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Aston Barracks

terry carter

terry carter

Birmingham Pals
In all my years of research into the Royal Warwickshire Regiment Territorial Battalions I have never come accross a photograph showing Aston Barracks the home of the 8th Battalion, The Royal Warwicks. I have been told that once upon a time you could see the drill square from the Witton End of Villa Park (wash my mouth with soap & water :D ). So has anyone out there in Forum Land got any pictures of the Aston Drill Hall ?

Terry
 
I haven't got a picture....but it was true......I don't know about 8th Battalion....I did attend the army cadets there once in the mid 1960's, I am not one for taking orders......I will over the next few days check to see if I do have a photo of the Witton End in any of my Villa books, or any of my local ones......
 
Fredrick Moseley served in the 8th Batt RWR 1914-18 and died in his early twenties after the war..........in the All Saints Mission (Which is just over the road from the villa) their is a commemorative plaque recording the fact he personally helped to build and carpenter the original building
Could this be the drill hall ? which was situated on corner of Manor Rd and Station Rd ...........I have pic of F.M. and the building
The Building has been used for a number of purposes ...in the 1930's it housed two classrooms for Yew Tree Schools which was over the road
 
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I remember the barracks in the late forties, the firm I worked for did lots of electrical work on Territorial barracks, there were wooden huts as well as the drill hall.
 
Slightly off topic,but anyone know anything about Thorpe Street Barracks,I was an army cadet there in the early 50s,Royal Warwicks C company. anyone else
 
Hi Nutter: There is a thread on this forum about Thorp Street Barracks and one of the posts has a photo. Go to the Search at the top of the page and type in Thorp Street Barracks and you will find the posts from last year and some from 2007.
 
The reason why you have not found one Terry is that it was not a separate building. Going from memory pre-1914 the drill hall was above the Villa gymnasium which was part of the old Aston Lower Grounds building complex part of which was incorporated when the ground was built in 1897. That is what your map shows. The building shows up in old photos of the ground - Villa Park 100 Years by Simon Inglis is the best bet. I had a discussion about this with Stephen White on the GWF some time ago.

The parade ground is now behind the Villa Village with ticket office, shop etc.

Your interest in things claret and blue is commendable!
 
"Going from memory pre-1914 the drill hall was above the Villa gymnasium"

Alan

I knew you were getting on in years..... but, I did not think you was that old!!! :D

Terry
 
hi nutter
was thorp street drill hall off the horse fair, bristol road end?,if so I went there with the acf, royal engineers harborne, they had agreat drum and bugle band also, late 50's/early 60's
paul stacey
 
terry carter said:
Here is a section of a 1913 map showing the site of the barracks.

Terry
Click to expand...

Hi Terry,
I was wondering if you can attach the 1913 map again showing Aston Barracks. It seems to have disappeared.
I've just found out my Uncle Harold Leslie Webb was posted here in 1939.
He then went to France in January 1940 but died in May 1940 defending the retreat to Dunkirk.
He was in the 8th Bn Royal Warwickshire Reg.
Cheers
Phil
 
I have just seen this too, the Barracks was in Witton Road or the entrance was, it ran alongside Nelson Road which in turn is the Eastern edge of the Villa Ground.
 
Don't know if this was the map, but it does show the barracks

Witton_Barracks1.jpg
 
terry carter said:
In all my years of research into the Royal Warwickshire Regiment Territorial Battalions I have never come accross a photograph showing Aston Barracks the home of the 8th Battalion, The Royal Warwicks. I have been told that once upon a time you could see the drill square from the Witton End of Villa Park (wash my mouth with soap & water :D ). So has anyone out there in Forum Land got any pictures of the Aston Drill Hall ?

Terry
Click to expand...
Looking for images of the same area myself.

I attended Army Cadets circa 1969-71 ' Royal Corp of Transport Witton Detachment '
Sgt Major Snape was the boss, (later promoted to 2nd Lieutenant)

Our barracks and drill square were positioned somewhere around where the Villa shop is now. I remember a few times
after midweek fallout if Villa were playing at home we would scramble under the chain link fence, run up the back of the Witton end (pre north stand) and watch the second half of the game from the top of the hill. I Definitely remember
one time seeing Alan Ball playing for Arsenal (don't ask me the score!)
 
