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
Union of South Africa military failures. The British were overconfident and underprepared. Prime Minister Salisbury and his top officials, especially colonial secretary Joseph Chamberlain, ignored the repeated warnings of military advisors that the Boers were well prepared, well armed, and fighting for their homes in a very difficult terrain. The Boers struck first, besieging Ladysmith, Kimberly, and Mafeking in early 1900, and winning important battles at Colenso, Magersfontein and Stormberg. Staggered, the British fought back, relieved its besieged cities, and prepared to invade first the Orange Free State, and then Transvaal in late 1900. The Boers refused to surrender or negotiate, and reverted to