Depot 90

Can anyone tell me why it is outside the STC wire?
Also, are there any aerial pics from when it was in use pref with the railway line that went to Sennelager bahnhof (or is that just a rumour?)

Depot 90 wasn't exactly outside of the wire, it was within STC but because it was an ammunition depot it obviously had to have it's own perimiter fence a short stretch of which bordered the range road (to the west of the depot if memory serves) this was the only area where the perimiter fence of the depot also formed the perimiter of STC.

Looking at an ariel pic of depot 90 wont tell you much unless you are familiar with it on the ground, all you will see is trees. It was very well camouflaged from the air.

When we did bulk ammo movements from/to depot 90 from/to the railhead (Sennelager Bahnof) we would have a troop of RCT (usually from 10 Regt) who were loaded/unloaded at each end by our Eager Beaver operators. I remember we were always given 12 hours to complete the task.

I was posted to 53 Ordnance Company (Depot 90) from 1986 to 1989.

I myself spent 3 years in 44 RP Company, which was one of the 3 companies making up 1 Combat Supplies Battalion, HQ was based in Barker Bks, Paderborn.
There were many stories about Depot 90, one being that the Depot was not discovered until 1945 as an American or RAF aircraft attacked a Train loaded with munitions which was entering the Depot, it subsequently exploded giving away the Location.

The perimeter fence was guarded by the Civilian "Mojo´s" with their dogs and believe me you didn´t want to meet one of those dogs without its handler

This sounds very familiar. I'm sure i put COFFER into there in the mid '80's.

jim wrote:

This sounds very familiar. I'm sure i put COFFER into there in the mid '80's.

After my time in Paderborn, we used the big ugly black binders, I think we called them Kazoos or something along that line.
I first got to grips with COFFER at 5 Armd Wksps in 1985.

Ah yes Shep, I remember the binders well, just for replacing them.

Shep wrote:

I myself spent 3 years in 44 RP Company, which was one of the 3 companies making up 1 Combat Supplies Battalion, HQ was based in Barker Bks, Paderborn.
There were many stories about Depot 90, one being that the Depot was not discovered until 1945 as an American or RAF aircraft attacked a Train loaded with munitions which was entering the Depot, it subsequently exploded giving away the Location.

The perimeter fence was guarded by the Civilian "Mojo´s" with their dogs and believe me you didn´t want to meet one of those dogs without its handler

Mojo dog handlers patrolled the depot while I was there as well Shep. They patrolled from 18.00 to 06.00 (inside the wire) and would usually let the dogs off the lead. Occasionally we would have to enter the depot during silent hours (usually a false ESH alarm) once in the depot we would never get out of the vehicle. As you say, no one would want to bump into one of those dogs, even with their handlers they were vicious buggers.

Shep, do you remember Jock McLaughlin?

Hi mates,

is Depot 90 still in use today? It's OK if nobody wants to say me something about the Depot 90 because it is still in operation.

The reason for the question is, that somebody try to tell me, that Depot 90 was a SAS-Site (Special Ammunition Storage Site).I cannot believe it because I can't see the watch towers, the double fences and for me is the whole area a little too big.

I think that the SAS-Site was on Coordinates

51° 46.369'N 8° 45.799'E

I'm right?!

Thanks Oliver

I'm clearly out of date on Code Words. If COFFER is now de-classified may I please have an explanation.

I was Garrison RQMS Paderborn Garrison from 2004 until 2007 and Depot 90 was my stores area, we used all the bunkers to store our kit.

I worked at Depot 90 from 1977 to 1979 and you could clearly see the rail loading platforms in the woods and the odd section of rail as well.

Here is a 1960's plan with tracks and fence shown



This plan forms part of an RE EOD report from 1977 when the cleared the central woods of hazards in readiness of building the Lance MMA storage area.

A new STC Ammuntion Storage Area was also built in the late 70's early 80's along with a number of Modern ESH's for the depot.

I was the last Depot Warrant Officer for Depot 90 and I closed the depot down after out loading all the ammunition to various ammo locations in BFG. We had a survey done to clear the site of a lot of u exploded German WW2 munitions but it proved too costly so it was handed over to the garrison as a storage site with the intention to hand it back to the German authorities at a later date. I was on strength at 6 Supply Regt 61 Ammo Sqn in Gutersloh but operated with a team of 8 to 10 soldiers including the ATs. Good times in Depot 90! All the rumours are mostly without facts but I did a detailed historical study of the Depot for a presentation to Lt General Cross just before we closed it down.
Happy to answer any questions 😀

The vanished sketch of Depot 90 now attached. The western boundary of the trg area is to the left of the road (Staumuehlestrasse) ie close to 20 metres west of the Depot fence. It retains its licence as an ammo storage site partly because there are still bunker issues there & just to the north is an additional compound - Visiting units ammo storage for ready to use ammo for units in trg. It was never an SAS. Two of three former SAS sites are redundant. the middle one that is visible on current maps is a training facility, and the older motor storage place (NE) is absorbed within the garrison storage area out beyond Athlone Barracks, also visible on Google Earth. (The original one closed before 1965 - the steel towers were around 10 metres high!)

There is another, redundant NATO ammo site even further East - on the SE corner of the trg area estate. (also visible on Google Maps)

A little explanation - SAS in this context are Special Ammo Storage (sites). There were several operated by Brit and other nations, - double fenced Brits/other nations doing the external guards and American custodians on the inside. The ammo belonged to the US Army until released to the user nation, the users had bought the weapons systems (HJ, 210 mm / 155 mm cannon, etc) from the US.

The first SAS Site was at Sennelager a short distance East of Diebesweg on the site of the original Kaiser's Cavalry Exercise Platz, had six high towers (metal) - probably a quick fix until the real site with bunkers was completed around a km East of Athlone Barracks - same double fence principle with 4 wooden guard towers, a Gd Room and Kitchen outside, and a US Gd Rm inside. Its still there - a training facility. Google reveals all.

There was a further storeplace for rocket motors HJ. This was later absorbed in to the Garrison ammo site (extant). The only lasting benefit of the sites was the versatility of 9 and 12 ply wooden boxes which found use in building garage walls, battery bars, adding exercise furniture under the canopy of Bedfords.