119-520: Chenies Street is a street in Bloomsbury , London, that runs between Tottenham Court Road and Gower Street . It is the location of a number of notable buildings such as Minerva House, the Drill Hall (now RADA Studios ), and a memorial to The Rangers, 12th County of London Regiment. North Crescent starts and ends on the northern side of Chenies Street. Chenies Street runs between Tottenham Court Road in
238-812: A cafe and a restaurant. Since 1998, the British Library has been located in a purpose-built building just outside the northern edge of Bloomsbury, in Euston Road. Also in Bloomsbury is the Foundling Museum, close to Brunswick Square, which tells the story of the Foundling Hospital opened by Thomas Coram for unwanted children in Georgian London. The hospital, now demolished except for the Georgian colonnade ,
357-554: A few signals units in a category called TAVR III, designed for home defence, but, months later in January 1968, these were all earmarked to be disbanded, with 90 becoming eight-man "cadres". In November that year, the call-out arrangements for TAVR II units were brought in line with TAVR I. In 1971, the new government decided to expand the TAVR which led to the formation of twenty infantry battalions based on some of these cadres. In 1979, again,
476-528: A group of British intellectuals which included author Virginia Woolf , biographer Lytton Strachey , and economist John Maynard Keynes . Bloomsbury began to be developed in the 17th century under the Earls of Southampton , but it was primarily in the 19th century, under the Duke of Bedford , that the district was planned and built as an affluent Regency era residential area by famed developer James Burton . The district
595-748: A limited extent by law should they be compulsorily mobilised. There is, however, no legal protection against discrimination in employment for membership of the Army Reserve in the normal course of events (i.e. when not mobilised). Before the creation of the Territorial force, there were three "auxiliary forces"—the Militia, the Yeomanry, and the Volunteers. All militiamen over 19 could join the Militia Reserve, accepting
714-471: A major role in the Iraq and Afghanistan operations, bottoming at an estimated 14,000. From 2011 that trend was reversed and a new target of 30,000 trained manpower set with resourcing for training, equipment and the emphasis restored to roles for formed units and sub-units. During periods of total war , the Army Reserve is incorporated by the royal prerogative into Regular Service under one code of Military Law for
833-486: A manufacturer of bicycles, before branching out into early forms of motorbikes and then motor cars. Charles Rolls was a Minerva dealer in England. The design of the building includes three large bays on the ground floor flanked by two entrance ways each marked Minerva House. Above are three storeys of offices with a statue of Minerva on the top floor. The building and the rest of the crescent once looked out on to gardens until
952-524: A mixture of formed units and individuals. In Tony Blair's Strategic Defence Review of 1998, the TA's size was reduced to 41,200. In 2003, 9,500 reservists were mobilised to take part in Operation TELIC , the invasion of Iraq . Reservists were deployed in a mixture of formed bodies and as individuals. For example, a formed sub-unit from 131 Commando Squadron Royal Engineers opened up a beach landing point on
1071-413: A new Metropolitan Borough of Holborn . The traditional boundaries of St Giles and Bloomsbury were used for wards in the new borough, though these were subject to minor rationalisations to reflect the modern street pattern rather than the historic basis of the older streets and pre-urban field boundaries. The combined civil parish continued to operate, in parallel, for a considerable time after. In 1965
1190-586: A new government planned further expansion. In the Reserve Forces Act of 1982, the Territorial Army title was restored, and, in the following years, its size was again increased, together with new equipment and extra training, the target being 86,000 by 1990. Some brigades were re-formed which consisted mostly of TA units, including two out of three brigades for a new reserve division for the British Army of
1309-669: A number of service companies were raised from volunteer units, employed as integral companies of their sister regular battalions, and were well regarded in the field. The decision was taken in late December to form a new force, the Imperial Yeomanry, to consist of mounted infantry. Whilst the Yeomanry provided many of the officers and NCOs, only a small number of the junior ranks came from existing Yeomanry regiments, with some more from Volunteer corps. The units performed well, but recruiting proceeded in fits and starts—recruitment stopped in May, and
SECTION 10
#17328523478481428-539: A parachute brigade were to remain allocated for NATO and the defence of Western Europe; the other eight divisions were placed on a lower establishment for home defence only. The territorial units of the Royal Armoured Corps were also reduced in number to nine armoured regiments and eleven reconnaissance regiments. This was effected by the amalgamation of pairs of regiments, and the conversion of four RAC units to an infantry role. The new parachute brigade group become
1547-633: A result, some TA divisions had made little progress by the time the Second World War began; others, who had started from a stronger position, were able to complete this work within a matter of weeks. The TA's war deployment plan envisioned the divisions being deployed, as equipment became available, in waves to reinforce the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) that had already been dispatched to Europe. The TA would join regular army divisions when they had completed their training. In 1938, it
1666-640: A rise in the demolition of historic fabric, and the construction of tall and harmful development. Between 2015 and 2020 the local authority recommended approval for a total of five major developments judged to be harmful by the BCAAC, with the Greater London Authority approving one. The BCAAC were only successful in defeating one of those developments. As a result, Victorian buildings and even some of Bloomsbury's famous Georgian terraces have been demolished in recent years. This has led to sharp criticism of
1785-616: A sizable force of regular troops was based in the United Kingdom for service as an expeditionary force, over and above the troops already stationed overseas. However, once the decision was taken to send a corps-size field force to fight in the South African War, the system began to show a strain. By the end of January 1900, seven regular divisions, roughly half of their manpower from the Regular and Militia Reserves, had been dispatched leaving
