The Canadian Expeditionary Force Novels

Settings > Salisbury Plain

Salisbury Plain

Photo Gallery Coming Soon! Check What's New for updates

During the fall and winter of 1914 the Canadians endured one of the wettest falls in living memory at Salisbury Plain. Since the chalk base didn’t allow for much drainage there was frequent flooding. For many years after the war veterans would recall those first months as the worst they had to endure.

In 1914, when the British accepted the Canadian government’s offer of a contingent of 25,000 men, they decided to station the Canadians at Salisbury Plain for final training and work up before going to France.

Salisbury Plain, in central southern England, had since 1898 been one of the British Army’s main training bases. At the time they had nearly 300 square miles of grassy hilly terrain with an occasional stand of trees. There was a thin coat of topsoil on top of a chalk base. The Plain had been used to conduct manoeuvres, summer camps, and rifle and artillery training on the ranges.

In preparation for the Canadians arrival they had pitched floor-boarded tents and erected cook houses. The arrival of an additional 8,000 men above the 25,000 they had been informed to expect, the British Army had to scramble to find additional tents for the men.

The British Army had requested that the Canadians bring waterproof tents since there was a shortage in England. Unfortunately, the tents were left behind at the Valcartier Camp which the Canadians would latter regret.

Colonel Carson, who headed the Canadian Advance Party, had spoken to Lord Kitchener about the conditions on the plain. Kitchener offered to move some British units into tents to accomodate the Canadians. However, Lieutenant-General Alderson was somewhat embarrassed when he found out and refused the offer stating that huts were being built to protect the men from the elements.

By the end of December only half the contingent had been assigned to huts.

Locations of Canadian units at Salisbury Plain
(December 1914)

BUSTARD CAMP (Tents)

• Divisional Headquarters
• Divisional Mounted Troops (including Cyclist Company) (Newfoundland Farm).
• Headquarters, 1st Infantry Brigade.
• lst Infantry Battalion
• 2nd Infantry Battalion
• 3rd Infantry Battalion
• 4th Infantry Battalion
• Automobile Machine Gun Brigade
• No. 2 Company, Divisional Train
• No. 1 Depot Unit of Supply
• Details, No. 4 Unit of Supply
• Ordnance Depot
• No. 1 Field Ambulance
• Depot Company C.A.M.C.

WEST DOWN SOUTH CAMP (Tents)

• Divisional Ammunition Park (M.T.)
• No. 2 Field Ambulance (2 Sections at West Down North)
• Advanced Remount Depot (Canning's Farm).
• No. 1 Mobile Section, C.A.V.C.
• No. 2 Veterinary Section, C.A.V.C.
• Base Depot, C.A.V.C. Stores

WEST DOWN NORTH CAMP (Tents)

• "A" Battery R.C.H.A.
• "B" Battery R.C.H.A.
• Headquarters, Divisional Artillery
• 1st Field Artillery Brigade and Ammunition Column.
• 2nd Field Artillery Brigade and Ammunition Column
• 3rd Field Artillery Brigade and Ammunition Column
• 1st Heavy Battery and Ammunition Column
• Divisional Ammunition Column
• Headquarters Company, Divisional Train
• 1st Railway Supply Detachment.
• No. 2 General Hospital
• 2 Sections, No. 2 Field Ambulance

LARK HILL CAMP NORTH (Huts)

• Headquarters, 3rd Infantry Brigade (No. 10 Camp)
• 6th Infantry Battalion (No. 13 Camp)
• 13th Infantry Battalion (No. 10 Camp)
• 15th Infantry Battalion (No. 12 Camp)
• 14th Infantry Battalion (No. 11 Camp)

LARK HILL CAMP SOUTH (Huts)

• Headquarters, Divisional Engineers (No. 1 Camp)
• 1st Field Company, Divisional Engineers (No. 1 Camp)
• 2nd Field Company, Divisional Engineers (No. 1 Camp)
• 3rd Field Company, Divisional Engineers (No. 1 Camp)
• Headquarters, 2nd Infantry Brigade (Nos. 6 and 7 Camps)
• 5th Infantry Battalion (No. 6 Camp)
• 7th Infantry Battalion (No. 7 Camp)
• 8th Infantry Battalion (No. 8 Camp)
• 16th Infantry Battalion (No. 2 Camp)
• Headquarters, Divisional Train (No. 9 Camp)
• No. 3 Company, Divisional Train (No. 1 Camp)
• No. 4 Company, Divisional Train (No. 9 Camp)
• No. 2 Depot Unit of Supply (No. 1 Camp)
• No. 4 Depot Unit of Supply (No. 1 Camp)

ROLLESTONE

• Lieut.-Colonel Shannon, with 810 carpenters

SLING PLANTATION CAMP (Huts)

• Headquarters, 4th Infantry Brigade (Nos. 3 and 5 Camps)
• 9th Infantry Battalion (Nos. 1 and 2 Camps).
• 10th Infantry Battalion (Nos. 2 and 3 Camps).
• 11th Infantry Battalion (Nos. 3 and 5 Camps).
• 12th Infantry Battalion (No. 7 Camp)
• 17th Infantry Battalion (Nos. 2 and 3 Camps). Reserve Park (No. 3 Camp)
• No. 3 Depot Unit of Supply (No. 5 Camp)
• No. 3 Field Ambulance (No. 5 Camp)

POND FARM CAMP (Tents)

• Royal Canadian Dragoons
• Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians)

BULFORD MANOR

• No. 1 General Hospital

SALISBURY 

• Ordnance Depot
• Base Pay Depot

NETHERAVON

• No. 2 Mobile Section, C.A.V.C.
• No. 1 Veterinary Section, C.A.V.C.
• Divisional Ammunition Park

ENFORD

• Divisional Signal Company

SHREWTON

• Divisional Supply Column

AMESBURY

• Advanced Depot, Medical Stores

LONDON

• Chief Paymaster. Officer i/c Records. D.A.A.G. at Base

CLIVEDEN (TAPLOW) BUCKS

• Clearing Hospital

HAMPSTEAD (LONDON)

• No. 1 Stationary HospitaL

Sources and further readings

Salisbury Plain - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

DHH - Official Histories, Official History of The Canadian Forces in the Great War, 1914-1919, Vol I Part 1

DHH - Official Histories, Official History of the Canadian Forces in the Great War, 1914-1919, Vol I Part 2