Great War Camps of Cannock Chase

With the centenary of the Great War and recent archaeological excavations, there has been increasing local interest in the extensive training camps that existed on bleak Cannock Chase between 1915 and 1919. This expanded and enlarged edition of the Archive Service’s popular booklet on the subject draws on documentary and archaeological evidence to look at the construction and use of these camps, as well as the men who lived and trained in them.

The booklet is fully illustrated throughout in colour with original documents, period images, maps, reconstructions and photographs of the sites today. Included are features on the New Zealand Rifle Brigade and German prisoners of war who occupied huts at Brocton Camp, as well as the recently excavated Messines terrain model. Additionally, there is a look at the camp railway, the sites today, life for those stationed on Cannock Chase and a glimpse into Army cookery of the period!

Its handy A5 size means that the 40-page booklet is an ideal companion for anybody planning to visit the old camp sites on Cannock Chase today, and it makes an affordable and ideal gift for those with an interest in local or military history.

The booklet can be purchased from Staffordshire & Stoke on Trent Archive Service for £5.49 (including p&p). Details of how to order can be found by visiting the publications page on our website www.staffordshire.gov.uk/leisure/archives/services/publications (see under ‘Mini Publications’ for the booklet). Alternatively, copies can be purchased in person from the Reading Rooms at Staffordshire Record Office (Eastgate Street, Stafford) and Lichfield Record Office (The Friary, Lichfield) for just £3.99.