Author Topic: The Barracks ?  (Read 11344 times)

Phil

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Re: The Barracks ?
« Reply #22 on: July 23, 2015, 02:11:57 PM »
What happened to  Cateswell  barracks  on Stratford Rd, Hall Green. We used to go dancing there when we were kids.

It's a Wickes Depot now. The barracks closed down in the 70's I believe.
Phil died in 2020. RIP.

johnieo

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Re: The Barracks ?
« Reply #23 on: August 22, 2015, 08:18:28 PM »
Hi dougmcgill, I have fond memories of Cateswell barracks myself and a few friends were in the Royal Signals army cadets (1959-1961) a couple of names I recall Peter York, Michail Morton, Roy Richardson, Robert Rendal,  The sargeant was Johny Ford who was in the TA, we used to go on weekend camps to a disused army barracks at Wellsbourne just past Stratford on Avon, some of the happiest days of my life.

Akatarawa

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Re: The Barracks ?
« Reply #24 on: August 22, 2015, 08:50:51 PM »
johnieo,
That reminds me of when in the ATC in the early 50s.  We used to go periodically to RAF Wellsbourne Mountford for Sunday joyride flights.  I think they had either Oxords or Ansons.

Probably very near to where you used to go.

normansil

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Re: The Barracks ?
« Reply #25 on: August 22, 2015, 09:19:10 PM »
Very interesting reading about the various barracks, I saw that someone asked about Thorpe street barracks but there was no answer. I used to go there to shoot O.22 on a rifle range and I believe a number of small bore rifle clubs shot there. Did it get swallowed up by developments at the Hippodrome?
Beorma - founder of Birmingham

johnieo

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Re: The Barracks ?
« Reply #26 on: August 23, 2015, 09:52:48 AM »
Akwatara, it might have been an R A F camp but I do not recall a runway I remember the big tin huts that used to house about twenty of us in each hut,  I think they used to call them munition huts, the other thing that I recall was that there was a great mansion on the camp which used to be used to house some of the cadets.  At Cateswell barracks they had their own shooting range but only for :22 rifles but we also went to Kingsbury rifle range where we used to shoot live ammunition  using 303 rifles, I think they were Lee Enfield 303s. I believe Kingsbury rifle range is still in use today.  Oh happy days.

Phil

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Re: The Barracks ?
« Reply #27 on: August 23, 2015, 11:07:47 AM »
I had some good days out at Kingsbury Range as a cadet where we used .303 Lee Enfield's. We even once got to fire a short burst on a Sten Gun and another time a couple of rounds at a tin can on the pistol range. None of us managed to even hit it at 25 yards. I even once managed to get to fire a clip with the then newish SLR, I also used the rage at Cateswell Barracks on a couple of occasions.
Phil died in 2020. RIP.

johnieo

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Re: The Barracks ?
« Reply #28 on: August 23, 2015, 11:49:42 AM »
Hi Phil what barracks were you based at and when were you in the cadets, do you remember the barracks at Stockfield Rd just off the Warwick Road, there was a tragic accident there in the late fifties, a young cadet was on sentry duty by the entrance to the barracks and a army lorry backed into the brick pillars which the gates were attached to of course this demolished the pillar but unfortunatley it fell on the young cadet with tragic consequenses.

Phil

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Re: The Barracks ?
« Reply #29 on: August 23, 2015, 02:50:14 PM »
Johnieo

I was at Stoney Lane Barracks, it must have ben around 1960. I think the main reason I joined was because that years annual camp was on the IOM and I had never seen the sea at that time let alone been on a ship. I visited Stockfield Road on several occasions as we took advancement tests there.
Phil died in 2020. RIP.

Alibi

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Re: The Barracks ?
« Reply #30 on: January 16, 2018, 06:43:16 AM »
my Dad was RSM at the Stoney Lane/Dennis Road barracks

BrummieBaz

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Re: The Barracks ?
« Reply #31 on: January 17, 2018, 05:57:40 PM »
I courted and married the redheaded daughter of the Postmaster on Stoney Lane back in the 60's- we had our reception inside the REME Barracks right across the road from his shop on Stoney Lane.
 
From memory, I think that was also the location of the terminus for the Stoney Lane trams.


 

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