The History of RM Poole
Up until 1942 the site at Poole was undeveloped and was just open lowland heath, although there was a rifle range there.
29th June 1942 saw the first development of the site when work started on the creation of Royal Air Force Hamworthy which became part of No 19 Group, Coastal Command. It was the central base for No 461 (Royal Australian Air Force) Squadron which was equipped with Sunderland Flying Boats and which carried out anti-submarine and anti-shipping operations. Enemy bombs were dropped on 12th August 1943 but there was no damage. RAF Hamworthy was transferred from Coastal Command to Transport Command on 13th January 1944 and then in February of the same year the site was handed over to the Royal Navy. RAF Station, Hamworthy formally ceased to exist on 1st May 1944.
As a Naval establishment the site was known as HMS Turtle and was used for training personnel for the D-Day Landings. When the war ended the site was closed and was put into mothballs with only a few personnel for basic maintenance.
In 1954 the site was finally taken over by the Royal Marines and was known as the Amphibious School, Royal Marines. It was here that Royal Marine Landing Craft personnel were trained before deployment to the fleet, a role still maintained today. In 1956 the school was expanded and was re-named the Joint Service Amphibious Warfare Centre in October of that year. The site also became home to 95 Regiment, Royal Artillery which was itself subsequently re-named 95 Forward Observation Unit, Royal Artillery. They provided fire direction for Naval Ships during shore bombardment, again, a role still performed here today by 148 (Meiktila) Commando Forward Observation Battery, Royal Artillery. The next change came in 1963 when the Amphibious Warfare Centre moved to Old Sarum and become part of the new Joint Warfare Establishment and the camp was re-named the Amphibious Training Unit, Royal Marines. In 1968 the decision was taken to move Technical Training Wing (responsible for training Drivers, Armourers, Illustrators, Metalsmiths, Carpenters and the like) from Eastney to Poole. This was completed on 20th July, 1973 and on 1st July, that year the camp became Royal Marines Poole - the title it retains today. The rate of change has accelerated in recent years as a result of various government initiatives such as "Options for Change", "Front Line First" and the "Defence Training Review.
October 2001 saw the formation of 1 Assault Group Royal Marines, based at Poole and responsible for Landing Craft training. One of the new unit's roles is to parent all the Royal Marine Assault Squadrons: 6 ASRM in HMS Albion and 9 ASRM in HMS Ocean.
To strengthen command & control and to realise savings in the area of administration the unit was amalgamated with the Amphibious Trials & Training Unit Royal Marines (ATTURM).