Waterloo Lines
{{Use British English|date=October 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox military installation
| name = Waterloo Lines
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| partof = Warminster Garrison
| location = Warminster, Wiltshire
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| country = England
| image = File:Imber Road at the perimeter of the MOD Warminster Training Centre - geograph.org.uk - 6847816.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Exterior of Waterloo Lines from Imber Road
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| coordinates = {{Coord|51.212|N|2.160|W|region:GB-WIL_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
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| type = Army barracks
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| pushpin_map = Wiltshire
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| pushpin_map_caption = Location within Wiltshire
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| site_area = {{convert|95|ha|acres}}
| ownership = Ministry of Defence
| operator = {{army|United Kingdom}}
| controlledby = Field Army
| condition = Operational
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| built = {{Start date|1945}}
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| used = 1945 – present
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Waterloo Lines is a British Army barracks on Imber Road in Warminster, Wiltshire, England. It is currently home to a number of Army specialist training schools and a sizeable portion of the Headquarters Field Army (not to be confused with Army HQ in Andover).
History
Waterloo Lines has its origins in the Battle School established near Barnard Castle in County Durham in 1941: it moved to Warminster in 1945{{cite web|url=http://www.methodpublishing.co.uk/publications/scogs/warminster/pages/download/lores.pdf |title=Round and about |page=74 |publisher=Warminster Service Community Official Guide |access-date=22 November 2014 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111109105006/http://www.methodpublishing.co.uk/publications/scogs/warminster/pages/download/lores.pdf |archive-date= 9 November 2011 }} and was known as the School of Infantry until it was renamed the Land Warfare Centre in 1988.{{cite web|url=http://preservedtanks.com/Locations.aspx?LocationCategoryId=3050|title=Land Warfare Centre|publisher=Preserved tanks|access-date=22 November 2014}} The site, on the northern outskirts of the town, lies under the edge of Salisbury Plain and has access to the military training areas on the Plain. In 2009, the extent of the Warminster Training Centre site was {{Convert|95|ha||abbr=}}.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=3 July 2009|title=Defence Estate Development Plan 2009: Estate Baseline|url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/33240/DEDP09_annex_a.pdf|url-status=|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=10 October 2020|website=GOV.UK|publisher=Ministry of Defence|page=A-41}}
Land Warfare Centre
{{main|Land Warfare Centre (United Kingdom)}}
File:Reconnaissance and Armored Tactics Division - Final Exercise MOD 45161889.jpg
The history of Warminster's military garrison can be traced back to Roman Britain, when a small camp was on the site of the current Battlesbury Barracks. However, under the Options for Change programme following the Dissolution of the Soviet Union and subsequent end of the Cold War, Headquarters, Combined Arms Training Centre in Warminster was dual-headed as Headquarters, Warminster Garrison and Warminster Training Centre on 1 April 1993. This itself was formed from a merger of the defunct Headquarters School of Infantry and the Barracks, Warminster (today known as Battlesbury Barracks). All three of these elements merged into the Warminster Training Centre (WTC).{{Cite web|date=1 September 2008|title=Warminster Garrison: Leisure Time|url=http://www.army.mod.uk/linkedfiles/soldierwelfare/supportagencies/aws/communityguides/sw_sa_aws_cg_warminster_w/warminster_section_4_08.pdf|access-date=16 April 2021|website=British Army|archive-date=9 January 2008|archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20080109233241/http://www.army.mod.uk/linkedfiles/soldierwelfare/supportagencies/aws/communityguides/sw_sa_aws_cg_warminster_w/warminster_section_4_08.pdf|url-status=bot: unknown}}
On 4 May 1995, as part of the second phase of Options for Change, the Infantry Support Weapons Wing at Netheravon closed and its components moved to WTC as part of the Infantry Training Centre.
On 1 April 2000, the newly appointed Director General, Training Support Command (Land) (now Director Land Warfare) set up his headquarters within WTC, thereby bringing back to Warminster a two-star Major General, a rank previously held by Director of Infantry. Subsequently, its subordinated HQ Army Training Estate also moved adjacent to it.
The Combined Arms Training Centre was renamed to Land Warfare Training Centre in June 2000, which was further refined in 2002 to become Land Warfare Centre (LWC) with HQ Training Support Command (Land) becoming HQ LWC.
