RAF Oldenburg

Hi Trevor Parry, It appears that we both served at the same time with 3MRSU I have just comeback on here after a few years absence without leave and saw your post of last year. I remember a lot of the people you mention. Do you remember the 3mrsu song, I remember the tune but I have forgotten the words a long time ago. I remember Flight Sgt Chipperfield, we used to call the Unit Chipperfields Circus. I was sent up to Sylt on a 3MRSU detatchment for my last 14 months in Germany and only returned to Oldenburgh when I was repatriated. Are you in contact with any one from those days, if so I would be interested to know who.I believe I rember your name but cannot put your face to it. My name is John Chambers I was at the unit from whitsun 1952 to September !955.

I would be pleased to hear from you sometime.

I have just discovered this site and have been reading all your comments and questions. I was a national serviceman and went to Oldenburg in January 1957. I was a corporal Instrument fitter serving on 14 Sqadron, which were flying Hunter Mk4's then around May that year were replaced with Hunter Mk 6's.
With regards to JPW about the Canadians taking Oldenburg, this was true. However the story I heard was that when the Canadians were entering the town, there was some firing from the railway station and the leading canadian tank fired a round and blew a large hole in the Bahnhoff building entrance and that was the end of any resistance. I can verify about the station wall, it had been repaired but the evidence of the large repair was there. Also the town was in very good condition with no visible sign of building destruction which was still evident in nearby larger cities like Bremen, Hamburg and Hannover. They were devastated.

Commenting on Gerry who was at school in Oldenburg around the same time that I was there. During 1957 appart from station flight and a contingent or two of RAF regiment there were 3 Hunter Squadrons. 14, 20 and 26sqdn. and they all moved out in September for the emerging German airforce. I believe that 26sqdn was disbanded. 20 and 14 sqdn were relocated to Alhorn for a few months where they were then relocated to RAF Javer. As 14 sqdn was last to leave Olenburg I clearly remember the German airforce planes lined up outside the hangers and they were the American Starfighters.
14 sqdn and 20 sdrn were then relocated to Gutersloh around January 1958.

Regarding comments of Brum I believe the Suez war was indeed the reason for the influx of Canberras. On my entry into the RAF in January 1956, after training half of us were sent to the middle east (Suez) and the rest of us went to Germany. The Canberras mission was to take out the Egyption airforce which they did. Whilst I was in Germany during 1957 canberras of 59sqdn were stationed at Gutersloh. Incidently our runway at Oldenburg were regularly buzzed by Swift FR5 stationed also at Gutersloh and Javer. I think this was the last of this tiny Jet.

Oldenburg was also a large army camp at this time.

I hope these comments are of help.

Regards, Bansman.

Hi Bandsman and welcome to the site.

you might find this site a useful start point: http://www.mil-airfields.de/germany/airbases.htm


It includes sections on both the Old Germanies and the adjacent countries. Some sites have links o more detail.

Since my first comments on other members letters I must correct something I said. My memory definitely let me down. Gerry said that the emerging German Airforce started off with F86 Sabres. He was correct. I have checked several historic comments and this seems to be undisputable. Also my comment that I remembered the side of the runway was lined up with Star Fighters awaiting for the airforce to arrive, was incorrect. The planes were in fact Lockheed P80 Shooting Star fighters. I mixed up the names. My mistake was that I assumed that these shooting Stars were to be used, but obviously they were only being parked there on an empty airfield, awaiting to be shipped off somewhere else.
I hope this clears up these points.
Regards, Bandsman.

Recently found this site whilst browsing for RAF Oldenburg where I was posted to in 1955.  I found all the posts interesting and can add one or two notes to the points raised by "Gerry" and others.    I arrived in February of 1955 (after a rough overnight North Sea crossing and via a transit camp in Beilefeld (I believe), for the second night.

The squadrons stationed there were nos. 14, 20 and 26, flying Sabre F86s then Hunter F4s.  I was a photographer posted to 20 squadron but also having to work in the Control Tower building where photo processing was done.   There were indeed two Royal visits while I was there when the Duke of Edinburgh presented colours to 26 sqdn, I believe, and Princess Margaret presented colours to 20 sqdn.

The cinema referred to was the inevitable "Astra" and was one of the first to have CinemaScope.  One of the other photographers was a projectionist in civvy street and spent many evenings working in the projection box.