1904-527: A vibrant area to visit, and a profitable place in which to do business". Several London railway stations serve Bloomsbury. There are three London Underground stations in Bloomsbury: King's Cross St. Pancras station offers step-free access to all lines, whilst Euston Square offers step-free access to the westbound platform. Other stations nearby include: Euston , Warren Street , Goodge Street , Tottenham Court Road , Holborn and Chancery Lane . There
2023-605: Is a district in the West End of London , part of the London Borough of Camden in England. It is considered a fashionable residential area, and is the location of numerous cultural , intellectual, and educational institutions . Bloomsbury is home of the British Museum , the largest museum in the United Kingdom, and several educational institutions, including University College London and a number of other colleges and institutes of
2142-781: Is a disused station in Bloomsbury on the Piccadilly line at the British Museum . There are also three National Rail stations to the north of Bloomsbury: Eurostar services to France , Brussels and the Netherlands begin in London at St Pancras. Several bus stops can be found in Bloomsbury. All buses passing through Bloomsbury call at bus stops on Russell Square , Gower Street or Tottenham Court Road . Several key London destinations can be reached from Bloomsbury directly, including: Camden Town , Greenwich , Hampstead Heath , Piccadilly Circus , Victoria , and Waterloo . Euston bus station
2261-700: Is also home to London Contemporary Dance School , Royal Academy of Dramatic Art , a branch of University of Law, Architectural Association School of Architecture , and the London campuses of several American colleges including Arcadia University , University of California , University of Delaware , Florida State University , Syracuse University , New York University , and Hult International Business School . The growing private tutoring sector in Bloomsbury includes various tutoring businesses such as Bloomsbury International (for English language), Bloomsbury Law Tutors (for law education), Skygate Tutors, and Topmark Tutors Centre. The British Museum , which first opened to
2380-626: Is home to the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (formerly the National Hospital for Nervous Diseases). Bloomsbury is also the location of University College Hospital , which re-opened in 2005 in new buildings on Euston Road, built under the government's private finance initiative (PFI). The Eastman Dental Hospital is located on Gray's Inn Road close to the Royal National Throat, Nose and Ear Hospital administered by
2499-535: Is home to the federal University of London's central administrative centre and library, Senate House, as well as many of its independent members institutions including Birkbeck College, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, School of Oriental and African Studies, School of Advanced Study, Royal Veterinary College, and University College London (which has now absorbed the formerly separate School of Eastern European and Slavonic Studies, School of Pharmacy, and Institute of Education academic institutions). Bloomsbury
SECTION 20
#17328523478482618-450: Is known for its numerous garden squares , including Bloomsbury Square , Russell Square and Bedford Square . Bloomsbury's built heritage is currently protected by the designation of a conservation area and a locally based conservation committee. Despite this, there is increasing concern about a trend towards larger and less sensitive development, and the associated demolition of Victorian and Georgian buildings. Bloomsbury (including
2737-568: Is on 15-20 Phoenix Place. Bloomsbury contains several notable churches: Bloomsbury contains some of London's finest parks and buildings, and is particularly known for its formal squares. These include: Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children and the Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine (formerly the Royal London Homoeopathic Hospital) are both located on Great Ormond Street, off Queen Square, which itself
2856-401: Is sometimes taken to be in the region of Southampton Row or further east on Grays Inn Road. The southern extent is taken to approximates to High Holborn or the thoroughfare formed by New Oxford Street , Bloomsbury Way and Theobalds Road. On the west side, the traditional and various informal definitions of the area are all based on the ancient Tottenham Court Road . The differences between
2975-687: Is the active-duty volunteer reserve force of the British Army . It is separate from the Regular Reserve whose members are ex-Regular personnel who retain a statutory liability for service. The Army Reserve was known as the Territorial Force from 1908 to 1921, the Territorial Army (TA) from 1921 to 1967, the Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve (TAVR) from 1967 to 1979, and again the Territorial Army (TA) from 1979 to 2014. The Army Reserve
3094-502: Is to the north of Bloomsbury. One of the 13 surviving taxi drivers' shelters in London, where drivers can stop for a meal and a drink, is in Russell Square. Bloomsbury's road network links the district to several destinations across London. Key routes nearby include: Gower Street , which runs through the area on a north–south axis, has been two-way since Sunday 28 February 2021. Territorial Army (UK) The Army Reserve
3213-587: Is today a playground and outdoor sports field for children, called Coram's Fields . It is also home to a small number of sheep. The nearby Lamb's Conduit Street is a pleasant thoroughfare with shops, cafes and restaurants. The Dickens Museum is in Doughty Street . The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology and the Grant Museum of Zoology are at University College London in Gower Street. The Postal Museum
3332-556: The 44th Independent Parachute Brigade Group . British forces contracted dramatically as the end of conscription in 1960 came in sight as announced in the 1957 Defence White Paper . On 20 July 1960, a reorganisation of the TA was announced in the House of Commons. The territorials were to be reduced from 266 fighting units to 195. There was to be a reduction of 46 regiments of the Royal Artillery, 18 battalions of infantry, 12 regiments of
3451-569: The Dissolution of the Monasteries . The area was laid out mainly in the 18th century, largely by Wriothesley Russell, 3rd Duke of Bedford , who built Bloomsbury Market, which opened in 1730. His younger brother, John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford , would have built a circus here but he died in 1771, leaving his wife to continue development of the area. She commissioned the construction of Bedford Square and of Gower Street . The major development of
