Quebec Barracks in Osnabrück

When the IRA had a go at Quebec Bks. I'd been in the area a couple of days before. Not as a squaddy, those days were long gone, but I was in Germany making one of my frequent get togethers with a German lady I'd met on holiday. We wandered around all over from her split-level bungalow with swimming pool in the Pfalz area, but that's another story. She couldn't think why anybody would want to visit Osnabruck, but gave in. I'd got the tel No. of the REs in residence, spoke with the Adj. He was dubious at first, guarded about an unknown civvy wanting to make a visit, but eventually agreed. I'd be met at the gate and escorted round.

To prove my story of being confined there for two years in the distant past, I insisted that I led my corporal minder to Block 9, my old billet, the old Bty office in Block 23, the NAAFI & the MT sheds. It hadn't changed much, only for the better. Rooms which slept four of us now only had one bed, the once cream walls & green dado were painted over, adorned with a mural. Obviously a microwave oven, a hi-fi & a satellite TV were essential to keep a regular squaddy happy. The regt. square, upon which we weren't even allowed to cast a shadow was filled with Mercs & BMWs of senior NCOs. Lower down the pecking order the Fords, Opels & VWs were transport for the less privileged. Not much chance of footdrill there, then.

I'd expressed surprise at the vehicle entrance behind the POL point & MT shed. Never knew that existed. The corporal indulged my curiosity, let me have a closer inspection.

Two days later, we were back in the mediaeval village in the Pfalz, on the TV there was a report that the IRA had parked outside that rear entrance that I'd found to be so interesting and lobbed a couple of home made mortars at the POL pumps. I expected being dragged in by the Polizei when I booked in at the airport.

I was in Quebec Barracks at the time. Well was stationed there but actually on Adventure Training. It came as a bit of a shock to everyone and it was a lucky day as they somehow managed to miss blowing up the POL point which was very near that back gate. Casting my mind back the one of the guys involved was actually and Ex Engineer from what i remember.

Luckily there were no deaths or major casualties.

You win some, you lose some

We discussed the possible origins of the name Quebec Barracks elsewhere on the site some 18 months ago. Amongst the the options was a Battalionof the French speaking Canadian Regiment de la Chaudiere who were part of the Canadian Army Occupation Force in the late 1945- early 1946 period and were recruited from the Quebec area (Osnabruck was a Canadian responsibility at the time).

However I have now seen the relevent war diaries for the time and it is clear that the Regiment was never in Osnabruck.

This poses the question who did name the Barracks? Our Canadian contributors robustly pointed out that it was most unlikely that an English speaking unit would do so.

A number of new contributors who were stationed there in the early 1950s have joined the site recently, can any one help?

Ref name of Quebec Bks..........

Only a guess, but I always thought they were named after the Battle of Quebec, 1759, famous for General Wolfe, scaling the Heights of Abraham, etc. when the Brits were having a set-to in Canada with the French.

It's logical when you think........ we've a tradition of naming bks. and army establishments after battles ( Waterloo, Imphal, Mons, etc.).

cartav

Thanks for your comments which I agree with in principle

However there is always an exception to the rule and Osnabruck is full of them eg Roberts Barracks, the Sapper bastion-named after FM Lord Roberts one of the more British successful Generals in the Boer War. Scarborough Barracks battles between mods and rockers along the sea front did not start till the early 60s well after the Barracks were named though there is obviously an East Yorkshire connection here.

Anybody know which Regiments had the Battle Honour Quebec? Will then be up to Steve and I to find out if they were ever based in Osnabruck

http://www.army.mod.uk/infantry/regiments/11694.aspx


The Yorkshire Regiment

Kind of sews it up methinks

JPW wrote:

cartav

Anybody know which Regiments had the Battle Honour Quebec? Will then be up to Steve and I to find out if they were ever based in Osnabruck

The Greenjackets had "Quebec" on their battle honours.

There was an RA battery that had it for a battle honour too but I can't recall which

Gordon

If only life was so simple

The names quoted by the contributors are those in use today

What I was looking for were those in use in the period 1945-48

Further to my earlier posting I think the Infantry Regiments with the Battle Honour Quebec were (many have changed names atleast twice since then)

East Yorkshire Regiment
Gloucestershire Regiment
Royal Sussex Regiment
Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
The Loyals (North Lancashire)
Northamptonshire Regiment
and Kings' Royal Rifle Corps

Now all we have to do is find out which of these Regiments was first into the Eversburg Lager and renamed it Quebec Barracks (have discounted the Gunners- Woolwich Barracks was clearly their contribution to Osnabruck Barrack names

Have the following on record which may be a clue
Jun 45 – 3rd Canadian Infantry Division CAOF formed in Holland to Germany Jul 45 – HQ Bad Zwischenahn
HQ Royal Canadian Engineers – Bad Zwischenahn
part of was
1 CRE Works – Oldenburg to UK Apr 46 disbanded responsibility to CRE 1st Corps District
1 Works Section – Maple Leaf Barracks Aurich
2 Works Section – Osnabrück
3 Works Section – Osnabrück
The barracks were a POW camp for officers thanks to JPW pointing out Eversburg Lager...perhaps the Canadians named it
Regards
Steve