MOD Bicester
| MoD Bicester | |
|---|---|
| Bicester, Oxfordshire | |
 Entrance at DE&S Bicester | |
  MoD Bicester | |
| Coordinates | 51°52′44″N 1°08′49″W / 51.87881°N 1.14682°W |
| Type | Storage and Distribution Centre Barracks |
| Site information | |
| Open to the public | No |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1942 |
| In use | 1942–Present |
| Garrison information | |
| Occupants | 1 Regiment RLC |
MoD Bicester is a large military installation consisting of two barracks and a storage and distribution centre, just outside Bicester in Oxfordshire. The St David's Barracks part of the base, home to 1 Regiment RLC, is set to close in 2028.
History[edit]
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The site dates back to September 1942, when a depot was constructed near Bicester to provide logistical support for operations in Europe during the Second World War.[1] In 1961 the ordnance depots at Didcot and Branston were closed and a Central Ordnance Depot was created at Bicester.[1] Between 1980 and 1982, the ordnance depots at Chilwell and Ruddington were also closed, resulting in an increased role for the remaining central ordnance depots at Bicester and Donnington.[1] The depot became known as the Defence Storage and Distribution Centre in April 1999.[1] The base is serviced by the Bicester Military Railway.[1]
A bomb disposal training base, built at a cost of circa £100 million and including a cave complex, a dive pool and roadways was established at St George's Barracks on the site in March 2013.[2]
In September 2014, 23 Pioneer Regiment, which had been based at St David's Barracks on the site since the 1940s, was disbanded.[3]
1 Regiment RLC moved from Gütersloh in Germany to St David's Barracks at Bicester in 2016.[4]
Current units[edit]
Units based at the site include:[5]
St David’s Barracks
- 1 Regiment
- 74 Headquarters Squadron
- 23 General Support Squadron
- 12 Close Support Squadron
- 2 Close Support Squadron
- REME Light Aid Detachment
St George’s Barracks
- Defence Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), Munitions, and Search (DEMS) Training Regiment[6]
Future[edit]
The St David's Barracks portion is earmarked for disposal, with a closure date of 2028.[7]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e "Bicester Military Railway". Bicester Local History Society. Retrieved 2 May 2015.
- ^ "Bicester bomb disposal training base opens". BBC. 15 March 2013. Retrieved 2 May 2015.
- ^ "Disbanded 23 Pioneer Regiment in final parade". BBC. 26 September 2014. Retrieved 2 May 2015.
- ^ "Future of British Army bases in Germany Revealed" (PDF). Ministry of Defence. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 2 May 2015.
- ^ "1 Regiment RLC | The British Army".
- ^ "British Army - DEFENCE EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE DISPOSAL, MUNITIONS AND SEARCH - DEMS TRAINING REGIMENT". 30 September 2023.
- ^ "Is Your Military Base Closing? Read The Full List Of Sites Shutting". Forces News. 20 October 2020. Retrieved 20 October 2020.