Witton in 1939. Villa Park top left and the Barracks and Drill Ground adjacent to the Witton end bank terrace. Anyone who knows the area can pick out various features such as the railway bridge with its M&B advert sign.
Witton_1939.jpg
image from 'britainfromabove'

Google's view today. Villa Park has grown, the area is more open, and lots of trees by the river.
Witton_2022.jpg
 
I don't remember the large barracks building (1st pic) being there in the late sixties, our HQ hut was something like a 40 ft square single storey building probably wooden or temporary now I think about it.
 
I was born on Aston Barracks in August 1964. The barracks had been sold to the Post office and was closed a month or so later and my dad was Posted to Aden in East Africa
 
Re Aston Barracks in WW1, in relation to the attached photo, would I be correct in saying the following: that the Aston Villa Stadium can be seen, and in 1915 the Aston Barracks adjoined the stadium to the right. And that you can see Aston Manor at the top of image and - importantly for my family history - at bottom left is a small section of Yew Tree Road....? Image from Britain From above: https://britainfromabove.org.uk/image/EPW025834) Thanks for your help :)
 

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  • Aston-Barracks-Villa-Park-Yew-Tree-Road-Bottom-Left-EPW025834.jpg
    Aston-Barracks-Villa-Park-Yew-Tree-Road-Bottom-Left-EPW025834.jpg
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Hi all. My wife lived at 351 Witton Rd in the 1950s and by climbing the fence at the end of her garden she said she had a clear view of the Barracks.
Regards Acklam19.
 
Annbee said:
Re Aston Barracks in WW1, in relation to the attached photo, would I be correct in saying the following: that the Aston Villa Stadium can be seen, and in 1915 the Aston Barracks adjoined the stadium to the right. And that you can see Aston Manor at the top of image and - importantly for my family history - at bottom left is a small section of Yew Tree Road....? Image from Britain From above: https://britainfromabove.org.uk/image/EPW025834) Thanks for your help :)
Click to expand...
I'm not sure where this is (possibly Molineux or the Valley, Charlton?) - but it certainly is not Villa Park. So it cannot I think be Aston Barracks.
 
"I'm not sure where this is (possibly Molineux or the Valley, Charlton?) - but it certainly is not Villa Park"
Thanks Mark Tooze. I've double checked the source now it all now and think it's London. A FA Cup semi final in 1929 with Aston Villa playing. Thanks for your correction, much appreciated.
 
Annbee said:
"I'm not sure where this is (possibly Molineux or the Valley, Charlton?) - but it certainly is not Villa Park"
Thanks Mark Tooze. I've double checked the source now it all now and think it's London. A FA Cup semi final in 1929 with Aston Villa playing. Thanks for your correction, much appreciated.
Click to expand...
Its Highbury (Arsenal's old ground) then - did not think of that one! Villa lost 1-0 to Portsmouth. :sob:
 
Mark Tooze said:
Its Highbury (Arsenal's old ground) then - did not think of that one! Villa lost 1-0 to Portsmouth. :sob:
Click to expand...
Are you certain it's Highbury?
I remember the old ground (flats now) and the new ground is very near but that doesn't look like the surrounding area, there is a railway line which runs very close to both grounds.
I could be wrong though, it's difficult with photos from the air to tell which angle they are looking at!
 
A Sparks said:
Are you certain it's Highbury?
I remember the old ground (flats now) and the new ground is very near but that doesn't look like the surrounding area, there is a railway line which runs very close to both grounds.
I could be wrong though, it's difficult with photos from the air to tell which angle they are looking at!
Click to expand...
According to Google (I was not around in 1929) this was where the Portsmouth v Villa semi final was held in 1929. I only visited Highbury once (in May 1981 - won't forget THAT day in a hurry..........:D) and by then it was very different, so I cannot be 100% certain.
 
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