Kent Army Cadet Force

The Kent Army Cadet Force (Kent ACF) is the county cadet force for Kent and Medway which operates as part of the Army Cadet Force. Since 2014, the county has been part of Headquarters South East, and is divided into four companies (one entitled a squadron for the Royal Engineers).

Background In 1863, along with the formation of the Volunteer Force, the first government sanctioned cadet groups were allowed to be formed. These groups would mostly be formed in connection with existing volunteer companies and battalions. Following the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 which organised the former Volunteer Force into a coherent organisation, known as the Territorial Force (TF), the cadets were expanded. Each company consisted of no less than 30 cadets, and four of these companies formed a "Cadet Battalion", the predecessors to the modern "Cadet County".Westlake 1984, pp. 1–3

Unlike their modern successors, the first cadet battalions were administered by their local County Territorial Force Associations, and rarely ever came under an "army command". However, following changes to the organisation of the Cadets, in 1923 all cadet forces were taken under complete control of the County Associations.Westlake 1984, pp. 1–3

Below is a list of the cadet battalions which had been formed in Kent during the reorganisation of the TF and into 1939:Westlake 1984, p. 32Westlake 1984, p. 69Westlake 1984, p. 20

Kent Public Secondary Schools Cadet Battalion Kent Fortress Royal Engineers 1st Cadet Battalion Kent Fortress Royal Engineers 2nd Cadet Battalion 1st Volunteer Cadet Corps Battalion, East Kent Regiment (The Buffs) 1st Cadet Battalion, The Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment 2nd Cadet Battalion, The Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment

The first mention of the Kent Army Cadet Force was in 1964 in the London Gazette. The supplement for 9 October 1964 states the restoration of the former commander of the county to the Territorial Army, but does not provide an appointment date. A further mention is made in the 15th March 1963 supplement showing an officer commissioned from the county.

Under the Army 2020 programme, the 2nd (South East) Infantry Brigade was merged with 145th (South) Brigade to form the new 11th Infantry Brigade and Headquarters South East on 1 April 2014. Following these changes, the county left the control of 2nd (South East) Brigade and joined 11th Infantry Brigade as part of Headquarters South East.

As of December 2021, each Army Cadet Force county reports to their local brigade deputy commander, or in the case of independent regional headquarters the commander. However, for administrative duties each cadet county reports to Commander Cadets, who is a senior 1* Brigadier part of Headquarters, Regional Command.

Organisation As of December 2021, the Kent Army Cadet Force consists of appx. 850 cadets and 200 adult volunteers in 35 detachments spread throughout the county of Kent. Each Army Cadet Force 'county' is in-fact a battalion, and each 'detachment' equivalent to that of a platoon.

The organisation of the county in 2021 was as follows:

