Aldershot Barrack Finder: 1855 - 1977
About
The Aldershot Military Museum’s website has a comprehensive and detailed list of the BARRACKS IN ALDERSHOT. However, when their website was migrated from Hampshire County Council to Hampshire Cultural Trust, the much-loved Barrack Finder was lost. Barrack Finder allowed you to see which regiment was based in Aldershot and the barrack that they were based in.
The original hand written documents compiled by the late Victor Waller have been found. Victor did a great deal of research in the early days of the Museum, he did not publish any of it but his manuscripts (such as this one) are in the files of the Aldershot Military Museum for the benefit of researchers. Victor was also a long-time Secretary of the Friends of the Museum before he died, and the annual Victor Waller Award is in his memory and in recognition of the work he did.
The Friends have digitised the documents and the results can be seen in our new Barrack Finder.
Above: Copies of the original documents.
Paul Vickers has extended the data back to 1855. He explains here how he did his research: -
“I was able to work backwards quite a long way using the "Distribution of the Army" volumes in the Prince Consort’s Library, but then for the early years I found the monthly returns for the Army in the National Archives at Kew, and so I am delighted to say that I have now fully filled in all the years from 1855 to when Victor’s work begins in 1896.”
“For the early years, the returns do not specify any individual barracks (not surprising, as they were just lines of huts), but at least we have details of which regiments were here and when.”
“Owing to the changes in names of regiments, barracks, etc, along with some other questions (such as “what about the artillery / medics / service corps?), I have written some guidance notes for users of the Barracks Finder.”