Linton Military Camp


Linton Military Camp is the largest New Zealand Army base and is home to the Headquarters 1 Brigade. It is located just south of Palmerston North.

History

The land that the present Linton Military Camp stands on was purchased by the Government in 1941 for use as a camp for Territorial and other home defence forces, with the first units taking up occupation in tented accommodation in February 1942, with the first prefabricated huts erected in August 1942. Unlike Burnham and Papakura, Linton was not initially intended to be mobilisation camp and as such was provided with minimal facilities. As the war intensified and the threat from Japan increased and the use of infrastructure in Palmerston North for defence purposes stretched to the limit, the decision was made to bring Linton up to the same standard as Burnham and Papakura. Deliberately designed as a precaution against air attack Linton camp was designed with nine Battalion Blocks, with only eight being completed each with a;
Wartime construction was completed in 1945, and included;
Linton Camp was accepted in general usage from 1943, with the names Camp Manawatu or Camp Kairanga used earlier. Camp Ravenswood or Camp Whitmore were considered as new names in the 1960s, but uses of theses names never eventuated.

Current units based at Linton

1st (New Zealand) Brigade">1st Brigade (New Zealand)">1st (New Zealand) Brigade

1 Brigade supports peace and security through the provision of task organised forces that are ready to win on operations. HQ 1 Brigade commands the NZ Army's field forces day to day and prepares them for operations.
Training and Doctrine Command trains and educates Army's personnel; develops leaders; establishes training standards; manages doctrine; integrates lessons learned and training support across the Army.
Lockheed Martin New Zealand provides logistics services for the NZDF including Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul, Managed Fleet Utilisation and warehousing.
In the 1950s, two large fires destroyed the Ordnance Depot and the Cinema.
In October 2012, a series of shots were fired by an armed soldier, believed to be under the influence of alcohol, he then barricaded himself inside a house on the base. The NZ Police Armed Offenders Squad responded. After a five-hour siege, the police originally reported the man was apprehended, but later revealed he had committed suicide.

Barracks

Linton Camps barracks are named after New Zealand Recipients of the Victoria Cross.
Andrew Barrracks1917First World WarWellington Infantry RegimentLa Basse Ville, Belgium
Bassett Barracks1915First World WarNew Zealand Divisional Signal CompanyGallipoli, Turkey
Brown Barracks1916First World WarOtago Infantry RegimentHigh Wood, France
Crichton Barracks1918First World WarAuckland Infantry RegimentCrèvecœur, France
Cooke Barracks1916First World War8th Battalion, Australian Imperial ForcePozieres, France
D'Arcy Barracks1879Anglo-Zulu WarFrontier Light HorseUlundi, South Africa
Elliott Barracks1942Second World War22nd BattalionRuweisat, Egypt
Forsyth Barracks1918*First World WarRoyal New Zealand EngineersGrévillers, France
Frickleton Barracks1917First World WarNew Zealand Rifle BrigadeMessines, Belgium
Grant Barracks1918First World WarWellington Infantry RegimentBancourt, France
Hardham Barracks1901Second Boer War4th New Zealand ContingentNaauwpoort, South Africa
Heaphy Barracks1864New Zealand WarsAuckland MilitiaMangapiko River, New Zealand
Hinton Barracks1941Second World War20th BattalionKalamai, Greece
Hulme Barracks1941Second World War23rd BattalionCrete, Greece
Judson Barracks1918First World WarAuckland Infantry RegimentBapaume, France
Laurent Barracks1918First World WarNew Zealand Rifle BrigadeGouzeaucourt Wood, France
Ngarimu Barracks1943*Second World War28th BattalionTebaga Gap, Tunisia
Nicholas Barracks1917First World WarCanterbury Infantry RegimentPolderhoek, Belgium
Shout Barracks1915Alfred Shout1st Battalion, AIFGallipoli, Turkey
Storkey Barracks1918First World War19th Battalion, AIFHangard Wood, France
Travis Barracks1918*First World WarOtago Infantry RegimentRossignol Wood, France
Upham Barracks1941
1942
Second World War20th BattalionCrete, Greece
Ruweisat Ridge, Egypt
Weathers Barracks1918First World War43rd Battalion, AIFMont Saint-Quentin. France