Was it really that much fun being in the british army in germany in the 70s/80s ?

[ferretfixer]

Had the pleasure of cornering and blocking 2 of these soxmis cars in hemer behind the sally army /church army place , whilst i was teaching some young lads to drive a 432 on public roads , Rmp's didnt hang about either , we all got a citation for being vigilant , just pure luck we saw them .

 

What Mob were you with there in Hemer? I was REME Attached to 1 WFR & later 2 LI. The Irish Rangers were next door for years. the later the RRF I belive.

Mike

[AlienFTM]

What Mob were you with there in Hemer? I was REME Attached to 1 WFR & later 2 LI. The Irish Rangers were next door for years. the later the RRF I belive.

Mike

 

Weren't either 5 Heavy Regt RA or 50 Missile in Hemer? Or were they next door in Menden. I know I did site guards hosted by each and I am sure one or other was either in Hemer or Menden and memory refuses to fill in the details.

 

Site Guard - arguably one of the down sides of BAOR during the period, but even then there were fond memories to be had.

[eddy8men]

thanks robin

[Big Al]

Weren't either 5 Heavy Regt RA or 50 Missile in Hemer? Or were they next door in Menden. I know I did site guards hosted by each and I am sure one or other was either in Hemer or Menden and memory refuses to fill in the details.

 

Site Guard - arguably one of the down sides of BAOR during the period, but even then there were fond memories to be had.

In 79/81 50 missile were at menden if I remembed correctly

Al

[Diesel demon]

In 79/81 50 missile were at menden if I remembed correctly

Al

 

50 Missile were in Celle, I got posted there on the Royal Sigs rear link but dodged it at the last minute

[ferretfixer]

Weren't either 5 Heavy Regt RA or 50 Missile in Hemer? Or were they next door in Menden. I know I did site guards hosted by each and I am sure one or other was either in Hemer or Menden and memory refuses to fill in the details.

 

Site Guard - arguably one of the down sides of BAOR during the period, but even then there were fond memories to be had.

 

50 Missile were in Menden during 75-78 whilst I was in Iserlohn a click up the road. Also STILL there when I was in Hemer (Actually the location for 1 WFR/ 2LI Was Deilinghofen!) Went back a few years later as a Civvy visiting & ALL those locations were closed! VERY sad & a bit of a shock too. :embarrassed: I belive Corunna Barrack, or Seidlitz Kasserne as the Gerrys called the camp in Iserlohn. Was the last of the batch to be handed back to the German Authorities. :embarrassed:

Hemer NOW is a nature park (Used to be a training area, & during the war was covered in AA Guns) & alongside what was the camps it's an industrial estate! The german barracks that used to be a Tank & Medical Unit, is now a Huge Garden Centre!

As I call it: 'Progress with a HUGE Question Mark!' Mike. :embarrassed:

[AlienFTM]

50 Missile were in Menden during 75-78 whilst I was in Iserlohn a click up the road. Also STILL there when I was in Hemer (Actually the location for 1 WFR/ 2LI Was Deilinghofen!) Went back a few years later as a Civvy visiting & ALL those locations were closed!

 

I'm not entirely surprised that, come the end of the war, the nukes got pulled early on. I am happy to know that Alanbrook Bks, Paderborn (and the garrison as a whole - my best man from 1981 was GSM of Sennelager until a couple of years ago) is still occupied, which on balance more than makes up for Osnabrück having been closed recently.

[ferretfixer]

I'm not entirely surprised that, come the end of the war, the nukes got pulled early on. I am happy to know that Alanbrook Bks, Paderborn (and the garrison as a whole - my best man from 1981 was GSM of Sennelager until a couple of years ago) is still occupied, which on balance more than makes up for Osnabrück having been closed recently.

 

Osnabruck; What a super posting that was, I REALLY enjoyed that place! I was attached to 3 Para for two years. Happy days!

[schliesser92]

Currently living in Germany, I visited my two locations where I was stationed.

 

Churchill Barracks, Lippstadt seems to be in the process of being converted into flats etc.

 

Caithness Barracks, Verden is now the Kreisverwaltung (county administration). My old workshop building (Mike Troop to us Signals types) is now a lawn!

 

A lot of old US military installations in the Rhein-Main area are now deserted. Being barracks from the 1930s, most are been pulled down. One barracks in Frankfurt is now a Bundespolizei installation, the rest demolished to make way for housing estates, police headquarters and the new central fire station. The 97th General Hospital is now the US Consulate.

 

It is sad to see them go, but reassuring that the land is being sensibly recycled.

[ArtistsRifles]

Do you know the fate of the old US 3rd Armoured Div's HQ at Gelhausen, Frankfurt-am-Main??