3570-552: The Expeditionary Force which he was establishing as the centerpiece of the Regular Army. The Territorial Force was to be composed of fourteen divisions of infantry and fourteen brigades of cavalry, together with all the supporting arms and services needed for overseas war, including artillery, engineers commissariat and medical support. The new Special Reserve was to take over the depots of the militia, as an expanded reserve for
3689-669: The Great Beer Flood ) was a disaster that occurred in October 1814, when a large vat of porter at the Horse Shoe Brewery , just west of Dyott Street, burst open, releasing a 15-foot wave of beer onto the surrounding streets, killing eight people. All of the geographic area of Bloomsbury is covered by the Bloomsbury Conservation Area, an historic designation designed to limit new development, and ensure that changes to
Chenies Street - Misplaced Pages Continue
3808-515: The Ladies Dwellings Company founded by Agnes Garrett . The building was constructed about 1888 to the plans of architect J. M. Brydon and opened by suffragist Millicent Fawcett in 1889. Residents included the artist Florence Reason, Emily Penrose of Bedford College , campaigner Emily Hobhouse , archaeologist Mary Brodrick , historian Charlotte Fell-Smith , and the authors Adeline Sergeant and Olive Schreiner . On 17 April 1941
3927-662: The Metropolis Management Act 1855 . This body managed certain infrastructure functions, while the civil parish continued with its responsibilities until the abolishment of the Poor Law in 1930; however it was not formally abolished until the creation of Greater London in 1965. In 1900 the area of the St Giles District (Metropolis) merged with Holborn District (Metropolis) (excluding those parts of Finsbury Division which had been temporarily attached to Holborn) to form
4046-515: The Metropolitan Borough of Holborn merged with St Pancras and Hampstead to form the new London Borough of Camden . The formal historic boundaries of the combined parish of St Giles in the Fields and St George Bloomsbury (as adjusted in some places to reflect the modern street pattern) include Tottenham Court Road to the west, Torrington Place (formerly known, in part, as Francis Street) to
4165-589: The Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust . One of the largest building in the area is the Brutalist Brunswick Centre a residential building with a shopping centre at ground floor. Bloomsbury is in the parliamentary constituency of Holborn and St Pancras . The western half of the district comprises Bloomsbury ward , which elects three councillors to Camden Borough Council . In February 2010, businesses were balloted on an expansion of
4284-657: The Special Air Service , in North Africa, which fathered several other special forces units, including the Special Boat Service . After VJ Day in August 1945, the Territorial Army was reduced and re-structured. In 1947, the TA was restructured and expanded through the reactivation of some of the 1st Line divisions that were initially disbanded after the war, keeping its former role of supplying complete divisions to
4403-540: The Tennis Court in some of the hardest fighting of the battle. Later the commander of the 14th Army, of which they were part, Field Marshal Slim , himself a pre-First World War Territorial became Chief of the Imperial General Staff and a strong promoter of the TA, coining the expression still in use today that Territorials are 'twice a citizen'. One pre-war Guards reservist, (then) Major David Stirling set up
4522-796: The University of London as well as its central headquarters, the New College of the Humanities , the University of Law , the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art , the British Medical Association and many others. Bloomsbury is an intellectual and literary hub for London, as home of world-known Bloomsbury Publishing , publishers of the Harry Potter series, and namesake of the Bloomsbury Group ,
4641-450: The relief of the poor . In 1731 a small new independent parish of Bloomsbury was created, based on a small area round Bloomsbury Square . In 1774 these parishes recombined, for civil purposes, to form the parish of St Giles in the Fields and St George Bloomsbury – which had the same boundaries as the initial parish of St Giles . The area of the combined civil parish was used for the St Giles District (Metropolis) , established under
4760-540: The 18th century were cavalry-based units, which were often used to suppress riots (see the Peterloo Massacre ). Several units that are now part of the Army Reserve bear the title "militia". In 1899, with the outbreak of the South African War , the British Army was committed to its first large-scale overseas deployment since the 1850s. The Cardwell Reforms of 1868–1872 had reformed the system of enlistment for
4879-602: The 1991 Gulf War 205 Scottish General Hospital was mobilised as a unit based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and a number of TA staff officers and others volunteered and served during the conflict, either in supporting roles in Germany or within 1 (UK) Armoured Division in the Middle East. In December 1991, as part of the reductions in Options for Change, it was announced that the TA's establishment
Chenies Street - Misplaced Pages Continue
4998-517: The 46th being one of the digging" divisions with few anti-tank guns and artillery pieces. A London TA battalion, the Queen Victoria's Rifles deployed at Calais and fought off German reconnaissance forces before the arrival of the two regular sister battalions with whom they held the town for two crucial days shielding the Dunkirk evacuation. Further south, The 51st fought in a rearguard action with
5117-531: The Army Council, under Kitchener's direction, agreed that TF units volunteering en bloc for overseas service should be sent to France, while Kitchener set in hand the machinery for the recruiting of an entirely separate 'New Army' of what came to be known as Kitchener units, in parallel with the expansion of the Territorial Force. These New Army units were given priority for equipment, recruits and training over
5236-644: The Army Reserve increasingly providing routine support for the Regular Army overseas including the delivery of composite units to release regular units from standing liabilities; including Bosnia, Kosovo, Cyprus and the Falkland Islands. Some 2,800 TA personnel volunteered for and deployed on Operation Resolute from 1995 to 1998, the UK's contribution to the NATO mission to enforce peace in the Former Yugoslavia . These were
