Report - Montgomery Lines, Aldershot. - June 2012

[OldGoat]

Montgomery Lines are a group of four barracks in Aldershot south camp. Known as the Montgomery Lines after Field Marshal the Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, Colonel Commandant of the Parachute Regiment from 1944 to 1956, who officially opened them on 7 April 1965. The Montgomery Lines are comprised of four barracks that were designed to house the 16th Parachute Brigade. Their demise is nearly complete as re-development is due imminently.

Typically 1960's concrete everywhere.

The dozers are coming....

 

[Jackdaw47]

You are right about sixtys concrete, this looks to be built very similar to a place I worked at that turned out slabs of stone-faced concrete, for the first flats that I lived in way back when, still standing.

 

[CharlieB]

Photos 6 and 7 bring back a lot of memories for me. This particular part of the camp is Arnhem barracks.

The building by the big tree in the background was the Squadron offices for 216 Parachute Signal Squadron. The covered area in the foreground is where people would queue up for the cookhouse, which is just to the left in photo number 6. Bravo Troop of the Signal Squadron (also known as Bongo Battery) would also parade under here first thing in the morning, after lunch and just before daily knock off. I was posted here from Sep 87 to Dec 91. It was a great unit, crammed full of characters.

The accommodation was definitely considered grim by all who lived there. We were in Block E and referred to it as Prisoner Cell Block E.

Great memories, though. I believe it's all gone now. One of its final uses was to replicate a Russian village in the film Quantum of Solace.

 

[mookster]

The demolition of this barracks was featured on an episode of Quest's Scrap Kings fairly recently.