County Headquarters, at Yeomanry House, Maidstone Kent Army Cadet Force County Training Team DetachmentAffiliationLocationBorough/DistrictCountyPostal CodeA CompanyA Company HeadquartersEncompassing East Kent (Borough of Swale, City of Canterbury, Thanet District, and Dover District)KentBroadstairs DetachmentRoyal Tank Regiment185 Westwood Road, BroadstairsThanet DistrictKentCT10 2NTCanterbury DetachmentPrincess of Wales's Royal RegimentLeros Barracks, Sturry Road, CanterburyCity of CanterburyKentCT1 1HRDeal DetachmentRoyal Tank RegimentMiddle Deal Road, DealDover DistrictKentCT14 9SNFaversham DetachmentPrincess of Wales's Royal RegimentStone Street, FavershamBorough of SwaleKentME13 8PHHerne Bay DetachmentPrincess of Wales's Royal RegimentWilliam Street, Herne BayCity of CanterburyKentCT6 5NYMargate DetachmentRoyal Tank RegimentVictoria Road Drill Hall, MargateThanet DistrictKentCT9 1NAWhitstable DetachmentPrincess of Wales's Royal RegimentCromwell Road, WhitstableCity of CanterburyKentCT5 1NNB CompanyB Company HeadquartersEncompassing South Kent (Borough of Ashford, Folkestone and Hythe District, and southern part of Dover District)KentAshford (Alamein) DetachmentRoyal Electrical and Mechanical EngineersChart Road, AshfordBorough of AshfordKentTN23 3HXAshford (Tobruk) DetachmentRoyal Electrical and Mechanical EngineersChart Road, AshfordBorough of AshfordKentTN23 3HXDover DetachmentRoyal Tank RegimentLondon Road, DoverDover DistrictKentCT17 0SZFolkestone DetachmentPrincess of Wales's Royal RegimentShip Street, FolkestoneFolkestone and Hythe DistrictKentCT19 5BEShorncliffe DetachmentPrincess of Wales's Royal RegimentChurch Road, Shorncliffe Army CampFolkestone and Hythe DistrictKentCT20 3ELSaint Mary's Bay DetachmentPrincess of Wales's Royal RegimentJefferstone Road, Saint Mary's Bay, Romney MarshFolkestone and Hythe DistrictKentTN29 0SGTenterden DetachmentPrincess of Wales's Royal RegimentAppledore Road, TenterdenBorough of AshfordKentTN30 7BDD CompanyD Company HeadquartersEncompassing West Kent (Sevenoaks District, Tonbridge and Malling, Borough of Maidstone, and Borough of Tunbridge Wells)KentBoxley DetachmentKent and County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters) – Royal YeomanryYeomanry House, Boxley Road, MaidstoneBorough of MaidstoneKentTN17 3ESCranbrook DetachmentPrincess of Wales's Royal RegimentCauston Road, CranbrookTunbridge WellsKentME14 2ARDitton DetachmentPrincess of Wales's Royal RegimentLondon Road, DittonTonbridge and MallingKentME20 6DBMascalls DetachmentPrincess of Wales's Royal RegimentMascalls School, Paddock WoodTunbridge WellsKentTN12 6NBMoncktons DetachmentPrincess of Wales's Royal RegimentCollege Avenue, MaidstoneBorough of MaidstoneKentME15 6YJSevenoaks DetachmentPrincess of Wales's Royal RegimentArgyle Road, SevenoaksSevenoaks DistrictKentTN13 1HJSnodland DetachmentPrincess of Wales's Royal RegimentLee Road, SnodlandTonbridge and MallingKentME6 5NNTonbridge DetachmentPrincess of Wales's Royal RegimentHectorage Road, TonbridgeTonbridge and MallingKentTN9 2DRRoyal Tunbridge Wells DetachmentPrincess of Wales's Royal RegimentSaint John's Road, Royal Tunbridge WellsBorough of Tunbridge WellsKentTN4 9UUWrotham DetachmentPrincess of Wales's Royal RegimentWrothamTonbridge and MallingKentTN15 7RARoyal Engineers SquadronRoyal Engineers Squadron HeadquartersEncompassing North Kent and Medway (Borough of Dartford, Gravesham, Medway, and Borough of Swale)Dartford DetachmentCorps of Royal EngineersMead Crescent, DartfordBorough of DartfordKentDA1 2SHGillingham DetachmentCorps of Royal EngineersWatling Street, GillinghamMedwayKentME7 2AAGravesend DetachmentCorps of Royal EngineersGrande Road, GravesendBorough of GraveshamKentDA11 0EURochester DetachmentCorps of Royal EngineersFort Clarence, RochesterMedwayKentME1 3BGSheerness DetachmentCorps of Royal EngineersThe Bungalow, New Road, SheernessMedwayKentME12 1BWStrood DetachmentCorps of Royal EngineersTamar Drive, StroodMedwayKentME2 2EASwanley DetachmentRoyal Regiment of ArtillerySwanley Lane, SwanleySevenoaks DistrictKentBR8 7LHWalderslade DetachmentCorps of Royal EngineersWalderslade School, Bradfield Avenue, WaldersladeMedwayKentME5 0LEWoodlands DetachmentCorps of Royal EngineersWatling Street, GillinghamMedwayKentME7 2AASittingbourne DetachmentRoyal Regiment of ArtilleryCrown Quay Lane, SittingbourneBorough of SwaleKentME10 3SL

Honorary Colonels Sir Hugh Robertson, KCMG 1 June 2026–Present

ACF Mission The Army Cadet Force is a national, voluntary, uniformed youth organisation. It is sponsored by the British Army but not part of it and neither the cadets nor the adult volunteer leaders are subject to military call-up. They offer a broad range of challenging adventurous and educational activities, some of them on a military theme. Their aim is to inspire young people to achieve success in life and develop in them the qualities of a good citizen.

The ACF can be compared to their counterparts in the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (USA), Hong Kong Adventure Corps, and Canadian Army Cadets, amongst others.

Kent Army Cadet Force

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