266 (GVA) O.P. Bty R.A. (V)
1975, Fremington Camp, Devon.

In 1971, 266 (Gloucestershire Volunteer Artillery) Observation Post Battery was formed as an independent Observation Post unit as a reinforcement unit for the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) supplying observation post teams. The battery had a four gun troop of 25pdr field guns. In time of war the battery would provide 18 Observation Post Parties to regular army units

266 (GVA) O.P. Bty R.A. (V), Fremington Camp, 1975

In the above photo: Left to Right: B.K., Captain N. Webber R.A. (V); WO11 (BSM) G. Dewland; & B.C, Major C. S. Harvey R.A. (V)
Front Row: Andy Stevens, Gnr Dewland, Chris Grimes, Alan Holden, Jeff Rogerson, John Garland & Peter Paling.

266 (GVA) O.P. Bty R.A. (V), Fremington Camp, 1975

In the above photo: B.K., Captain N. Webber; and B.C., Major C. S. Harvey
Middle Rank, right to left: J. Morris, D. Pring, Peter Palling, 5th. Weeks, 6th Bdr Brooks, 7th Haman-Hayburn, Cherry
Rear of J. Morris's shoulder is Dave Ducamp, and the long dark side burns belong to Roy Lockyer.

Both the above photos very kindly supplied by J. Morris.

WO11 (BSM) Dewland only spent the first week of camp with the battery due to civilian work commitments). His place being taken for the rest of camp by the BQMS Brian Durance.

The officers accommodation was near the front gate in a old Georgian Manor House, which from the road seemed a fantastic place, but the officers told us of damp walls and draughts, from the ill fitting windows. We seemed to be better off in the main camp accommodation.

266 (GVA) O.P. Bty R.A. (V), Fremington Camp, 1975

In the above photo: Left to Right: Back row: 1. Bremner. 2. Peter Paling. 3. W. Satchel. 4. A. Holden. 5. I. Hyman-Heyburn. 10. Cherry. 11. J. Morris. 12. Vic Haynes. 13 Jeff Rogerson. 16 K. Eagle. 18 A. Stevens. 20. D. Driscoll. 22. 23. 24. 24.

3rd row: 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. D. Dyer. 3. C. Grimes. 32. 33. Roy Lockyer 34. 35. R.Tyler? 36. 37. 38 J. Garland

2nd row: 39. Miss E. Denham. 40 R. DuCamp. 41. P. Corrick. 41. F. Flook. 43. D. Butler. 44. M. Hambly. 45. D. Righton. 46. P. Sherry. 47. J. Muse. 48. D. Griffiths. 49. N. Eleanor. 50. O/cdt Morris? 51. C. Edgar. 52 A. Brighton. 53 K. Eagle. 54. 55. G. Watkins BUOTC, 56. G. Roper. 57. F. Hawkins

Front row: 58. K. Etison. 59. H. Walton. 60. D. Seal. 6. D. Raeburn. 62. B. Catt. 62. G. Ellis. 63. R. Bryant. 64. N. Webber. 65. C. Harvey 66. G. Dewland. 67. R. Arney. 68. N. Campbell. 69. I Johns. 70. J. Smith. 71 B. Durance. 72. N. Halsaw.

Regular P. S. I.'s (Permanent Staff Instructors): No's 58, 59, 63, 67, Training Officer, 71. BQMS, 72. Signals.

The above photo supplied by J. Morris

Nominal Toll

This list for 1975 was very kindly supplied to Derek Driscoll by Adrian Rose. The Battery was made up of 12 Observation Post Parties and a ½ Gun Bty (3) of 25 pounders

Bty HQ Staff

B.C. - Major D.C. Raeburn R.A. (V)
B.K. - Captain J. Smith. R.A. (V)
B.S.M. - WO11 B. Deurance
Sgt Dewland
Bty Guide - Sgt Corrick
ACC 1 - Sgt M. Hawker
ACC 2 - L Cpl P. W. Paling
ACC 3 - L Cpl C. A. Paling
Gnr Powell
Bty Clerk
Bty Pay Clerk
REME 1
REME 2

