Duchess of Gloucester Opens New Military Barracks

Last Saturday, over 200 people attended the grand opening of the Edward Brooks military barracks in Oxfordshire. The new barracks cost £4 million to build, and were officially opened by the Duchess of Gloucester.

The Oxford Mail reports that the barracks have been named for Edward Brooks, who was a local Territorial Army hero during World War I. Brooks was awarded the Victoria Cross in 1917. Many members of Sargent Major Brooks’ family were in attendance. His three grandchildren told the Mail that they were “extremely proud the barracks had been named in his honor”.

The Duchess was presented with a bouquet of pink and white flowers from nine year-old Rosemary Dicks, who stated that she was nervous, but was excited to give the flowers to the royal guest. “It was a real honor for me”, the nine year-old told reporters. After the official opening, the Duchess was given a tour of the facility. This is not the first military experience for the Duchess. She serves as Royal Colonel of the 7th Battalion, The Rifles.

Now that the new facility is opened, Territorial Army units will move from their previous facility, Slade Park, in Headington. It will also house the D Squadron of 202 Field Hospital and the Thames Valley Air Training Corps. Doctors with the Field Hospital are hoping that the new facility will help to modernize the army’s image. 32 year-old Dr. Jennifer Dinsdale said that, “It’s an honor the Duchess has opened the facility and remembered both TA units currently have members deployed in Afghanistan”.

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Tagged Military, The Duchess of Gloucester.

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