HI

As kid living in Cowley- used to watch tanks going down Holloway Rd - they obviously came from Slade Camp - but where were they headed? I was 3-4 years old at time - so just remember the noise they made.
ALso - was Slade Camp part of the Cowley Barracks? What was war-time purpose of the Slade Camp? when was it built? After the war it was used - at least until lat 50's (or later) as low-cost housing. I now live in the US - so have no idea what replaced these hopefully long gone structures.

Geof- Tampa Florida

The site nowadays is largely occupied by Shotover country park. Bit of info from the Shotover park leaflet states....
'During WW2 Slade camp was part of Cowley barracks and provided a temporary home for soldiers who took part in the D Day landings. At the same time Shotover hill was used for military training and tanks built at Cowley were tested there'.
When they built the Oxford ring road it cut the camp in half, the half on the outside of the road has virtually disappeared, few bits of info here....Slade Camp, Oxford - Dereliction in the Shires
Hope that helps

interesting that SHotover is now a 'park' - was just scrub and brush once one left the 'woods' (went thru a field to get to Shotover',) Have seen Shotover since (1990) but preferred it way it was. As i remember there was a small 'spring' about 1/2 way up - welcomed to us kids who did not bring water! I preferred the more 'wild' Shotover - where you had to find your own way around. Used to walk to Horsepath from there.

When were the huts built? Doubt they were built just for D day - but then they could have been, I Guess the tanks going down Holloway were headed for one of the then 2 Oxford railway stations? I don't remember any tanks headed bacl to camp.

WHen was the Cowley Barracks disbanded - I remember hearing various bugle calls from my house - that would have been in 50's

GEOF

Hi Geof
I may be of some help in regards to what happend to "The Slade" as our family still calls it, I myself was born there! 5 Eighth Avenue as was, still marked on Google Maps. It was right across the Ring Road that disected the camp from the small arms firing range which was still in use if I remember as rightly a kid. Maybe able to shed some light on the Air Raid Shelter and other long gone installations. You'll have to trust my memory though!

Andy P

The old Slade Barracks is now all housing. The statue of the Boer War soldier is now re-homed at Edward Brooks Barracks in Abingdon.