Staff College, Camberley,
Surrey
Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...
, was a
staff college for the
British Army
The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
and the
presidency armies
The presidency armies were the armies of the three Presidencies of British India, presidencies of the East India Company's Company rule in India, rule in India, later the forces of the the Crown, British Crown in British Raj, India, composed pr ...
of
British India
The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance in South Asia. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one form or another ...
(later merged to form the
Indian Army
The Indian Army (IA) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the Land warfare, land-based branch and largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Commander-in-Chief, Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head ...
). It had its origins in the
Royal Military College, High Wycombe, founded in 1799, which in 1802 became the Senior Department of the new
Royal Military College. In 1858 the name of the Senior Department was changed to "Staff College", and in 1870 this was separated from the Royal Military College. Apart from periods of closure during major wars, the Staff College continued to operate until 1997, when it was merged into the new
Joint Services Command and Staff College. The equivalent in the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
was the
Royal Naval Staff College, Greenwich, and the equivalent in the
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
was the
RAF Staff College, Bracknell.
Origins

In 1799, Colonel
John Le Marchant submitted a proposal to the
Duke of York
Duke of York is a title of nobility in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. Since the 15th century, it has, when granted, usually been given to the second son of List of English monarchs, English (later List of British monarchs, British) monarchs ...
, the
Commander-in-Chief of the Forces
Commander-in-Chief of the Forces, later Commander-in-Chief, British Army, or just Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C), was (intermittently) the title of the professional head of the English Army from 1660 to 1707 (the English Army, founded in 1645, wa ...
, for a Royal Military College. A private officer training school, based on the idea of a senior or staff department in the proposed college, was opened in the same year by Colonel Le Marchant, at the Antelope Inn,
High Wycombe
High Wycombe, often referred to as Wycombe ( ), is a market town in Buckinghamshire, England. Lying in the valley of the River Wye, Buckinghamshire, River Wye surrounded by the Chiltern Hills, it is west-northwest of Charing Cross in London, ...
, and designated the
Royal Military College, High Wycombe, with himself as
commandant
Commandant ( or ; ) is a title often given to the officer in charge of a military (or other uniformed service) training establishment or academy. This usage is common in English-speaking nations. In some countries it may be a military or police ...
. This facility was officially recognised by
royal warrant in 1801 as the senior department of the
Royal Military College which was to open at a
large house in 1802 in
Great Marlow
Great Marlow is a civil parishes in England, civil parish within Wycombe district in the England, English county of Buckinghamshire, lying north of the town of Marlow, Buckinghamshire, Marlow and south of High Wycombe. The parish includes the ...
. Le Marchant was now appointed as
Lieutenant-Governor
A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a " second-in-com ...
and Superintendent-General of the College.
The course lasted for two years and in 1808 was specifically stated as intended to train future commanding officers and staff officers. Until 1858, students were required to pay to attend. The senior department of the Royal Military College moved to a building in West Street in
Farnham
Farnham is a market town and civil parish in Surrey, England, around southwest of London. It is in the Borough of Waverley, close to the county border with Hampshire. The town is on the north branch of the River Wey, a tributary of the ...
,
Surrey
Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...
, in 1813 and in 1820 joined the junior department (which trained aspiring officers before they were commissioned) at
Sandhurst.
Decline, independence and growth
The college underwent a decline and by 1857 the annual admissions had fallen to just six.
In 1858 the name was changed to "the Staff College" and it was made independent of the Royal Military College in 1870.
It now had its own
commandant
Commandant ( or ; ) is a title often given to the officer in charge of a military (or other uniformed service) training establishment or academy. This usage is common in English-speaking nations. In some countries it may be a military or police ...
and
adjutant
Adjutant is a military appointment given to an Officer (armed forces), officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of “human resources” in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed ...
, although continued to be administered by Sandhurst until 1911. Proper entry and final examinations had been introduced for the primarily military subjects taught. Purpose-built premises were approved in 1858 and built between 1859 and 1863 to a design by
James Pennethorne
Sir James Pennethorne (4 June 1801 – 1 September 1871) was a British architect and planner, particularly associated with buildings and parks in central London.
Life
Early years
Pennethorne was born in Worcester, and travelled to London i ...
, adjacent to the Royal Military College (but over the county boundary in
Camberley
Camberley is a town in north-west Surrey, England, around south-west of central London. It is in the Surrey Heath, Borough of Surrey Heath and is close to the county boundaries with Hampshire and Berkshire. Known originally as "Cambridge Tow ...
). During the 1870s there were just forty students although numbers increased to sixty students in the 1880s.
In 1903 officers of the colonial forces were allowed to join the college, and in 1905 naval officers were introduced.