Just remembered! Further to my previous post just now, I checked Google Earth for the airfield and was surprised to see that it is now a massive SolarPark. Ah well! No more scraping the ice of the runway in the winter months as I and many did in 1956.

Hello Foto2TAF

Many thanks for your comments, - very much appreciated.   I wonder if you have kept any personal photos of Sabres from your time at Oldenburg.  If so, would (or more precisely, could) you share them with me please?
I recently bought a book called "Sabre - From the Cockpit" which deals with Sabres in RAF service.  The main contributor is an ex 26 Sqdn pilot called Charles Keil.  Do you remember him?  I had a short, but very interesting, correspondence with him about his time in Oldenburg, and there are other articles in the book which discuss life in general in 2ATAF in that period.

You can contact me - I think! - through my profile if you prefer.

Gerry.

Loosely related to this topic perhaps:

Mention is made earlier of the town of Alhorn, this reminded me of the fact that in this area there is a Commonwealth war cemetery which I drive past from time to time.  I have often wondered why it is there and who is laid to rest there.  Perhaps I should take the time to pay a visit next time.

Archie

There was an operational RAF Base there in the 1950's could be victims of fatal flying accidents were buried there. I think the town was captured by units from 2nd Canadian Corps in late April/very early May 1945. The Canadian Government took a policy decision that no Canadian soldier would be permanently buried in German soil, Canadian Soldiers killed in action in the last days of World War Two last resting place therefore is in the Reichswald CWG Cemetery just over the Dutch border near Nijmegen.

Thanks for the information JPW. I will definitely stop for a look next time I'm up that way.

Back on topic: http://www.fliegerhorst-oldenburg.de/pdf/fliegerhorst2.pdf

Reichswald Forest Cemetery is in Germany, near the town of Kleve and is very close to the Dutch border. There are 705 Canadian dead commemorated there. whether the bodies are there or just the headstones I don't know.

I would be very interested to learn the name of the C.W.G.C. cemetery near Ahlhorn. I should then be able to trace the names of those buried there and can then also trace post war .R.A.F. casualties for anyone interested.

I think the cemetery is at Sage with 791 WW2 dead commemorated (Army and Air force) of which 122 are Canadians. Post WW2 casualties, after 31 December 1945 are not covered by Commonwealth War Graves Commission but by R.A.F. Casualties Branch (where I worked for a time prior to the establishment of the National Memorial Arboretum at Alrewas, Staffs.)

Re: Above comments..... There was a flying accident at RAF Oldenburg c.1956.   I was the duty photographer and was sent to photograph the scene for the subsequent enquiry.  I was also part of the Guard of Honour which fired the salute at the funeral which was held at Hanover.

I think this must have been the accident on 22nd October 1955 when a Hunter F4, WV271, from Jever, which had landed u/s some days earlier, took off to return to Jever. It was reported to have climbed steeply then returned to the circuit and executed a roll to starboard. It commenced a second roll but the nose dropped when the aircraft became inverted and it dived into the ground. The Sergeant pilot was killed in the impact.

There was a previous accident in 1955:

Canadair Sabre F4 (F-86E)
Owner/operator: Royal Air Force (RAF)
Registration: XB839
C/n / msn:
Fatalities: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities: 0
Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location: 8 mi from RAF Oldenburg - Germany
Phase:
Nature: Military
Departure airport: RAF Oldenburg
Destination airport:
Narrative:
Fell to the ground after take-off. Pilot ejected but killed when struck the tail.

and one 16th August 1955:

Owner/operator: Royal Air Force (RAF)
Registration: XB808
C/n / msn: 562
Fatalities: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities: 0
Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location: Meppen Range - United Kingdom
Phase: Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature: Military
Departure airport: RAF Oldenburg
Destination airport:
Narrative:
Stalled when pulling up from attack run.

Steve you're right - it is Sage near the village of Großenkneten between Alhorn and Oldenburg. From what I've seen in passing it looks very well maintained.

Steve.L : The crash I photographed was when a Hunter F4, piloted by a Flt. Lieutenant, took off from Oldenburg with another Hunter (in a pair). They were going to another airfield, (could have been Jever or Ahlhorn) at a Saturday lunchtime. The Hunter from O'burg turned to starboard at lift-off and hit his wingtip on the ground. The aircraft cart-wheeled and disintegrated in flames.

