History of Bodmin Keep
Bodmin Keep War Stories
English - August 06, 2020 14:54 - 37 minutes - 59.9 MB - ★★★ - 3 ratingsHistory Society & Culture army museum war bodmin bodminkeep cornwall history keep lightinfantry military Homepage Download Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Two world wars, intelligence training, an influx of Americans and a mishap with a hungry dog and a crocodile handbag - all part of the rich history of Bodmin Keep.
When the building was first erected in 1859 it was a blueprint for a modern and healthy training centre. Since then, thousands of troops have come here to ready themselves for duty, before being despatched to all corners of the globe. It's been a depot, a training centre, a spy school and a home for 100s of GI's.
In this episode, we'll find out why Winston Churchill raised eyebrows when he paid a visit to Bodmin Keep, we'll hear what impressionable posh boys learned from their more streetwise room mates, and we'll discover exactly how much a typical soldier could tuck into for breakfast at the barracks.
Two men whose fathers served here during the years of National Service recall how the barracks could be a Boy's Own adventure for those not forced into lengthy drills. And Bill Stevens, who was adjutant in the 1950s, recalls what could have been a very expensive and embarrassing mistake.