5355-409: The British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain met with German Chancellor Adolf Hitler in September and brokered the Munich Agreement . The agreement averted a war and allowed Germany to annex the Sudetenland. Although Chamberlain had intended the agreement to lead to a further peaceful resolution of issues, relations between both countries soon deteriorated. On 15 March 1939, Germany breached
5474-488: The InHolborn Business Improvement District (BID) to include the southern part of Bloomsbury. Only businesses with a rateable value in excess of £60,000 could vote as only these would pay the BID levy. This expansion of the BID into Bloomsbury was supported by Camden Council. The proposal was passed and part of Bloomsbury was brought within the InHolborn BID. Controversy was raised during this BID renewal when InHolborn proposed collecting Bloomsbury, St Giles and Holborn under
5593-410: The New Army was still forming and training. Many of the Territorial units suffered immediate heavy casualties and on the night of 20 April 1915 Second Lieutenant Geoffrey Woolley of the Queen Victoria Rifles, secured the first of the 71 Victoria Crosses won by Territorials in the First World War. General Sir John French , General Officer Commanding the BEF, later wrote 'Without the assistance which
5712-425: The Regular Army so that recruits now served for six years with the colours and then a further six years liable for reserve service, with the Regular Reserve. The administrative structure of the Army had been further reinforced by the creation of regimental districts, where regular infantry regiments were paired together to share a depot and linked to the local militia and volunteer units. The reforms had ensured that
5831-399: The Regular Army, with many of their best and most experienced men already deployed with regular units as members of the Militia Reserve. The dominions and colonies provided 57 contingents, overwhelmingly of volunteer forces as none had a substantial full-time force; those from Canada alone numbered some 7,400 Altogether, Britain and her empire deployed some half a million soldiers. After
5950-401: The Regular Army. Under multiple political pressures, Haldane altered the public purpose of the Territorial Force in his Territorial and Reserve Forces Act to home defence, at the last moment but did not alter the planned structure. During the First World War, by the end of April 1915, six full Territorial divisions had been deployed into the fight. Between the wars the Territorial Army (as it
6069-566: The Rhine (BAOR). In addition, a new organisation was established, the Home Service Force, with a separate target of 4,500, composed of older ex-regulars and territorials to guard key points. As the Cold War intensified, the scale and pace of exercises involving the TA in its war roles increased. Two large-scale exercises were mounted testing the Army's ability to reinforce BAOR, Crusader in 1980 and Lionheart in 1984. The latter involved 131,000 British service personnel, including 35,000 Territorials, together with US, Dutch and German personnel. This
SECTION 50
#17328523478486188-476: The Royal Artillery were disbanded, with nine others passing into "suspended animation" as new English Electric Thunderbird Surface to Air Missile units replaced them. On 20 December 1955, the Secretary of State for War informed the House of Commons that the armoured divisions and the 'mixed' division were to be converted to infantry, and the 16th Airborne Division reduced to a parachute brigade group. Only two divisions (43rd and 53rd), two armoured brigades, and
6307-526: The Royal Engineers and two regiments of the Royal Corps of Signals. The reductions were carried out in 1961, mainly by amalgamating units. Thus, on 1 May 1961, the TA divisional headquarters were merged with regular army districts, which were matched with Civil Defence Regions to aid mobilisation for war. The Army Reserve Act of April 1962 made provision for a new TA Emergency Reserve (TAER), within existing TA units, who could be called out without Royal Proclamation as individuals to reinforce regular units around
6426-497: The Russell family following the marriage of William Russell, Lord Russell (1639–1683) (third son of William Russell, 1st Duke of Bedford ) to Rachel Wriothesley , heiress of Bloomsbury, younger of the two daughters and co-heiresses of Thomas Wriothesley, 4th Earl of Southampton (1607–1667). Rachel's son and heir was Wriothesley Russell, 2nd Duke of Bedford (1680–1711), of Woburn Abbey in Bedfordshire, whose family also owned Covent Garden , south of Bloomsbury, acquired by them at
6545-417: The South African War, the Conservative government embarked on a series of reorganisations which had a negative impact on all the auxiliary forces. The Militia was heavily understrength and disorganised, whilst the number of recruits for the Volunteers was falling off and it was becoming apparent that many Volunteer Corps were headed towards financial collapse unless some action was taken. The Territorial Force
6664-419: The TA units which formed a majority of those which took part in the Narvik operation were untrained and had been subject to such turbulence, through expansion and reorganisation that many lacked cohesion. The failures of command, coordination and execution in that campaign led to a debate on its conduct with a no-confidence vote in the government. Partially as a result of lessons from Narvik, the Territorial Army
6783-478: The TA was to be 440,000: the field force of the Territorial Army was to rise from 130,000 to 340,000, organized in 26 divisions, while an additional 100,000 all ranks would form the anti-aircraft section. The forming Second Line formations were given liberty to be numbered and named as they saw fit, with some using related names and numbers from the First World War e.g. 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division formed in 1939. The immediate response to this announcement
6902-423: The Territorial Army but there were grave shortages of instructors and equipment. It was envisioned that the duplicating process and recruiting the required numbers of men would take no more than six months. In practice, existing TA units found themselves stripped of regular training staffs and often many of their own officers and NCOs to form and train the new units, long before their own units were fully trained. As
7021-446: The Territorials afforded between October 1914 and June 1915, it would have been impossible to hold the line in France and Belgium. Other Territorial formations were dispatched to Egypt and British India and other imperial garrisons, such as Gibraltar , thereby releasing regular units for service in France and enabling the formation of an additional five regular army divisions by early 1915. Territorial divisions went on to fight in all
