Porthcawl - "A Canvas City"
(Porthcawl News August 1913)
In 1908 following the lack of reserve battalions during the Boer War, the Territorial Force was established . Each Regiment created a Territorial Force. As part of their training each force had to attend a Summer Training Camp.Territorial Forces, or Terriers as they became known to the Porthcawl residents, regularly became part of the Porthcawl summer season.
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The South Wales Volunteer Brigade (left) had just arrived at the Railway Station at the top of Station Hill.1907. 1907 was the year that the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act was passed. This led to the reorganisation of the old Volunteer Army with the Yeomanry and renaming the Militia as the Special Reserve. Members were required to attend a camp each year which would entail a fortnight under canvas,hard training and social activities. Although the implementation of the Act dated from 1st April 1908, these photographs clearly shows that summer training camps were not a new idea.Also, that Porthcawl was already a preferred choice for volunteer units. |
WORCESTER Voluntary Brigade 1907
The Glamorgan Imperial YeomanryTrooper Tom Burnell , born in Nottage 29th September 1883 , like many boys of the town joined the Glamorgan Imperial Yeomanry.(Porthcawl Branch). This Regiment was affiliated to the 'B' Squadron whose headquarters were at Bridgend. The formation of such new Regiments of Yeomanry was approved on 14th June 1901 by King Edward VII, to supplement the Regiments serving in South Africa. The 'A' Squadron of the Glamorgan Imperial Yeomanry H.Q was at Swansea and the 'C' Squadron at Cardiff. . |
Territorial Camps 1908-1911 |
The Territorials opposite are marching down John Street,Porthcawl from the Railway Station at the top of Station Hill, which was known as New Road in 1908. |
In 1908 a unit of the newly formed 'South Wales Territorial Infantry Brigade' ,consisting of the 1st & 2nd Monmouthshire Battalions and the 6th Welsh, set up camp on Locks Common ,Porthcawl. Earlier that summer the Worcester Militia had been camped at Newton for a fortnight. 1909 - The Gloucester & Worcester Brigade camped at Locks Common. 
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Glamorgan Imperial Yeomanry,
Locks Common Porthcawl 1910.
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1910 witnessed an upsurge of the number of camps at Porthcawl.
In May the Army Service Corps (Swansea Detachment) were camped at Hutchins Field, near Locks Common.(112 men) May24th-7th June All 4 Squadrons of the Glamorgan Imperial Yeomanry were camped on Rickmyss Field near Locks Common.(450 men) Squadrons:- A - Swansea, Reynoldstone ,Neath &Port Talbot. B- Bridgend, Maesteg ,Porthcawl & Cowbridge C- Cardiff (under the command of Major J.I.D.Nicholl , Merthyr Mawr) D - Pontypridd,Merthyr,Aberdare,Mountain Ash & Caerphilly |
1910 also saw the formation of a new company in Porthcawl.
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