Themes
Eastney Barracks
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Article Highlights
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Introduction - A history of the Royal Marines Barracks, Eastney
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The Barracks during World War One
The Barracks during World War One
Throughout World War One Eastney, as an RMA barracks, was a hive of activity with men mustering to fight in Belgium and France, on the Western Front and at Gallipoli.
On general mobilisation in August 1914, the Corps formed a Royal Marine Brigade made up of battalions from each of the Divisions including the RMA at Eastney. A fortnight later the Brigade was in Ostend, but returned home in a week. A month later the RMA formed an Anti-Aircraft Brigade with two-pounder pom-pom guns mounted on armoured cars. These were soon in action in northern France and Belgium.
At this time most of the Marines, RMA and RMLI, were at sea in ships of the Grand Fleet, then the prime task of the Corps. However Portsmouth Marines started serving in larger numbers ashore as part of the Royal Naval Division, which in 1915 took part in the ill-fated expedition to Gallipoli and later spent more than three years on the Western Front.
The RMA also formed the Howitzer Brigade at Eastney which used the largest calibre mobile howitzers of the war. One gun remained at nearby Fort Cumberland for training purposes while the others deployed to France.
In the years immediately after the First World War, the Royal Marines faced a crisis. The government called for a reduction of the Corps to just 6000 men from the wartime high of 55 000. A compromise was reached and, to retain 9500 men, in 1923 the Corps agreed to amalgamate the RMA with the RMLI at Gosport. The RMLI would move over to Eastney and Forton Barracks, Gosport, would close.
