The Roundway I Remember

In 1954 Roundway was the site of the Royal Army Pay Corps Training Centre. Nothing now remains of this except a plaque erected by the local council to commemorate the fact that thousands of young men conscripted for National Service were trained there. Most were only there for ten weeks and were then posted elsewhere to complete their 18 months (later increased to 2 years) service.

I arrived in nearby Devizes on 7th January,1954,and after my basic training spent the remainder of my 2 years there. The training was very hard but it turned boys into men (and soldiers). The camp was spread over a large area of Roundway and straddled the road to Devizes. During the day a Regimental Policeman was always on duty where the road divided the camp,the guardroom being close by. The camp was actually two units, the Training Centre and the Regimental Pay Office for the R.E.M.E. There were 2 drill squares, a sports field, dining halls and a large number of buildings for living accommodation, offices etc.

The recruits undergoing their basic training were housed in wooden huts with washing facilities in separate buildings which were unheated and usually had only cold water, even in the depths of a snowy winter such as I had during my basic training. Those who were on the permanent staff were more fortunate as they were accommodated in spiders. These were so called because they had 6 barrack rooms (3 on either side of a central block housing washrooms, toilets, showers etc). These were centrally heated. There were also houses which were married quarters for regular army officers and men.

The camp also boasted a garrison cinema affectionately known as the "Gaff". Two other well-remembered buildings were the Roundway Post Office and the Y.M.C.A. The post office was housed in a large nissen hut and the Y.M.C.A. was a very large wooden building which served drinks and snacks to the soldiers. It was frequented mainly by those of us on the permanent staff as we preferred it to the N.A.A.F.I., which was left to the recruits who were considered beneath us! Writing this has brought the memories flooding back, even after 54 years!