Permanent Staff

Training Officer - Capt G. R. Davies, R.H.A.
Administration Officer - Maj. J. D. F. Gannon, MBE, R.A. (V)
BQMS - S/Sgt R. Cain - ex 5th Regt R.A.
Signals - Sgt N. Halsall. N. - ex 5th Regt R.A.
Command Post - Sgt D. Wrighton

A Troop

Troop Commander: Capt. N. J. R. Eleanor - Troop Sergeant: Sgt. J. Garland

OP - Capt Eleanor, Gnrs Fudge, Hill, Hole, Turner
OP - Lt. D. Righton, Sgt D. Driscoll, Gnrs Pooley, DeScossa, Temple
OP - Lt. B. Catt, Sgt J. Garland, Bdr Heyman-Heybyrne, L/Bdr Lockyer, Gnr Hose A Sub - L/Bdr D. DuKamp, Gnrs Ball, Bunting, Ealdon, Griffiths, Hazell, Wandless

B Troop

Troop Commander: Captain J. M. Muse T.D. - Troop Sergeant: Sgt Brighton

OP - Capt. J. M. Muse T.D., Sgt A. Brighton, Gnrs Latysczkiewicz, Preater
OP - Capt. J. Shergold, Sgt V. Hayne, Gnrs Gilhespy, Lock
OP - Lt. C. Edgar, Gnrs Astbury, Beeton, ridges
B Sub - Bdr J. Rogerson, Gnrs Dawson, Foxon, A. R. Mockridge, Moore, Palmer

C Troop

Troop Commander: Capt M. Seal - Troop Sgt : Bdr Webber

OP - Capt Seal, L/Bdr A. Webber, Gnrs Deady, O'Donoghue, Lovell
OP - Lt. D. Griffiths, Bdr S. D. Webber, L/Bdr Dyer, Gnrs Crawley, Witchell
OP - O/Cdt R. Tyler, Gnrs S. J. Clarke, Erwood, Green
C Sub - L/Bdr T. R. Mockridge, Gnrs Bawden, Cherry, Guy, Spokes

D Troop

Troop Commander: Capt C. P. R. Hill - Troop Sergeant: Sgt D. Butler

OP - Capt. C. P. R. Hill, Sgt Butler, Gnrs Horton, Reed, Reeve
OP - Lt. Chambers, L/Bdr Lee, Gnr M. A. Clark, Toogood
Op - Lt. Orton, L/Bdr Holden, Gnrs Askham, Harris, Latham
Command Post - Sgt Hambly, Bdrs Grimes, Satchell, Gnrs Browning, Martine, Rose

Unallocated

Gnrs Baggs, Blake, Brace, D. Brooks, S. J. G. Brooks, Chard, Davies, Fiedor, Gyde, Hemmings, Holihead, Jacobs, Paul, Price, Pring, Pringle, Ryan, Zaffiro

Fremington Camp

Fremington Army Camp was a military camp in the village of Fremington, Devon, England. Opened in 1943 it was used as a base to train the United States Army Air Corps. It was originally located there to be within easy marching distance from the railway station at the Quay. The site was used by the US Army's 313th Station Hospital for post-D-Day rehabilitation, with room for 2,000 patients. It started receiving casualties on 20 July 1944.

It was then used by the Royal Marines and Royal Air Force presence at Royal Marines Base Chivenor, situated a mile (2 km) northwards on the opposite bank of the River Taw, and the Amphibious Trials and Training Unit of the Royal Marines at Arromanches Camp, Instow, 2 miles (4 km) to the west. In 2008, the Royal Chindits moved into the old camp site and rebuilt it, and it became the home of Chindits training and 2nd Reconnaissance Regiment.

In 2009 the camp was closed due to its severely outdated nature, and the opportunity to re-develop the land. In 2015, Barratt Developments and Bovis Homes started development of the site into what is now known as the Riverside Park and Water's Edge estates.

Sources and Resources

Derek Driscoll's original pages

266 [GVA] O.P. Bty R.A. [V] - 1975, Fremington Camp, North Devon
266 [GVA] Bty R.H.A. [V] 1975 Nominal Roll

Other References

Fremington Army Camp - (Military History Fandom)
Fremington Army Camp (Wikipedia)
Fremington Army Camp, nr. Barnstaple, Devon (Urban Explorer)
Map of buildings at the former Fremington training camp (Assets Publishing Service)