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Five Training Centres were originally
formed in 1939 and arrangements were made for a further seven
centres to be established during 1940. No 7 centre was formed
in France (Le Mans) for foreign labour. Numbers 8,9 and 10
centres were never formed.
Training Centres were organised into
Centre HQ, HQ company and 2 Training Companies and were originally
designed to produce 4 AMPC Companies per month. Recruits were
received direct from civil life. They were documented, medically
examined and kitted out by the Quartermaster's stores on the
day of arrival. Their training commenced on the second day.
During 1939 and the early part of 1940 their period Military
Training was three weeks. This was extended to four weeks
in 1940 and later to six weeks. Non Combatant Corps (NCC)
and Alien personnel were received at certain centres. Besides
forming entire Companies, the Training Centres provided reinforcements
and drafts both for home and overseas. As circumstances changed
it became possible to reduce the number of Training Centres
and by the autumn of 1943 only two, numbered 6 and
12 remained.
A reception and discharge depot had
also been formed where men from hospital, "Y" List.
Detention, overseas and general transfers from other units
were received. This depot constantly became a bottle neck,
as men arrived there without their documents which were often
considerably delayed in following them. It was therefore incorporated
with the No.12 Training Centre. After
the formation of the General Service Corps (GSC) in
February 1942, centres received men partially trained from
the Primary Training Centre (PTC) instead of direct from civil
life.
In June 1944 new war establishments
were issued for number 6 and 12 Training Centres.
Their title was changed to "Pioneer Corps Holding
and Training Unit". No. 6 was designed to
hold and train 1,800 Pioneers including aliens and conscientious
objectors (NCC), to hold a maximum of 200 Officers and to
form drafts and mobilize units. No.12 was designed
to hold and train 3,000 Pioneers and to form drafts and mobilize
units.
Formation dates and subsequent moves
of the Training Centres in the United Kingdom were as follows
:-
No 1 Centre
Originally AMPC and RE (Stevedore)
Centre, Folkestone. Split from RE and moved to Westcliff February
1940. Moved to Pwllheli, Wales July 1940. Disbanded 15 October
1940.
No 2 Centre
Formed at Caister 1939. Moved
to Glasgow July 1940. Disbanded 1 October 1940.
No 3 Centre
Formed at Richborough 1939 to
become the Centre for Alien personnel. Moved to Westward Ho
May 1940. Moved to Ilfracombe October 1940. Disbanded January
1942.
No 4 Centre
Originally Refuge Camp, Clacton-on-Sea,
formed as AMPC Training Centre, October 1939. Closed for AMPC
training December 1939 and loaned for formation of RE Construction
Units. Reopened for AMPC February 1940. Disbanded July 1941.
No 5 Centre
Formed at Huyton, Liverpool 1939.
Moved to Denbeigh July 1942. Dealt with non British and the
non combatatant Corps and after being disbanded in October
1942 they moved to No 6 Centre.
No 6 Centre
Formed at Skegness 1939 by Lieutenant
Colonel G H Keighley Bell MC. The staff nucleus being provided
by No 4 Training Centre. The Centre operated on the basis
of a Reception Company and 4 Training Cadres and was designed
to produce 6 officers and 548 trained men weekly. Volunteers
between the ages of 35 and 40 (many, of course, were much
older) were accepted, clothed, equipped, given one month's
training and then formed into Companies or dispatched as reinforcements
to existing Companies. The first Company to leave the Centre
went to Scottish Command. At the Miners Home the Officers
Messes were good as also was the men's cookhouse with up to
date steam cooking apparatus and hot plates. The small wooden
'holiday' huts with the conjugal couch in each compartment,
with a board down the middle, were not altogether ideal for
2 soldiers. Centre HQ and 2 Cadres were at the Miners Home
and a third Cadre nearby in a tented camp. Reception Company,
QM Stores and 1 Cadre in Skegness Town.
The supply of volunteers dried up gradually
and on 18th April 1940 the first Army Class intake of 500
arrived. These intakes 5-600 strong, thereafter continued
weekly, were given their month's training and dispatched.
During May and June 1940 the Centre also provided a number
of Officers and Other Ranks to assist in the formation of
the No 12 Centre. No 6 Centre moved to Bradford June 1940.
In September 1940 the Centre was reduced to HQ, reinforcement
Company and 2 Cadres, and varied from 2-4 Cadres, until October
1942 when it was finally restored to a 4 Cadre basis. Normal
Training Formation and dispatch of Companies and drafts continued,
the first overseas draft consisting of WOs and NCOs going
out early in 1941. In November 1942 Lieutenant Keighley Bell
ended his long tenure of command at the centre taking over
No 12 group and on the disbandment of No 5 Centre Lieutenant
Colonel G L J Tuck CMG took command, bringing with him a lot
of his staff.
