Welcome to the New Forest
Military Archive
A guide to the Military History and War Memorials of the New Forest
The New Forest in Hampshire was created by William The Conquerer (Duke of Normandy) circa 1080 as a Royal hunting Forest. His son, William Rufus (William II) was later killed by an arrow at Rufus Stone, near Lyndhurst.
The New Forest is located on the South Coast of England, to the West of Southampton; a major port. During the First World War (The Great War), many large houses in the area were given up as Hospitals for injured Troops disembarked from Southampton. Celtic Cross War Memorials were erected in most villages. Some Churches also contain plaques providing ancestors and family trees of generations of Soldiers and Sailors.
World War II brought huge concentrations of Troops prior to D-Day. They were hidden in and around the New Forest prior to embarkation to Normandy. Both the SOE (Beaulieu) and the OSS (Walhampton) also had facilities in The New Forest.
Military Airfields were created for both the Great War and World War II. The harbours, these days used by sailing yachts have seen many a Warship. Bucklers Hard being a notable Napoleonic War shipbuilding village.
Lieutenant George M Thompson was the first British Officer killed in action in the Great War. He is remembered by a plaque in Burley Church and on Burley War Memorial.