Hi Foto2TAF:

I regret I cannot find any more information on the databases regarding a Hunter F4 with a FltLt pilot. The 22nd October incident was a Saturday and the suggestion is that there were two 4 Squadron F4s but only one involved in an incident. the accident 'description' is from witnesses and included in the accident report as 'narrative evidence' rather than 'fact'. Otherwise your account is similar to the accident report. sorry I cannot trace anything more conclusive from the accident logs or the burials at Hanover Military Cemetery.

Hello,

I'm living in Oldenburg and I'm looking for Information to find my Grandfather. He was station in Oldenburg/Airfield/Fliegerhorst in 1945. I'm thinking his unit was the "Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers". My Dad Günter was born in June 1946. My Grandmothers name was called Hildburg Keller.

I would be very happy if I could get information about the names of the deployed unit. Any information would also make me very far in my search.

Regards,
André

Andre

Herzlich wilkommen

With the very significant assistance of the Canadian and other contributors to this site I am currently researching and recording details of the British and Canadian presence in Oldenburg from May 1945 to Autumn 1947.

The Stadt had been captured by the Canadian 2nd Infantry Division in late April 1945 but the Canadian 4th Armoured Division reinforced by a British Artillery Brigade formed the first Occupation Troops in the Stadt. In July 1945 the Canadian 3rd Infantry Division (CAOF (Canadian Army Occupation Force)) took over overall command.The Luftwaffe Alexanderfelt Airfield (known to the British/Canadians as Alexander Field) had been severely damaged by bombing and in the capture of the Stadt. Apart from light aircraft it was regarded as non operational by the RAF/RCAF.

It was therefore developed as a major logistic supply base by the Canadians in particular for the resupply of the entire Canadian Division who were deployed along the coastal area stretching from the Dutch border at Leer to the Weser estuary at Varel at this time. Elsewhere in the town the British Artillery Brigade were responsible and set up there own logistic system.

There were two large REME units in Oldenburg at this time

a. The Canadian Divisional Troops Workshop RCEME based at the Airfield and

b. The British 4 Artillery Group Royal Artillery (4AGRA) Workshop REME based in the FLAK Kaserne in the centre of town.

To complicate matters many of the other units in Oldenburg would have had a small team of REME or RCEME tradesmen to carry out simple quick repairs on unit equipment removing the need to send the item back to the larger workshop where ever possible. I am afraid it will be virtually impossible to identify your great grandfather's unit as I doubt whether any list of unit personnel exist now

I hope this information is helpful

Andre

Forgot to mention that I believe 4 AGRA Workshop was located in what you would know as Donnerschwee Kaserne

Hi JPW,

first of all I want to thank you very much for your quick and detailed response also with you.

Me very aware that I stand with my desire very much in the fog. I research page already years. Not very intense, but as soon as I find time, I am researching other options.

I myself was born and raised in Donnerwee district. Therefore I also have some relation to Donnerschweer barracks. This was indeed konipiert for air defense. Meanwhile, there is no military operation and will be privatized in the future.

I think that could be the unit circle of my grandfather in logic a bit actually, since he was among the first troops that were stationed at the airbase. My grandmother lived near the airport. The place is called "oven". So directly from the two Airport.

Is there an archive in England, this has records, what soldier was when and where explicitly used in Germany, in Oldenburg?

regards,
André

regards,
André

Andre

Glad to be of help

Canadian units were the first troops to be based in Ofen in May 1945.

My source documents are the War Diaries for the various units based in Oldenburg throughout 1945/1946 which are held in the British National Archives in Kew in London. Unfortunately they do not have lists of the individual soldiers serving with a unit at any particular time.

There is one other possibility but this will depend very much on what personnel details you know about your grandfather. I will contact you privately to see if this is possible

Oldenburg: Air Base
For historical information only, do not use for navigation or aviation purposes!
Coordinates: N531049 E0080939 (WGS84) Google Maps
Elevation: 40'
Location Indicator: EDNO (1990)
Operator: Luftwaffe / German Airforce
Use during the Cold War
Used by RAF until 1957, thereafter German Airforce airbase.
Current use
Closed.
Runways
Data for the year 1990:
10/28: 2118 m x 30 m Concrete

Google this:     mil-airfields.de/germany/oldenburg-airbase.html

Fliegerhorst Oldenburg now being redevelopped and USAAF UXB turned up (Jan 2019) :

https://www.oldenburg.de/startseite/leben-wohnen/planen-bauen/fliegerhorst/neue-infrastruktur-fuer-den-stadtteil.html