7140-454: The Territorials for the bulk of the war. Kitchener justified this, during the first few months of the war, on the grounds that the Territorial Force should focus mostly on home defence. In the first few days after the call for overseas service on 9 August, the result in many TF units was hesitant, with some units only recording around 50% volunteering, partly because men with families were reluctant to leave well-paid jobs especially while there
7259-456: The area, including traffic circulation changes, and its objections carry formal planning weight through the local authority's constitution. Bloomsbury contains one of the highest proportions of listed buildings and monuments per square metre of any conservation area, including many of the UK's most iconic buildings, such as the British Museum. However its strategic location in the centre of London and associated high development pressures has seen
SECTION 60
#17328523478487378-414: The arms of the now dissolved county of Middlesex . The hall was paid for by the commanding officer of the Bloomsbury Rifles, Lieut-Col. Richards. In the 1900s Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes rehearsed at the hall, and during the Second World War it was the venue for Ralph Reader 's Gang Shows. Adjacent to The Drill Hall is number 18, which is also owned by RADA and contains rehearsal rooms, offices,
7497-491: The army as a whole. An innovation in 1922 was the creation of two Air Defence Brigades to provide anti-aircraft defence for London. It appears that these two brigades relatively quickly became 26th and 27th Air Defence Brigades . During the 1930s, tensions increased between Germany and the United Kingdom and its allies . In late 1937 and throughout 1938, German demands for the annexation of Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia led to an international crisis . To avoid war,
7616-449: The attendance of twelve fire engines. Firemen tackled the blaze from each of the three entrances in teams of 30 using breathing apparatus. Seven were sent to hospital but no deaths were reported. Today the structure is used for archival storage. Within the deep-level shelter compound is a memorial to The Rangers, 12th County of London Regiment, which dates from shortly after the First World War and includes additional inscriptions relating to
7735-532: The building was severely damaged when a German incendiary bomb hit it and started a fire. There were no casualties but the building was marked as so damaged as to make rebuilding doubtful. It was rebuilt, but with the entrance moved from Chenies Street to Huntley Street. The building then became social housing. At number 22, on the corner with Ridgmount Street, once stood the Medical Graduates' College and Polyclinic , founded around 1899. It has since been replaced by Nicholas Cooper House, owned by RADA. The Polyclinic
7854-525: The built environment preserve and enhance its special character. This conservation area is one of the oldest and most significant in the UK, having been designated in 1968, less than a year after conservation areas were promulgated in the Civic Amenities Act 1967. The Bloomsbury Conservation Area is almost unique in the UK in that it also has a conservation area advisory committee , an expert committee of architects, planners, lawyers, and other community members that also live and work in Bloomsbury. This group
7973-409: The closely linked St Giles area) has a long association with neighbouring Holborn ; but is nearly always considered as distinct from Holborn. The area appears to have been a part of the parish of Holborn when St Giles hospital was established in the early 1100s. The earliest record of the name, Bloomsbury, is as Blemondisberi in 1281. It is named after a member of the Blemund family who held
8092-444: The country virtually empty of regular troops. This was the end of the planned mobilisation; no thought had been given pre-war to mobilising the Militia, Yeomanry or Volunteers as formed units for foreign service. On 16 December, the first request was sent from South Africa for auxiliary troops, and a commitment was made to send a "considerable force of militia and picked yeomanry and volunteers". The first Volunteer unit to be sent out
8211-408: The creation of Kitchener's Army. All TA recruits were required to take the general service obligation: if the British Government decided, territorial soldiers could be deployed overseas for combat that avoided the complications of the TF, whose members were not required to leave Britain unless they volunteered for overseas service. The composition of the divisions was altered, with a reduction in
8330-469: The deep-level shelter was built during the Second World War. During the Second World War, a number of deep-level shelters were built beneath London tube stations for the protection of the public and military from German bombing. The shelter underneath Goodge Street Underground station was completed in 1942 and has two above ground entrances, one on the north side of Chenies Street on the island between Chenies Street and North Crescent, and another nearby on
8449-505: The duration of hostilities or until de-activation is decided upon. After the Second World War , for example, the Territorial Army, as it was known then, was not demobilised until 1947. Army Reservists normally have a full-time civilian job or career, which in some cases provides skills and expertise that are directly transferable to a specialist military role, such as NHS employees serving in Reservist Army Medical Services units. All Army Reserve personnel have their civilian jobs protected to
8568-578: The early 1900s, and to the lesser known Bloomsbury Gang of Whigs formed in 1765 by John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford . The publisher Faber & Faber used to be located in Queen Square , though at the time T. S. Eliot was editor the offices were in Tavistock Square. The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood was founded in John Millais's parents' house on Gower Street in 1848. The Bloomsbury Festival
8687-579: The fight. The (Regular) Expeditionary Force of six divisions had been rapidly sent to the Continent, where, facing overwhelming odds, they secured the left flank of the French Army. Of the 90,000 members of the original BEF deployed in August, four-fifths were dead or wounded by Christmas. So the arrival of the Territorials, first as reinforcements and then in whole divisions came at a critical juncture, while
8806-580: The formal and more recent understandings of the area (to the north and south), seem to derive from Bloomsbury having been commonly misconceived as being coterminous with the Bedford Estate . In the early 1660s, the Earl of Southampton , who held the manors of St Giles and Bloomsbury, constructed what eventually became Bloomsbury Square . The Yorkshire Grey public house on the corner of Gray's Inn Road and Theobald's Road dates from 1676. The estate passed to
