Wimbledon's Own

Amongst those training at the army camp on Wimbledon Common, were members of the 190^th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. This was the last Pals battalion to be formed during the First World War. Such units consisted of friends, workmates or people from the same town, who joined up together on the understanding that they would also serve together. Sadly this often meant that they also died together on the battlefields of Ypres, Passchendaele and the Somme.

In addition to training on Wimbledon Common, the 190th Brigade made use of the Wimbledon Corporation Depot on Queen's Road. By late 1915 this building was used as an equipment depot, housing guns, horses, ammunition wagons and providing space for preliminary training.

This picture, from the Merton Heritage collection, shows the Telegraphists section of the regiment, which was attached to the Royal Field Artillery and initially based at Wimbledon army camp.