During the Winter of 1942/3 many Prisoner
of War camp staffs were formed, Officers and other ranks arriving
from all sorts of units. Owing to increase in numbers, the
rapid turnover of personnel who only remained on an average
one week, and the location of Cadres over such a wide area,
more suitable accommodation was required and in July 1943
the unit moved to Buxton July 1943. After a trial run of some
months, the Unit was reorganised to cope with existing conditions
and changed its name in June, 1944. No 6 Pioneer Corps Holding
and Training Unit designed to hold and train 200 Officers
and 1,800 Pioneers, including Non British and Non Combatant
Corps to from drafts and to mobilize units. In September 1944
the Unit became The Receiving Unit for all ranks Pioneer Corps
reverting to Home Establishment for any cause whatsoever,
also for all absentees and deserters of the Corps from 21st
Army Group before leaving the UK. This entailed organizing
a big legal department and the building of a Detention Centre.
In November 1944, instructors were received to give General
Service Corps intakes a months training.
In order to cope with the increased
numbers and responsibilities of the unit, additional establishment
was applied for in the Spring of 1945, and had already been
passed by Northern Command when the War in Europe finished
and the matter was dropped. A few weeks later War Office decided
to close down No 6 PC H & TU and on 15th July 1945 it
was finally disbanded, the Staff being dispersed as required
to various Units, No 30 group getting a proportion of the
band. A fine permanent staff had been gradually built up over
the years. It included, unofficially a first class Band and
Concert Party, a Works Section and Tailors and Bootmakers
Department. The Band raised morale and gave much good entertainment
to troops and civilians, in addition to making a lot of money
for Savings Weeks and the Pioneer Corps Benevolent Fund. The
other "unofficials" worked as true Pioneers, saved
a lot of money for the Government and contributed greatly
to the smooth running of the Centre.
No 11 Centre
Formed at Liverpool June 1940.
Moved to Oldham June 1940. Disbanded October 1941.
No 12 Centre
Formed at Liverpool June 1940.
Moved to Pheasy Farm, Birmingham July 1941. Moved to Oldham
March 1942. Moved to Prestatyn July 1943. This Centre controlled
a large school for potential NCOs and for providing Cooks
for Corps Units at home and overseas. In addition during the
heavy air raids on Liverpool the Centre gave continuous help
in rescue and demolition work, during which operations nearly
50 Pioneers lost their lives. The average strength of the
staff of this Centre during that period was 350. Throughout
the whole period 12 Holding and Training Unit was commanded
by Lt Col H Greenwood VC DSO OBE MC.
In February 1946 the Centre moved from
Prestatyn to Cuddington, Nr Northwich, Cheshire and became
the Corps Depot. Its strength at that time was 6,937 which
was administered by an establishment intended for a ceiling
of 2,700 all ranks. In 1947 the Depot moved to Stourport-on-Severn,
Worcs and in December of that year the Training Wing, some
1,200 strong, separated from the Depot and moved to Blackmore
Camp, Malvern and became the Training Centre. The strength
of the Training Camp fluctuated from 1500 to 500 and in October
1948 was 1000 strong. In 1949 the Training Centre moved to
Saighton Camp, Chester. About 1800 recurits were under training
at this time. In November the Depot moved from Stourport to
Wrexham. On 31 July 1950 the Training Centre at Saighton Camp
closed and was integrated with the Depot at Wrexham which
became the RPC Depot and Training Centre. The Centre
received intakes of up to 200 each fortnight. There were 4
Training Companies and a Holding Company plus the HQ. In addition
the HQ Supplementary Reserve (later AER) was accommodated
in the same camp and all discharges and transfers to SR&AER
from the Corps were effected here.
To meet the training and accommodation
requirements a site at Horsley Hall, Gresford, was taken over
(additional to Hermitage Camp, Wrexham), The Centre also ran
a MT and Driving School. The title of the unit was changed
to The Depot RPC in December 1959 and on 12 September
1960 the Depot moved to Quebec Barracks, Northampton. In June
1961 the Barracks was renamed Simpson Barracks after a previous
Colonel Commandant, General Sir Frank Simpson KCB, DSO.
With the amalgamation of the HQ AER
the name of the Depot was again changed in 1963 to Depot &
HQ AER. In June 1967 the title was altered to Depot &
CVHQ and in 1968 it changed to Royal Pioneer Corps Training
Centre. Simpson Barracks closed on 1 April 1993 when the Royal
Pioneer Corps amalgamated into the Royal Logistics Corps.
It is pleasing to report that the housing
development on Simpson Barracks is called Simpson Grange and
many street names have close links to both the Royal Pioneer
Corps and the Northampton Regiment (our predecessors on the
site).
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