8925-612: The infantry reduced from 86 to 13 battalions and the yeomanry (armoured units) from 20 to one. Units in the new TAVR were divided into various categories: In addition were various miscellaneous units, such as OTCs and bands e.g. Northumbria Band of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. In the face of a considerable Parliamentary battle, and a public outcry led by the County Associations , the government agreed to retain an additional 28,000 men in 87 'lightly armed' infantry units and
9044-530: The land back into the possession of the Crown and granted it to Thomas Wriothesley, 1st Earl of Southampton . The area was part of the Ancient Parish of St Giles , served by the church of St Giles in the Fields . Some sources indicate that the parish was in place before 1222 while others suggest 1547. From 1597 onwards, English parishes were obliged to take on a civil as well as ecclesiastical role, starting with
9163-592: The largely French forces along the Somme. At the same time, a small TA unit, the Kent Fortress Royal Engineers , carried out the first major commando-style operations of the war the XD Operations, destroying 2 million tons of crude and refined oil, along the coastline of France and the low countries. Meanwhile, units with little training and cohesion were also sent abroad, despite their lack of preparation;
9282-672: The liability to serve overseas with the Regular Army in case of war if called on to do so. The second element of the auxiliary forces was the Yeomanry , 38 regiments of volunteer cavalry which had historically been used as a form of internal security police. The third arm was the Volunteers , There were 213 rifle corps and 66 corps of artillery, though the latter were mostly coastal artillery or static "position batteries" and they did not constitute an organised field force. There were some engineer and medical units, but no service corps. The Yeomen of
9401-595: The local authority's approach to the conservation and preservation of Bloomsbury, with national heritage groups such as the Victorian Society and Georgian Group voicing concerns along with local groups. A local campaign associated with the BCAAC, Save Bloomsbury, has written and campaigned extensively to protect Bloomsbury's heritage. As of 2021 Camden Council has not adopted any strategy to ensure Bloomsbury's conservation, and harmful development proposals continue to come forward. Neighbouring areas include St Pancras to
9520-537: The major battles of the war in France and Belgium and several campaigns further afield including Gallipoli . (See main article Territorial Force ). From 1916, as the war progressed, and casualties mounted, the distinctive character of territorial units was diluted by the inclusion of conscript and New Army drafts. Following the Armistice all units of the Territorial Force were gradually disbanded. The Territorial Force (TF)
9639-449: The majority deploying to Aden, where one of their officers, Lieutenant Mike Smith, won an MC. This was followed by a large reduction and complete reorganisation, announced in the 1966 Defence White Paper and implemented from 1 April 1967, when the title Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve (TAVR) was adopted. This abolished the former divisional structure of the TA. The size of the TAVR was to be reduced from 107,000 to under 50,000, with
9758-595: The manor. There are older records relating to the family in London in 1201 and 1230. Their name, Blemund, derives from Blemont, a place in Vienne , in western France. At the end of the 14th century, Edward III acquired Blemond's manor, and passed it on to the Carthusian monks of the London Charterhouse . The area remained rural at this time. In the 16th century with the Dissolution of the Monasteries , Henry VIII took
9877-472: The name of "Midtown", since it was seen as "too American". Businesses were informed about the BID proposals, but there was little consultation with residents or voluntary organisations. InHolborn produced a comprehensive business plan aimed at large businesses. Bloomsbury is now part of InMidtown BID with its 2010 to 2015 business plan and a stated aim to make the area "a quality environment in which to work and live,
9996-412: The nearby Inns of Court . The area was enclosed by gates until these were abolished under a 1893 Act of Parliament. In the 19th century, the Bloomsbury area became less fashionable, now dominated by the University of London and the British Museum as well as numerous new hospitals. Modern development has destroyed several Georgian -era buildings, but some remain. The London Beer Flood (also known as
10115-401: The north and west, Fitzrovia to the west, Covent Garden and Holborn to the south, and Clerkenwell to the east. For street name etymologies see Street names of Bloomsbury . Historically, Bloomsbury is associated with the arts, education, and medicine. The area gives its name to the Bloomsbury Group of artists, among whom was Virginia Woolf , who met in private homes in the area in
10234-516: The north, the borough boundary to the south and Marchmont Street and Southampton Row to the east. The western boundary of Tottenham Court Road is common to all and a northern limit of Euston Road is often understood, though Coram's Fields and the land to the north, consisting mainly of blocks of flats, built as both private and social housing was traditionally associated as being north Bloomsbury with Judd Street and its surrounding squares being part of St Pancras, King's Cross. The eastern boundary
10353-401: The number of infantry battalions required. There was also a reduced need for cavalry, and of the 55 yeomanry regiments, only the 14 most senior retained their horses. The remaining yeomanry was converted to artillery or armored car units or disbanded. The amalgamation of 40 pairs of infantry battalions was announced in October 1921. As part of the post-war " Geddes Axe " financial cuts, the TA
10472-526: The public in 1759 in Montagu House , is at the heart of Bloomsbury. At the centre of the museum the space around the former British Library Reading Room , which was filled with the concrete storage bunkers of the British Library, is today the Queen Elizabeth II Great Court , an indoor square with a glass roof designed by British architect Norman Foster . It houses displays, a cinema, a shop,
10591-501: The refectory and the RADA library. The building was purchased by RADA in 1990 with the help of the royalties left to the academy by George Bernard Shaw . Chenies Street Chambers are at numbers 9–11 on the north side, immediately opposite The Drill Hall and on the corner with Huntley Street. The building was originally known as Chenies Street Chambers Ladies Residential Dwellings and was designed as flats for single professional women on behalf of
