Staff College, Camberley
Staff College, Camberley, Surrey, was a staff college for the British Army and the presidency armies of British India (later merged to form the Indian Army). It had its origins in the Royal Military College, High Wycombe, founded in 1799, which in 1802 became the Senior Department of the new Royal Military College. In 1858 the name of the Senior Department was changed to "Staff College", and in 1870 this was separated from the Royal Military College. Apart from periods of closure during major wars, the Staff College continued to operate until 1997, when it was merged into the new Joint Services Command and Staff College. The equivalent in the Royal Navy was the Royal Naval Staff College, Greenwich, and the equivalent in the Royal Air Force was the RAF Staff College, Bracknell.
Staff College, Camberley
Decline, independence and growth[edit]
The college underwent a decline and by 1857 the annual admissions had fallen to just six.[3] In 1858 the name was changed to "the Staff College" and it was made independent of the Royal Military College in 1870.[3] It now had its own commandant and adjutant, although continued to be administered by Sandhurst until 1911. Proper entry and final examinations had been introduced for the primarily military subjects taught. Purpose-built premises were approved in 1858 and built between 1859 and 1863 to a design by James Pennethorne, adjacent to the Royal Military College (but over the county boundary in Camberley).[4] During the 1870s there were just forty students although numbers increased to sixty students in the 1880s.[3] In 1903 officers of the colonial forces were allowed to join the college, and in 1905 naval officers were introduced.[3]
With the threat of a second war with Germany, the college was expanded and restructured in 1938, with a junior wing at Camberley for officers of an average age of 29 years, and a senior wing at Minley Manor, Farnborough, for graduates of the school returned for further training, and aged about 35 years.[5]
In 1994 it was announced that a new Joint Services Command and Staff College would replace the Staff College, the Royal Naval Staff College, RAF Staff College, and Joint Service Defence College in 1997.[6]
The building is now known as Robertson House, and houses the Gurkha Brigade Association and the Army Medical Services.[7][8]
The buildings were retained by the Ministry of Defence,[9] and are used by a number of occupants, including the following:
Commandant, Staff College, Sandhurst
Commandants since the College gained its independence in 1870 have been:[20]
Commandant, Staff College, Camberley