The Cannock Chase Camp Railway with John Wilcock,

John has a very wide range of interests and the talk topic this evening is The Cannock Chase Camp Railway (the "Tackeroo" Railway) which was constructed during the First World War to supply the military camps which were on the Chase for four years. This was for supplies only, since the soldiers had to walk to the camps from Rugeley. The talk will describe the reasons for the choice of routes from Milford and Hednesford, and the logistics for water supply, electricity, roads, sewage works, and construction of the huts. There were also parade grounds, rifle ranges, practice trenches, a post office, a bank, and YMCA huts for relaxation, as well as the ordnance depots and canteens. In the later phases of WW2 part of the Brocton Camp was used as a prisoner of war camp. JRR Tolkien was at the camps for two periods. In 1918 a model of the 1917 Messines Ridge battle was constructed near Brocton Coppice as a demonstration and training aid.