5-598: Witley Military Camp , often simplified to Camp Witley , was a temporary army camp set up on Witley Common , Surrey , England during both the First and Second World Wars . The camp was about 40 mi (64 km) southwest of London. Camp Witley was one of three facilities in the Aldershot Command area established by the Canadian Army ; the others being Bordon and Bramshott (nr. Liphook ). Wilfred Owen penned
10-568: A prelude to his ‘ Anthem for Doomed Youth ’ whilst stationed at the camp. Witley Camp was the headquarters of the Polish Resettlement Corps . 51°09′14″N 0°40′30″W / 51.154°N 0.675°W / 51.154; -0.675 Witley Common Witley Common is an area of woodland and heath, close to Witley , Surrey , in the United Kingdom . It is part of a much larger Site of Special Scientific Interest ,
15-671: Is populated by many rare species and has a broad range of both deciduous and evergreen varieties of trees. The area is a water catchment for the upper reaches of the River Wey . Witley Common contains a nature information centre, known as The Witley Centre, built and managed by the National Trust. The centre features a countryside exhibition. The centre often hosts school groups and children's holiday activities. 51°09′14″N 0°40′30″W / 51.154°N 0.675°W / 51.154; -0.675 This Surrey location article
20-527: The First and Second World Wars when the land was used by the army as a training camp ( Witley Camp ) with up to 20,000 soldiers based there at one point. In the late 1940s, it was gradually restored to its pre-war condition. Today it is managed by the National Trust , to provide a mixture of habitats for wildlife, with birch , oak and pine woodland, as well as open heathland . Birdlife includes willow warblers , nightjars and nightingales . The area
25-504: The Thursley, Hankley and Frensham Commons . The land has been occupied since the Bronze Age — it features ancient burial mounds which have been dated to this period. It has been used as common land by many generations over the centuries — particularly for grazing, turf-cutting and, during the 16th and 17th centuries, for iron workings. Witley Common again proved useful during
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