RM Instow

RM Instow, also known as Arromanches Camp, is a military installation operated by the Royal Marines at Instow in North Devon located 5.2 miles (8.4 km) south west of Barnstaple, Devon, and 3.2 miles (5.1 km) north east of Bideford, Devon, England.

RM Instow
Located near Instow in Devon
Royal Marines Base, Instow
RM Instow is located in Devon
RM Instow
RM Instow
Location within Devon
Coordinates51.05815°N 4.17588°W / 51.05815; -4.17588
TypeRoyal Marine Barracks
Site information
OwnerMinistry of Defence
Controlled byRoyal Navy
Site history
Built1939 (1939)
Built forAdmiralty
In use1939-Present
Garrison information
Occupants11 Amphibious Trials and Training Squadron

History

The site, which was established in 1939, was used as a training facility for troops preparing for the Normandy landings at Arromanches on Gold Beach in June 1944 during the Second World War. In the 1970s the towns of Instow and Arromanches instigated an arrangement whereby families visited each other's town every other year staying with a host family.[1]

Operations

The site is split into two different areas, firstly the camp where the workshops and accommodation are located and secondly the beach located 1.2 miles (1.9 km) south-west which is where the main landing craft are based. The site is occupied by 11 Amphibious Trials and Training Squadron and the Amphibious Trials and Development Wing (ATDW), both of which are part of 47 Commando (Raiding Group), which carries out training for operations which include disembarking from landing craft, wading across a water gap of up to 1.5m (4 ft 6 inches) in depth, an activity known as fording, and arriving at a beachhead.[2] The site is also used for trialling new landing craft: the Royal Marines have been moving away from the use of flat-bottomed landing craft or DUKWs to armed powerboats.[3] The site is available for filming.[4]

References
  1. "Instow – Arromanches Twinning Association" (PDF). Instow News. 7 February 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
  2. "Prince Harry opens Royal Navy Amphibious Centre of Excellence". Royal Navy. 2 August 2013. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
  3. "Royal Marines put combat boat to the test off North Devon". Western Morning News. 24 December 2011. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
  4. "Instow". Ministry of Defence. Archived from the original on 5 March 2011. Retrieved 1 August 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
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