Sutton Mandeville

Remarks

At the outbreak of WWI there became an urgent need to increase Military Training & Transit camps. Towards the end of 1914, John Combes, of East Farm at Fovant, was informed that part of his land was to be requisitioned for one such camp. Subsequently, land to the east and west of his farm was also commandeered and an area stretching from Compton Chamberlayne to Sutton Mandeville became one vast Military Camp. A single track railway connected the camps to the main line. It is believed that Sutton Mandeville had 3 Camps during WWI.

The Australian 3rd Division's training units were based here from 1917. Prior to that, the 37th Battalion was one of a number of third Division units that undertook training in this are prior to deploying to France.