Mitcham Road Barracks is an Army Reserve centre in Croydon, London, with a history dating back to 1794.
The barracks were designed as a depot for recruits of the Grenadier Guards, the Coldstream Guards and the Scots Guards regiments and were completed, as part of the British response to the French Revolution, in 1794.[1] The barracks became the headquarters of the 2nd Surrey Rifle Volunteers in 1859.[2] The 2nd Surrey Rifle Volunteers evolved to become the 4th Battalion, Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) in 1908.[1] The battalion was mobilised at the drill hall in August 1914 before being deployed to India.[3] After benefitting from a major modernisation of the barracks in the 1930s, the battalion became a searchlight regiment in 1938 and a light anti-aircraft regiment in 1942.[4]
The battalion was reconstituted as 598th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery in 1947 and evolved to become a battery within 565th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment Royal Artillery in 1955, while still based at the Mitcham Road Barracks.[4] The unit reverted to its county infantry regiment status title as part of the 3rd Battalion, The Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment in 1961.[4] The battalion was reduced to company size as D Company, 6th (Territorial) Battalion, The Queen's Regiment (Queen's Surreys), still based at the Mitcham Road Barracks, in 1967.[5] However the company was disbanded following a reorganisation in 1971.[5]
Meanwhile, C (Kent and County of London) Squadron, the Royal Yeomanry had also been formed at the Mitcham Road Barracks in 1967;[6] it evolved to become C (Kent and Sharpshooters Yeomanry) Company, the Royal Yeomanry in 1999.[6]
The barracks still remains an active Army Reserve Centre.[7][8] It currently accommodates:[9]
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