 

I spent some time there during Crusader 78, the barracks we were assigned to were 1930's German with the eagle over the doors and, looking closely, you could see where the swastika used to be. Pretty ramshackle inside - of the whole block maybe two room on one floor were inhabitable. The US army made it pretty plain we weren't wanted there..... At first the mess hall and p/x were off limits to us so we were living off compo in barracks. It was a relief to get out in the field. Was a bit better at end-ex but not an awful lot.

I think the main reason being they were Blue Forces and we were Orange for the exercise

 

We got our own back though in 21's usual Regimental style

[schliesser92]

Do you know the fate of the old US 3rd Armoured Div's HQ at Gelhausen, Frankfurt-am-Main??

 

I spent some time there during Crusader 78, the barracks we were assigned to were 1930's German with the eagle over the doors and, looking closely, you could see where the swastika used to be. Pretty ramshackle inside - of the whole block maybe two room on one floor were inhabitable. The US army made it pretty plain we weren't wanted there..... At first the mess hall and p/x were off limits to us so we were living off compo in barracks. It was a relief to get out in the field. Was a bit better at end-ex but not an awful lot.

I think the main reason being they were Blue Forces and we were Orange for the exercise

 

We got our own back though in 21's usual Regimental style

 

Gelnhausen (near Hanau) has been closed for years. The units in nearby Hanau (Air Defence ie Patriot) are scheduled to move to Baumholder next year. 3 Division and 8 Division no longer exist. The Rhein-Main area is now guest to 1st Armoured Division. This is headquartered in Wiesbaden.

[ArtistsRifles]

Many thanks! Although some of the memories weren't the best it is still sad to see a place vanish like that.

[schliesser92]

Many thanks! Although some of the memories weren't the best it is still sad to see a place vanish like that.

 

I never liked working with the Yanks, although there were one or two good guys amongst them.

 

In the early 70s, the main trouble was caused by some redneck asking why we were not in Nam. Usual reply was because the Viet Cong did not need our services! Instant fight!

 

My then girlfriend, an NCO in the comcen at UKLF (Wilton) once drank a USMC Master Gunnery Sergeant under the table! She was drinking snakebites - from the wood! It was sort of grey with rats tails etc floating in it. (Her parents ran a country pub in the West Country - which was why she was my girlfriend!)

 

We once had another US Army SNCO with us in Catterick in 1980. We took him to the Tan Hill Inn and fed him with Theakstons Old Peculiar. It was OK until some idiot left the door open. Eeh, the bugger were heavy, when we lifted him into the back of the Landy.

 

happy days!

[Diesel demon]

I never believd the stories about them being issued cards telling them never to drrink, play cards, or fight with the British until I saw one !

[bjbsophey]

What Mob were you with there in Hemer? I was REME Attached to 1 WFR & later 2 LI. The Irish Rangers were next door for years. the later the RRF I belive.

Mike

 

 

 

I was in 50 missile at Menden , someone mentioned 50 msl being in Celle , They was only ever stationed in Menden Think 94 locating was at celle ,you maybe thinking of 39 msl regt or 24 msl regt 24 msl got dispanded and 39 regt reroled ,

[schliesser92]

I was in 50 missile at Menden , someone mentioned 50 msl being in Celle , They was only ever stationed in Menden Think 94 locating was at celle ,you maybe thinking of 39 msl regt or 24 msl regt 24 msl got dispanded and 39 regt reroled ,

 

 

Celle was home to 94 (Locating) Regt RA and 14 Signal Regt (EW).

[Diesel demon]

Celle was home to 94 (Locating) Regt RA and 14 Signal Regt (EW).

 

My mistake, your fault

[ferretfixer]

I was in 50 missile at Menden , someone mentioned 50 msl being in Celle , They was only ever stationed in Menden Think 94 locating was at celle ,you maybe thinking of 39 msl regt or 24 msl regt 24 msl got dispanded and 39 regt reroled ,

 

Yep, remember lying on the old steel beds in the Attic in one of the Blocks over Christmas doing site guard for the Yank Missile base up the road. (SHUSH! Must not mention the location!) 50 Missile is also Long closed. Sad to see a chain round the gate & weeds growing up through the cobbled roads! :embarrassed: It was a fair few years since I visited, I wonder what it's fate is now? Probably bulldozed & made into Civvy Houses! :embarrassed:

[schliesser92]

Yep, remember lying on the old steel beds in the Attic in one of the Blocks over Christmas doing site guard for the Yank Missile base up the road. (SHUSH! Must not mention the location!) 50 Missile is also Long closed. Sad to see a chain round the gate & weeds growing up through the cobbled roads! :embarrassed: It was a fair few years since I visited, I wonder what it's fate is now? Probably bulldozed & made into Civvy Houses! :embarrassed:

 

 

http://baor-locations.co.uk/menden.aspx

 

http://picasaweb.google.com/historicsteve/MENDENNorthumberlandBarracks2009#

 

Incidentally, Taunton Barracks, Celle (where 94 Locating and afterwards 14 Sigs were based) is now the Town Hall (Rathaus) for Celle. It started life as a German infantry barracks (Heide Kaserne)

 

As for the WSPs, you only had to ask Soxmis - they knew where they all were!

