Building of Head Quarters.
There remains now but one more event to chronicle in order to bring this brief category to a close, viz., the building of a Regimental Headquarters. Ever since its formation the only apology for a Headquarters which the Corps possessed consisted of a single room, kindly lent by the authorities of the Exchequer and Audit Department, in which the business of the Regimental Staff was conducted. It had been felt for some time that the satisfactory condition of the Corps justified an effort being made to provide its members with similar accommodation to that possessed by most of the London Corps. The chief difficulty was that of obtaining a favourable site at an outlay within reasonable limits. This difficulty was at length overcome mainly by the exertions of Colonel Mills, through whose agency the Government were induced to lend, under very favourable conditions, a piece of ground between the two west wings of Somerset House, approached from the Embankment by what was originally the West Watergate.
It was estimated that a building suitable for the purpose could be erected on this site for about £3,000. At a meeting of officers, at which Lord Bury presided, held at the Audit Office on 19th February, 1890, it was decided to attempt to raise this sum by an appeal for subscriptions addressed principally to the upper ranks of the Civil Service. H.R.H. the Prince of Wales was graciously pleased to head the list with a donation of one hundred guineas. The Governor and Directors of the Bank of England subscribed a like sum, and within a few months Colonel Mills had personally collected £1,300 from the ministerial and permanent heads of Departments and others of high rank in the Government Offices.