Ladysmith Barracks depot at the barracks in 1881. The name of the barracks was changed to commemorate the actions of the Manchester Regiment at the Siege of Ladysmith during the Second Boer War. During the Second World War the barracks served as home to the 14th Technical Training Centre of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. The Manchester Regiment amalgamated with the King's Regiment (Liverpool) to form the King's Regiment in 1958 and the barracks were decommissioned. They were demolished in 1985 and the site was subsequently redeveloped for residential use. A blue plaque now commemorates the location. Ladysmith Barracks Ladysmith Barracks
Siege of Mafeking local politicians feared that increased military activity might provoke a Boer attack, so the British officers decided to obtain many of their own stores, organise their own transport and recruit in secret. Although the two regiments were raised in Rhodesia, Baden-Powell chose Mafeking to store supplies for his forces due to its location – both near the border and on the railway between Bulawayo and Kimberley – and because of its status as a local administrative centre. As well, the town had good stocks of food and other necessities. However, Mafeking was isolated, exposed and close to Boer-controlled areas. Baden-Powell,