With the threat of a second war with Germany, the college was expanded and restructured in 1938, with a junior wing at
Camberley
Camberley is a town in north-west Surrey, England, around south-west of central London. It is in the Surrey Heath, Borough of Surrey Heath and is close to the county boundaries with Hampshire and Berkshire. Known originally as "Cambridge Tow ...
for officers of an average age of 29 years, and a senior wing at
Minley Manor,
Farnborough, for graduates of the school returned for further training, and aged about 35 years.
In 1994 it was announced that a new
Joint Services Command and Staff College would replace the Staff College, the
Royal Naval Staff College,
RAF Staff College, and
Joint Service Defence College
The Joint Service Defence College (JSDC) was a training academy for British military personnel from 1983 to 1997. It has since been amalgamated into the Joint Services Command and Staff College.
History
The college was established as the Combine ...
in 1997.
The building is now known as Robertson House, and houses the Gurkha Brigade Association and the Army Medical Services.
Current use
The buildings were retained by the Ministry of Defence, and are used by a number of occupants, including the following:
*The Centre for Army Leadership (CAL)
*Headquarters,
Brigade of Gurkhas
*Headquarters,
Army Medical Services
The Army Medical Services (AMS) is the organisation responsible for administering the corps that deliver medical, veterinary, dental and nursing services in the British Army. It is headquartered at the former Staff College, Camberley, near the ...
**Regimental Headquarters,
Royal Army Medical Service
**Regimental Headquarters,
Royal Army Veterinary Corps
Commandants
Commandant, Staff College, Sandhurst
*1858–1861: Colonel
Patrick Leonard McDougall
*1861–1864: Colonel
William Craig Emilius Napier
*1865–1870: Colonel
Thomas Edgar Lacy
Commandants since the College gained its independence in 1870 have been:
*1870–1878 Major-General
Edward Bruce Hamley
*Feb–May 1878 Major-General
Sir Archibald Alison
*1878–1885 Major-General
Charles Creagh-Osborne
*1885–1888 Major-General
Edward Clive
Commandant, Staff College, Camberley
*1888–1893 Colonel
Francis Clery
*1893–1898 Colonel
Henry Hildyard[Whitaker's Almanack 1894]
*1898–1903 Colonel
Herbert Miles
*1903–1906 Colonel
Sir Henry Rawlinson
*1907–1910 Brigadier-General
Henry Wilson
*1910–1913 Major-General
Sir William Robertson
*1913–1914 Brigadier-General
Launcelot Kiggell
:''Note the college was closed during the War''
*1919–1922 Major-General
Hastings Anderson
*1922–1926 Major-General
Sir Edmund Ironside
*1926–1931 Major-General
Charles Gwynn
*1931–1934 Major-General
John Dill
*1934–1936 Major-General
Clement Armitage
*1936–1937 Major-General
Viscount Gort
*1937–1938 Major-General
Sir Ronald Adam
*1938–1939 Major-General
Bernard Paget
*1939–1941 Major-General
Robert Collins
*1941–1942 Major-General
Montagu Stopford
*1942–1943 Major-General
Sir Alan Cunningham
*1943–1944 Major-General
Douglas Wimberley
*1944–1946 Major-General
Philip Gregson-Ellis
*1946–1948 Major-General
Richard Hull
*1948–1951 Major-General
Dudley Ward
*1951–1954 Major-General
Gerald Lathbury
*1954–1956 Major-General
Charles Jones
*1957–1958 Major-General
Nigel Poett
*1958–1961 Major-General
Reginald Hewetson
*1961–1963 Major-General
Charles Harington
*1963–1966 Major-General
John Worsley
*1966–1967 Major-General
Mervyn Butler
*1967–1970 Major-General
John Sharp
*1970–1972 Major-General
Allan Taylor
*1972–1974 Major-General
Patrick Howard-Dobson
*1974–1975 Major-General
Hugh Beach
*1975–1978 Major-General
John Stanier
*1978–1980 Major-General
Frank Kitson
*1980–1982 Major-General
David Alexander-Sinclair
*1982–1984 Major-General
John Akehurst
*1984–1986 Major-General
Patrick Palmer
*1986–1988 Major-General
John Waters
John Samuel Waters Jr. (born April 22, 1946) is an American filmmaker, actor, writer, and artist. He rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films, including '' Multiple Maniacs'' (1970), '' Pink Flamingos'' (1972) and '' Fe ...
*1988–1989 Major-General
John Learmont
*Mar–Dec 1989 Major-General
Jeremy Mackenzie
*1989–1991 Major-General
William Rous
*1991–1993 Major-General
Michael Rose
*1993–1994 Major-General
Christopher Wallace
*1994–1996 Major-General
Anthony Pigott
See also
*
psc (military)
References
{{Coord, 51.3408, N, 0.7485, W, source:wikidata, display=title
Training establishments of the British Army