The camp was built in 1938/39 with some of the last spiders completed by the Royal Canadian Engineers in 1940. It housed various Canadian units throughout the war, but was mainly the training camp of the Canadian Signal Corps and some Canadian Sappers. The YMCA was added to the camp in 1941 while the monument at Southwood, commemorating the Canadian Signal Corps' occupation, was presented to the Royal Signals a few years ago. in March 1948 the Royal Engineers first took up residence when 9 Training Regiment moved from Portland, sharing the accommodation with 'A' Squadron of 3 Training Regiment.
Various occupants have come and gone but the accommodation at Southwood remained the same, although it has had the odd face-lift and a new NAAFI each time the old one burnt down.
Moving along in time, Southwood Camp entered the '60s occupied by 1 Training Regiment, then the only training regiment in the Corps, and an all-out effort was made on recruiting. There were new uniforms, new weapons, better living conditions and improved pay (£4 15s 0d per week whilst undergoing training!) This resulted in a recruiting boom for the Corps and Southwood was bursting at the seams, with a peak of 2500 undergoing combat engineer and driver training in 1962. Sappers of this era built a clubhouse, boat houses and a concrete hard at Hawley Lake and also erected the Bailey Panel archway (since removed or collapsed) at the camp entrance. Many Sappers of this vintage will also remember the Fijian Festival of 1962 put on by Fijian recruits.
What a story the old barrack rooms could tell. When they rip up the lino will the demolition gangs hear the ghostly echo of the 'dry scrubbers' scratching away, or the clank-clank of the bumpers swinging backwards and forwards through the layers of polish and zebo? And what of the deserted drill squares which once rang with the stamping of 'boots ammunition c/w 13 studs' and the clatter of highly polished Lee Enfield butt plates. Who could ever forget the roaring voices of the drill staff reverberating off the cookhouse walls? Voices such as Joe Blackett's, Paddy Haslet's and Phil Church's. Drill staff come and go but training continues in splendid new surroundings at Minley. Southwood may have gone but it is not forgotten!