Edited September 27, 2010 by schliesser92

[AlienFTM]

I was in 50 missile at Menden , someone mentioned 50 msl being in Celle , They was only ever stationed in Menden Think 94 locating was at celle ,you maybe thinking of 39 msl regt or 24 msl regt 24 msl got dispanded and 39 regt reroled ,

 

39 was a Field Regiment in Sennelager when I passed briefly back through Padders in 1985. I am fairly sure they were there when the Uncle Tom's Cabin Football Team played a match in the same barracks (Dempsey?) around 1980. But I could be wrong.

[AlienFTM]

Yep, remember lying on the old steel beds in the Attic in one of the Blocks over Christmas doing site guard for the Yank Missile base up the road.

 

That's the one I was alluding to previously. ISTR the equivalent of a whole squadron in a dusty single room in the attic. Crash out route was through the town and Deity have mercy on you if you got crashed out and timed and you didn't respond quickly enough for the merkins because of the rush hour traffic.

 

Edit: a third of a squadron: 1/3 on site rotating with those in camp and another third on 45 minutes standby further out. something like that: it was a lo-o-o-ong time ago

Edited September 27, 2010 by AlienFTM

[bjbsophey]

Yep, remember lying on the old steel beds in the Attic in one of the Blocks over Christmas doing site guard for the Yank Missile base up the road. (SHUSH! Must not mention the location!) 50 Missile is also Long closed. Sad to see a chain round the gate & weeds growing up through the cobbled roads! :embarrassed: It was a fair few years since I visited, I wonder what it's fate is now? Probably bulldozed & made into Civvy Houses! :embarrassed:

 

Its all civvy housing now , the parade square is flats , and industrial units, the site at hemer if you remebmer went into a dip , but now is level, they filled it in its all gone .

[ArtistsRifles]

That was an interesting link: http://baor-locations.co.uk/

I had a look at Recklingshausen too - also gone. :-(

In my day it was home to the European theater version of the Pink Panther and thus one of 21's happy places - we would go there on the advance and rear guards to collect and prep the vehicles. One of my abiding memories whilst on night stag is a long line of Landie blood carts all gently rocking on their springs...

[Zero-Five-Two]

Been reading this thread for so long me sandbag’s getting uncomfortable, and all this light swinging is making me dizzy but I feel I’ve got to have my two bobs worth.

 

As a Royal Engineer I spent a good number of years in various locations over there including Osnabruck, Monchengladbach, Hameln, and of course, a lot of time at Soltau, getting Bratties off Wolfgang.

 

Of course there was bad bits like site guard and such; (40 people crowding round one monopoly board with a game that lasted for two or three days) but I reckon most of it was good. What with tax free booze, fags, cars etc and they paid you extra LOA to cope with it all!

 

It seems a shame now to hear of all the barracks being bulldozed for redevelopment, looking on google earth and seeing the odd building left from what had been a huge camp somewhere. Progress I suppose?

 

Couple of points to raise to keep the thread going. 1. BFBS Radio. Absolutely superb service, Mark Tyley, Richard Nankievel etc never listened to anything else. Is it still going? What happened to Nankers The Old Horse?

 

2. Sport. Yeah, we all played football and Rugby etc but when I was with 40 Group there was a thriving league of motor racing at the likes of RAF Wildenrath. Not quite proper racing, but what to do with that old BFG car when it failed the TUV test

 

See pic, 40 Group team circa 1984, we used to use a Scammell Crusader and Plant trailer from the MT to get to a meeting, if you stack them right you can get 8 cars on a 38 ton trailer!

 

 

 

Seem to have come over all fluffy and nostalgic all of a sudden

[Bob Grundy]

I have been trawling my archives and I think that these and other photos may give an insight into a TA unit deploying for Crusader 80 in BAOR.

The unit is 5/8 Kings and is shown leaving Peninsular Barracks, Warrington for Manchester

Airport in the late summer 1980.

Thirty years ago, where did the years go ?