10710-530: The regular Army until 1967. For the first time, TA units were formed in Northern Ireland . The maneuver divisions established or re-established in 1947 were: 52nd (Lowland) Division was re-established as a tenth, 'mixed' division in March 1950. The territorials also provided much of the anti-aircraft cover for the United Kingdom until 1956. In that year, Anti-Aircraft Command and 15 anti-aircraft regiments of
10829-466: The reorganisation, becoming Territorial battalions of Regular Army infantry regiments. Only one infantry unit, the London Regiment , has maintained a separate identity. The TF was formed on 1 April 1908 and contained fourteen infantry divisions , and fourteen mounted yeomanry brigades . It had an overall strength of approximately 269,000. Haldane designed it to provide a much larger second line for
10948-580: The service of the King's Royal Rifle Corps (KRRC) in the Second World War. The memorial is Grade II-listed and includes a bronze plaque with the regimental symbol. Wreaths are still laid at the site. The Rangers took over The Drill Hall at 16 Chenies Street previously occupied by the Bloomsbury Rifles when all British volunteer units were incorporated into the Territorial Army in 1907. The Drill Hall on
11067-501: The six divisions of the Expeditionary Force which he was establishing as the centerpiece of the Regular Army. Under multiple political pressures, Haldane altered the public purpose of the Territorial Force in his Territorial and Reserve Forces Act to home defence, at the last moment. Britain declared war on Germany on 4 August 1914. The next day, General - later Field Marshal - Haig , who had been central to Haldane's reforms and
11186-433: The south side at number 16, now known as RADA Studios , is a Grade II-listed building. It was designed for the Bloomsbury Rifles in 1882–83 by Samuel Knight , a captain in the unit. It is built of red brick with sandstone dressings and features a panel showing a hanging horn, the symbol of The Rifle Brigade , with which the Bloomsbury Rifles were affiliated. Above are the coats of arms of the Duke of Bedford , royal arms and
11305-531: The squares that we see today started in about 1800 when Francis Russell, 5th Duke of Bedford , demolished Bedford House and developed the land to the north with Russell Square as its centrepiece. Much is still owned today by the Bedford Estate in trust for the Russell family. John Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford , extended development on the north and east side of the estate, this area would then be frequented by writers, painters and musicians as well as lawyers due to
11424-692: The street. Algernon Charles Swinburne (1837–1909), whose literary works scandalised Victorian Britain, lived at 12 North Crescent. East to west: Minerva House in North Crescent is a former car showroom and workshop that is a Grade II listed building with English Heritage . It is now a media agency. The building was designed by George Vernon in Portland stone ashlar for the Minerva Motor Company , 1912–13. The Minerva company originated in Belgium as
11543-666: The terms of the agreement by invading and occupying the remnants of the Czech state . On 29 March, Secretary of State for War Leslie Hore-Belisha announced plans to increase the TA from 130,000 to 340,000 men and double the number of TA divisions. The plan was for existing TA units to recruit over their establishments (aided by an increase in pay for Territorials, the removal of restrictions on promotion which had hindered recruiting, construction of better-quality barracks and an increase in supper rations) and then form second-line divisions from cadres that could be increased. The total strength of
11662-487: The thirteen British divisions deployed, although three, 12th, 23rd, and 46th, were deployed, minus much of their equipment, as so-called 'digging divisions' to be used for infrastructure work. In practice, all of the divisions were heavily engaged in the fighting. The 42nd, 44th, and 48th took part in the stand on the River Escaut, The 50th, 42nd, and 46th were chosen for the final stand at the perimeter of Dunkirk, despite
11781-491: The west and Gower Street in the east. Alfred Place joins the street on its south side, Huntley Street on the north, and Ridgmount Gardens / Ridgmount Street crosses the street at its eastern end. North Crescent is on the northern side of the street. Chenies Street was built around 1776 on land belonging to the Bedford Estate . It was named after Chenies Manor in Buckinghamshire, originally owned by Anne Sapcote , who
11900-600: The western side of Tottenham Court Road, next to the American International Church . There is also access from within Goodge Street tube station. The Goodge Street shelter was used by the US Army Signal Corps during the preparations for D-Day . After the war the shelter was used as an assembly centre for troops travelling to or from overseas bases. In 1956 a fire broke out in the shelter that required
12019-495: The world, for up to six months in every twelve. With opposition from employers and individuals to such a large peacetime liability, the target of 15,000 volunteers proved over-ambitious and the force peaked at 4,262 in October 1963, then dropping to around 2,400 by 1968. Nevertheless, the first batch of these so-called 'Ever Readies' was sent to Libya in 1963, followed by 200 to the Far East later that year. In 1965, 175 were called out,
12138-599: Was a 1,300 man composite battalion group, composed of infantry recruited from across London units and a field battery from the Honourable Artillery Company, the City Imperial Volunteers, which was raised in early January 1900; it was sent into combat after six weeks of training in South Africa, where Lord Roberts described it as "quite excellent", and was returned home in October. At the same time,
12257-426: Was a vast surge in recruiting with 88,000 men enlisted by the end of April. The London Rifle Brigade raised a second battalion in 24 hours. On 26 April, limited conscription was introduced. This resulted in 34,500 twenty-year-old militiamen being conscripted into the regular army, initially to be trained for six months before deployment to the forming second-line units. In parallel, recruits continued to surge into
12376-570: Was created as the Territorial Force in 1908 by the Secretary of State for War , Richard Haldane , when the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 combined the previously civilian-administered Volunteer Force , with the mounted Yeomanry (at the same time the Militia was renamed the Special Reserve ). Haldane planned a volunteer "Territorial Force", to provide a second line for the six divisions of
