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Eastney Barracks
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The Barracks during World War Two
The Barracks during World War Two
By the start of World War Two Eastney was still a premier base. The Barracks' principal training function continued to be Sea Service - the main role of the Royal Marine Corps. The atmosphere of the Barracks was one of confidence and activity.
When Britain declared war on 3 September 1939 the Orderly Officer reported the news to the senior officer in the Mess and requested his orders. The reply was succinct: 'Shut the White Gate.' (This gate, mainly used by the officers, was at the end of a long road through the Barracks, by Teapot Row.)
To cope with the influx of new recruits, a camp of huts was built behind St Andrew's Church, henceforth known as Hutment Camp.
Although the Barracks survived the War virtually unscathed, there was one incident of note. One afternoon in August 1942 two squads were rehearsing ceremonial drill on the Parade Ground. Suddenly two German fighter-bombers appeared above the Officers' Mess and began to strafe the parade ground, wounding a number of men. An NCO named Alfred Hewitt ordered his squad (167 HO) to 'Open order march' to create space between the ranks.
As the wounded were being carried to the Drill Shed by their colleagues of 176 (Regulars) Squad, the second plane opened fire and bullets flew all around Hewitt. Miraculously, he was not hit. Once inside the Drill Shed the men heard a loud explosion outside the Barracks. The clock face shattered and the clock stopped, reading 1450. Alfred Hewitt was later recommended for commissioning as an officer and became a lieutenant.
The experience of being a new recruit at Eastney during the war is clearly remembered by former Royal Marine Archibald Clarke. He recalls how the Drill Shed was used as the Reception Centre for recruits; tables were set up to dispense room and squad numbers.
The Recruit Block was 'a prison-like building' of three storeys. The ground floor housed the toilets and bath-washrooms. From the entrance a wide stone staircase with black-painted hand-rails climbed in flights of ten to the top. All the rooms were of the same pattern and size, with high white ceilings, green walls and brown lino floors. In the centre of each room a pot-bellied stove stood on a steel plate. The solid iron beds with palliasses of woven steel bases 'could have been the original ones', Clarke comments. There was a long rifle rack in the centre of the room, and a wooden shelf over each bed completed the furniture.
