The barracks were established during the Second World War and were initially used to accommodate the 5th County of Lancaster (Preston County) Battalion, Home Guard.[4][5][6][a]
After the reformation of the Territorial Army (TA) in 1947, the role of Kimberley Barracks expanded. Three Royal Artillery units were based here, including:[8][9]
From 1967, a Troop from 202 Training Squadron, Royal Engineers (73 Engineer Regiment) was based at the location.[9] This troop was disbanded in 1999 following the reorganisation of 73 Engineer Regiment.[11][12]
Following the formation of the 4th (Volunteer) Battalion, Queen's Lancashire Regiment on 1 April 1975, Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Company were based at the barracks.[13] After the battalion's disbandment and subsequent absorption into the Lancastrian and Cumbrian Volunteers in 1999, the new regiment established its Regimental Headquarters and Headquarters (Quebec) Company[14] at the location.[13][15][14]
In 2004 the British Army launched an investigation over the release of a photo showing an 'Iraqi prisoner' being urinated on by Queen's Lancashire Regiment soldiers, apparently done on the premises.[16] By 2007, D (Waterloo) (Queen's Lancashire) Company, Lancashire and Cumbrian Volunteers had its company headquarters and 2 Rifle Platoons at the barracks.[17] In 2007, the Lancastrian and Cumbrian Volunteers became 4th (Volunteer) Battalion, Duke of Lancaster's Regiment. The Battalion HQs and HQ Company continue to be the only units based at the location to this day.[18][19][20][21]
In November 2016, the Ministry of Defence announced Fulwood Barracks (located in the North of town) would close by 2022.[22] In February 2019 the decision to cut the barracks was pushed back to 2027.[23]
Current units
Today only a small garrison of troops are located at the barracks, consisting of the following.[20][21]
^"Contact". webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 8 January 2007. Retrieved 29 March 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
"The Regimental Handbook of The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment". British Army. Preston, United Kingdom: The Regimental Charity of The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment. 2007. Retrieved 28 March 2021. * Watson, Graham E. and Rinaldi, Richard A. The Corps of Royal Engineers: Organisation and Units 1889-2018 (2018). p. 217 Tiger Lilly Books. ISBN 9781717901804
Johnson, Keith (2019). Preston's Military Heritage. Preston, United Kingdom: Amberley Publishing. ISBN978-1445684055. OCLC1091648878.
Litchfield, Norman (1992). The Territorial Artillery, 1908-1988 : (their lineage, uniforms and badges. Nottingham: The Sherwood Press. ISBN978-0-9508205-2-1. OCLC59971033.