12495-400: Was created by the Secretary of State for War , Richard Burdon Haldane , following the enactment of the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 which combined and re-organised the old Volunteer Force with the Yeomanry . As part of the same process, the remaining units of militia were converted to the Special Reserve . Most Volunteer infantry units had unique identities, but lost these in
12614-595: Was envisaged that this would take at least eight months from mobilisation. In fact, with mobilisation in September 1939, the first three TA divisions arrived to take their places in the front line by February 1940: the 48th (South Midland) Division , 50th (Northumbrian) Division and 51st (Highland) Division . In April, they were joined by five more, 12th (Eastern) Division , 23rd (2nd Northumbrian) Division , 42nd (East Lancashire) Division , 44th (Home Counties) Division and 46th (North Midland) Division , making eight of
12733-508: Was founded in 1968 by the local authority and continues to serve Bloomsbury and the surrounding area. It is generally thought that the Bloomsbury Conservation Area Advisory Committee (BCAAC) has the most detailed knowledge of Bloomsbury's built heritage and social history due to its members having lived in the area for many decades. It is accordingly consulted with on all major and minor development proposals in
12852-409: Was further reduced in size in 1922: artillery batteries lost two of their six guns, the established size of infantry battalions was cut and ancillary medical, veterinary, signals and Royal Army Service Corps units were either reduced in size or abolished. The bounty was also reduced to £3 for trained men and £2.10s 0d for recruits, which resulted in finding £1,175,000 of the total savings required from
12971-610: Was launched in 2006 when local resident Roma Backhouse was commissioned to mark the re-opening of the Brunswick Centre, a residential and shopping area. The free festival is a celebration of the local area, partnering with galleries, libraries and museums, and achieved charitable status at the end of 2012. As of 2013, the Duchess of Bedford is a festival patron and Festival Directors have included Cathy Maher (2013), Kate Anderson (2015–2019) and Rosemary Richards (2020–present). Bloomsbury
13090-406: Was now called) was re-established to be the sole means of expansion in future wars, but it was smaller than before and poorly resourced. Yet eight TA divisions were deployed before the fall of France. After the Second World War, the TA was reconstituted with ten divisions, but then successively cut until rebuilding began in 1970, with numbers peaking at nearly 73,000. It was then run down again despite
13209-533: Was officially reconstituted in 1921 by the Territorial Army and Militia Act 1921 and renamed in October as the Territorial Army (TA). The First-Line divisions (that were created in 1907 or 1908) were reconstituted in that year. The TA's intended role was to be the sole method of expanding the size of the British Armed Forces , when compared to the varied methods used during the First World War including
13328-443: Was only resumed in early 1901—and so an adequate supply of manpower was not always available. Sixty militia battalions, around 46,000 men, also volunteered and were eventually sent to South Africa. They were employed mainly on lines of communication, and regarded as second-line troops of low quality; this was unsurprising, as they were strongly deficient in officers, heavily composed of men of 18 and 19, who were regarded as too young by
13447-567: Was ordered to form 10 elite Independent Companies, forerunners of the Commandos . under the command of (then) Lt Colonel Colin Gubbins . As the war developed Territorial units fought in every major theatre. The first reinforcing unit into Kohima , where the Japanese suffered their first major defeat in mainland Asia, was a TA unit, 4th Battalion, Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment who went on to hold
13566-401: Was talk of a German invasion of the homeland, but the pace rapidly accelerated and, within a fortnight, 70 infantry battalions and many other units had collectively volunteered for France. initially TF units were either fed into regular brigades or used for secondary tasks, such as guarding lines of communication but, by the end of April 1915, six full Territorial divisions had been deployed into
13685-477: Was the first British postgraduate medical institution. The Jewish High School for Girls and Day Training College for Teachers moved to Chenies Street in 1881 following the construction of a new building at a cost of over £8,000, funded by a gift from Isabel Goldsmid , sister of Sir Julian Goldsmid . The school closed in 1897. 51°31′14″N 0°7′59″W / 51.52056°N 0.13306°W / 51.52056; -0.13306 Bloomsbury Bloomsbury
13804-534: Was the largest British troop movement exercise by sea and air since 1945, involving 290 flights and 150 ferry sailings. Most UK-based units reached their wartime stations within 48 hours. In 1985, Exercise Brave Defender tested Britain's home defences, with 65,000 regulars and territorials involved. At the end of the Cold War, the TA had a strength of 72,823, including 3,297 in the Home Service Force (HSF). in
13923-456: Was the wife of John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford . Before Chenies Street was built, Cox's Gardens was located at the eastern end of the plot. Chenies Street has been extensively changed since it was first laid out, being rebuilt in the mid-nineteenth century and again in the twentieth century on the north side. The writer Fanny Burney (1752–1840) lived at 23 Chenies Street in 1812–13. Watchmaker Thomas Earnshaw (1749–1829) died at his home in
14042-555: Was then commanding First Corps, recorded in his diary that Field Marshal Kitchener did 'not appreciate the progress made by the Territorial Force towards efficiency', The subsequent day, the 6th, Kitchener took up his post as Secretary of State for War announcing that morning 'He could take no account of anything but regular soldiers'. He went on to denounce the Territorial Force as 'a few hundred thousand young men, officered by middle-aged professional men who were allowed to put on uniform and play at soldiers.' Nevertheless, by 9 August,
14161-716: Was to be reduced to 63,000, while the HSF element was to be disbanded. In July 1994, this was further reduced to 59,000. The Reserve Forces Act of May 1996 was a landmark reform, making it much easier to call out any element of the Reserves at the behest of the Secretary of State for a range of purposes including 'protection of life or property' well short of the criteria for Queen's Order (e.g. 'great emergency', 'imminent national danger'). It also provides protection in employment law for members' civilian jobs should they be mobilised. This has led to
#847152