the UK from Germany.
Lieutenant Colonel Richard Clements, the regiment’s commanding officer, who marched the regiment ‘off the square’ for the final time, said: “The parade celebrates the regiment’s proud history, in particular the enormous continuous contribution to operations overseas over the last eight years.
References
- ↑ "Nukewatch Information Pack". Retrieved 1 June 2014.
- ↑ "39 Regiment - The Welsh Gunners". British Army. Retrieved 20 February 2014.