Wareham

Brief History

Regiments from all over England, also from Australia and New Zealand (Anzacs), were based at the camp at various times during the war. The men were trained in trench warfare at Seven Barrows Farm, north of the town, and at Gallows Hill near Bere Regis; horse-riding, including driving wagons; bridge building on the rivers, and marching.

By December 1914, the tents had been replaced by wooden huts. The camp included a hospital with 185 beds, a cinema (used as a church on Sundays), a YMCA (Young Men’s Christian Association) clubhouse, sewage works, and stables for horses. The camp was one of the largest in Dorset and it was described as “the finest in England”. There were camps nearby at Bovington, Lulworth and Swanage.

Passing through

• Frank Moore 19 Jan 1917 - 14 Mar 1917
• Thomas Henry Rice 4 Feb - 14 Mar 1917
• Patrick Michael 7 - 17 Mar 1917