Current units
The units currently stationed at the camp include:
=Ministry of Defence=
=British Army=
- Headquarters, Land Warfare Centre{{cite web|url=https://files.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/admin/fairs/apptrack/download.cgi?SID=b3duZXI9NTA3MDAwMCZvd25lcnR5cGU9ZmFpciZkb2NfdHlwZT12YWMmZG9jX2lkPTg2MTYwMyZ2ZXJpZnk9YTE0OTViMTY4NTZkMjc1YjFkN2JhMGU4MTJiNGYwNWI=|title=Head of Programmes for the Land Warfare Centre - Gov.uk|page=3|access-date=26 February 2021|archive-date=15 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210415142037/https://files.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/admin/fairs/apptrack/download.cgi?SID=b3duZXI9NTA3MDAwMCZvd25lcnR5cGU9ZmFpciZkb2NfdHlwZT12YWMmZG9jX2lkPTg2MTYwMyZ2ZXJpZnk9YTE0OTViMTY4NTZkMjc1YjFkN2JhMGU4MTJiNGYwNWI=|url-status=dead}}
- Headquarters, Infantry{{cite web|url=https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/10621/1/Thesis_A_Moment_in_Time_31st_July_2008.pdf|title=The British Army at a moment in time: 1 July 2007|page=150| first=Gordon Angus |last=Mackinlay|date=31 July 2008|access-date=4 April 2023}}
- Regimental Headquarters, Small Arms School Corps{{cite web|url=https://bootcampmilitaryfitnessinstitute.com/military-training/armed-forces-of-the-united-kingdom/british-army-phase-2-specialist-phase-3-career-training/small-arms-school-corps-phase-2-3-training/|title=Small Arms School Corps Phase 2 & 3 Training|date=26 March 2014 |access-date=26 February 2021}}
- Specialist Weapons School{{cite web|url=https://www.army.mod.uk/who-we-are/our-schools-and-colleges/specialist-weapons-school/|title=Specialist Weapons School|access-date=26 February 2021}}
- Gurkha Company (Tavoleto) – OPFOR role{{cite web |url=https://www.gurkhabde.com/gurkha-company-tavoleto-warminster-parade/ |title=Gurkha Company (Tavoleto) Warminster Parade |author= |date=31 August 2018 |website=Gurkha Brigade Association |publisher= |access-date=30 April 2020 |quote=}}
- Junior Staff Centre (part of Sandhurst Group){{cite web|url=https://www.army.mod.uk/who-we-are/our-schools-and-colleges/rma-sandhurst/|title=RMA Sandhurst|access-date=26 February 2021}}
- Combined Arms Tactical Trainer{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=15 May 2018|title=Lockheed Martin Receives Two-Year Combined Arms Tactical Trainer Interim Support Contract|url=https://lockheedmartinuk.mediaroom.com/2018-05-15-Lockheed-Martin-Receives-Two-Year-Combined-Arms-Tactical-Trainer|url-status=|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-10-13|website=Lockheed Martin}}
- Infantry Trials and Development Unit{{cite news|url=https://www.forces.net/news/equipment-changes-make-infantry-soldiers-more-mobile|title=Equipment Changes Aim To Make Infantry Soldiers More Mobile|publisher=Forces News|date=2 November 2018|access-date=26 February 2021}}
- Reconnaissance and Armoured Tactics Division (part of The Armour Centre at Bovington Camp){{cite web|url=https://issuu.com/rhgd.regsec/docs/hcavjournal_2014/25|title=Household Cavalry Journal 2014 by RHG/D Reg Sec|date=30 January 2017 |page=25|access-date=26 February 2021}}
The Combined Arms Manoeuvre School (CAMS) is based in Waterloo Lines. It is responsible for delivering technical, tactical and command training to tri-service and international specialist weapons commanders, Armoured Fighting Vehicle Crew Commanders, and mounted and dismounted reconnaissance commanders. It was formed in 2022, upon the merger of the Land Warfare Centre's Specialist Weapons School (SWS) and the Reconnaissance and Armoured Tactics Division (RATD). Both SWS and RATD had occupied Waterloo Lines since 1995. CAMS is part of the Combat Manoeuvre Centre, itself part of the Land Warfare Centre.{{cite web|url=https://www.army.mod.uk/learn-and-explore/about-the-army/formations-divisions-brigades/field-army-troops/land-warfare-centre/combat-manoeuvre-centre/|title=Combined Arms Manoeuvre School|publisher=Ministry of Defence|access-date=16 November 2024}}
See also
Other barracks within the Warminster area include: