Guards Division   

A World War One Living History Organization

"Little Sparta": The Guards Depot at Caterham

    For nearly a century the men who joined any of the five Guards Regiments were sent to the town of Caterham, just south of London in Surry.  To the western part of the town up a hill stood the Guards Depot.  "Little Sparta" as it was known, operated from the 1860's through the 1960's.  There they trained to become professional soldiers.  They learned drill, regimental history and traditions, and above all how to apply the three "B's": Bully, Blanco and Brasso.  Many recruits passed through the brick buildings of the Guards Depot.   During both World Wars the Depot expanded to accommodate the influx of recruits by filling the surrounding grounds with tents and tin Nissen huts in an area known as "Tin Town". 

"Tin Town"

    In the 1960's, the Guards Depot closed.  Today many of the brick buildings and barracks still stand, but have since been converted to private homes.  Below are a mix of photos of the Guards Depot during World War One and the buildings as they exist today.

The Guards Chapel

The Parade Ground

Victoria Block

  ```  

Barracks and Receiving Room

All photos, unless otherwise mentioned, are the property of James Higginbottom and may not be reproduced without permission.