Recently, members of Redline Home Guard were privileged to visit Brock Barracks, the historic home of The Berkshire Regiment. For a group focused on local defence and wartime history, it was a genuinely special and memorable day.
We were shown around the remaining parts of the barracks, including a hall still decorated with caricatures drawn by American GIs during the Second World War. These informal sketches, humorous and personal in nature, offer a rare glimpse into the everyday lives of US troops stationed in Britain and serve as a powerful reminder of Brock Barracks’ role within the wider Allied war effort.
We were joined on the day by a couple of friends from the Military Vehicle Trust, who brought along an Austin ‘Tilly’ and a Flying Flea motorbike. With period vehicles positioned against the surviving barrack buildings, we could not resist taking the opportunity to stage a series of photographs around the site. These moments allowed us to briefly recreate what Brock Barracks may have looked and felt like during the war years, with soldiers, vehicles, and activity bringing the space back to life.
The visit also allowed us time on the drill square, where we practised drill movements and had the honour of working with the regimental colours. Carrying out drill in such an authentic setting, where generations of Berkshire soldiers once trained, brought an added sense of responsibility and connection to the regiment’s traditions.
We were then deeply honoured to conduct a short remembrance drill at the memorial within the barracks grounds. The memorial was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, the architect responsible for The Cenotaph in London. Its design closely reflects the same clean lines and simple, understated style seen in the national memorial. Standing before a memorial so clearly linked in form to the nation’s main place of remembrance added real weight to the short drill we carried out. It was a genuine honour to pay our respects there.
Our trip to the Brock Barracks concluded in fitting fashion with tea and cake, served in the room that forms part of the Regimental Museum. The museum artefacts helped tie together the buildings, traditions, and personal stories we had encountered throughout the day.
Our sincere thanks go to everyone who welcomed us to the barracks and shared their knowledge, along with our friends of the MVT. Visits like this deepen our understanding of how the Home Guard fitted into the wider military landscape and will undoubtedly inform our future living history work as we continue to interpret Berkshire’s wartime story through Redline.
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