Aldershot Garrison | |
---|---|
All Saints Royal Garrison Church |
|
Aldershot Garrison shown within Hampshire | |
Population | 10,500 |
District | |
Shire county | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | ALDERSHOT |
Postcode district | GU11 |
Dialling code | 01252 |
Police | Hampshire |
Fire | Hampshire |
Ambulance | South East Coast |
EU Parliament | South East England |
UK Parliament |
|
Aldershot Garrison, also known as Aldershot Military Town, is a major garrison in South East England, located between Aldershot and Farnborough in Hampshire. Established in 1854, Aldershot has long been seen as the home of the British Army. The garrison was established when the War Department bought a large area of land near to the village of Aldershot, with the objective of establishing a permanent training camp for the British Army. Over time, this camp grew into a military town and continues to be used by the Army to the present day. It is home to the headquarters of the Army's Support Command, and it is also the administrative base for the 101st Logistic Brigade. The garrison plays host to around 70 military units and organisations.
In 1972, the garrison was the site of one of the worst UK mainland IRA attacks of the time when a car bomb was detonated outside the headquarters mess of 16 Parachute Brigade. The Official IRA claimed responsibility, stating that the attack was in revenge for the shootings in Derry that came to be known as Bloody Sunday. At the time of the attack, Aldershot garrison was an entirely open garrison. Following the attack the Army took steps to secure the garrison by erecting security fences around most of the barracks and lines, as well as introducing armed security patrols.
The Garrison area covers approximately 500 acres. The total garrison population is about 10,500. Adjacent to the military town is some 2,700 hectares of open military training area. Aldershot Garrison will serve as the hub for the future South East Super Garrison, which will include satellite establishments at Minley, Bordon, Sandhurst, Pirbright, Deepcut, Keogh, Arborfield, Winchester and Worthy Down.