Unknown Barracks in Minden??

I have just come across a possible reference to a Barracks in Minden, and am asking all you wise people out there if you have heard of it.

It was apparently called Joslin Barracks (spelling as found) and was on Ringstrasse. I have no knowledge of Minden at all, so call on those who were there for help.

Paul.

Hello Paul
There is a Ringstrasse in Minden, but I have never heard of that Barracks,I was there for 5 years in the 60s and have family in Bad O, which we visit every year.
Yours
Joe

hi paul,
there is some information on the web as to it being a prisoner of war camp.try these links

http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=101407



http://www.bantamspast.co.uk/TheFrontRoomo...ckie'b.html.



Daniel McCarthy, has written book "The Prisoner of war in Germany" features an entire chapter on Minden, pp.77-104. It has now been digitised.

hope this helps.

Re unknown barracks in Mindon
In1956 (September) I was posted to 87 Tels Wksp REME at Malita House. Apparently previously been a coffee factory. I was only there for a week before moving onto 31 Armd Wksp REME at Rotenberg.

Re unknown barracks in Minden
I was stationed in Clifton Barracks (Mudra Kasserne) from 1985 - 2000 this was situated in the Ringstrasse, there was no other camp on this Road, however the name of Joslin Barracks does ring a bell, but i do belive it to be the location of the Red shield and church on the following bearing "Joslin Barracks" lat=52.2926916746, lon=8.91510910239 google earth.

Red shield and church I think thats where The Minden Amin Club (MAC,s Bar)was,over the Weser Bridge go right and follow the road around on the right hand side,there was two bars across the road,but all that has gone now. I was there last year.
Joe

Kevm wrote:

Re unknown barracks in Minden
I was stationed in Clifton Barracks (Mudra Kasserne) from 1985 - 2000 this was situated in the Ringstrasse, there was no other camp on this Road, however the name of Joslin Barracks does ring a bell, but i do belive it to be the location of the Red shield and church on the following bearing "Joslin Barracks" lat=52.2926916746, lon=8.91510910239 google earth.

I have a feeling the Red Shield club (Macs) and the Cinema complex was located in Rhodesia Barracks. I can't recall it been called by the Brits as anything else but the Red Shield club and never as a barrack but for some reason Rhodesia Barracks come to mind. Now I recall as a SDS driver based in the ComCen Kingsley Barracks there was a small building on the main road from the Reme workshop down the road from Clifton Barracks a building which housed officers or personall from the Education center could this have been the Joslin Barracks on Ring Strasse. The local GCP main police station was literaly around the corner near to Simian strasse...

Geschlossene Mindener Kasernen werden wie folgend beschrieben: Closed Barracks in Minden are as follows: (from German Records)

Springbok Barracks (Remontstelle, Artillerie str./Ringstr. near Melitta Coffee Factory) Land size 0,1825 ha, Handed back to German State Authority (BV Amt Bielefeld) 27.02.1992 (May have been otherwise named when RN in occupation? research continues[/i]

St. Georges Barracks, (Mindenerheide) Size 75,6099 ha , Handback; 24.9.1993

Kingsley Barracks, (Mindenerheide) Size: 19,6601 ha , Handback 01.06.1994

Clifton Barracks (Mudra Kaserne, Ringstr (near Mercedes Garage and McDonald's), Size: 13,9484 ha , Handback 01.06.1994 (Now largely demolished and all redeveloped).

Elisabeth Barracks (Gneisenau Kaserne, Viktoria str , ), Size: 14,323 ha , Handback:10.09.1993
(Remodelled interior Accn Blocks remain as Old Folks Home, Sportsfield sold for housing, Garages - Light Industry, Remainder shoppng centre, health services, and parking)

Westminster Barracks (Simeon Kaserne, Ringstr /Simeonsglacis), Size: 10,77 ha , Hand back: 30.09.1993 (Redeveloped: Parking, Prussian Museum, Luxury Appartements, Light industry)

Rhodesia Barracks (Marienwall- Kaserne, Stadt ), Size: 0,8685 ha , Handback: 01.06.1993 (Part of town inner ring road developed through Bks separates north and south side remaining Blocks) (Had been home of the Red Shield Club and later (RPC) Civil Labour Office and an AKC/SKC Globe adjoining.

Pionier Übungsplatz Minden, 0,4567 ha , 01.02.1995 (absorbed in to Bw holdings).

Springbok Barracks near the Melitta Coffee Factory

From the photo it looks like 48 RM Commando were there in 1945

A thought.

As "the Team" know anarchy best describes the situation regarding the British Barrack names policy throughout Summer 1945. Officially they were meant to be described by their local geographical location. In practise individual units often gave a British name to the location especially where the German version involved reference to a Nazi theme eg Adolf Hitler, Herman Goering or Waffen SS. British names included Churchill (duplicated many times), Formation Emblems, Personalities or recruiting areas.

There was a always a significant REME presence in Minden. I wonder if Joslin refers to Brigadier (future Major General) SW Joslin DDEME 30 Corps at the end of the war? The name would have been discarded by Spring 1946 when the first known list of officially approved names was published by HQ BAOR.

Hi,

The Unknown Barracks is definitely not the YMCA/Red Fred`s) That was Rhodesia Barracks and has now been demolished.

I suspect that it may well have been one of the following:

In the 70`s/80`s there was a Wholesale market called "Concetti" on Ringstrasse. (There is now an OBI DIY centre on the site.) Behind the Main Building, a sort of Warehouse, there were what appreared to be Barrack like Buildings arranged around a central Square. I was part of the German Catastrophe Organization "THW" for a while and I remember doing exercises there.

The other possibility is on the Artillerie strasse. A Barrack like set of Builings which are now part of the University Campus and also the HQ and stores for the aforesaid THW.

I live in Minden so when I get the chance I`ll ask a few elderly German friends if they have any recollections.

Springbok* Barracks (see my entry from Nov 2017)  was  on Artillerie Strasse which is now the Minden Campus of the Fachhoch Schule  Bielefeld in the upper of the two map sections shown by LIMA and adjoins /or is opposite land which has always contained the Melitta Coffee Factory.  
Further east along Artillerie Strasse is an imposing bullet pocked sandstone building (faces on to 3 streets) which had been the Minden Post Office, but now houses the Finanzamt - where I post my tax return.
The lower map section (Obi on Ringstrasse) is just North of the former Clifton Barracks (adjoins MacDonalds and opposite Mercedes Autohaus Sieg).

Look at Minden Barrack entries here:  https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_der_britischen_Milit%C3%A4rstandorte_in_Deutschland#Nordrhein-Westfalen

*Springbok Barracks in early post-war years housed the BAOR Survey and Map Depot (making, storing and distributing). The OC was a Major (RE) who was South African, and he managed to get the place renamed - Walcheren was after all a RM battle.

Springbok Barracks was known as Artillerie Kaserne later Walcheren Barracks and home to HQ Allied Naval Commander Expeditionary Force

48th Commando Battalion Royal Marines – 27 May 45 to 8 Jul 45
47th Commando Battalion Royal Marines – 4 Jul 45 to 27 Aug 45

replaced by 607th (Essex Regiment) Infantry Regiment Royal Artillery with the RHQ in Mudra Kaserne later Clifton Barracks to 26 Nov 45.

Research is thanks to JPW and from War Diaries held at the Public Records Office Kew for 4th Commando Brigade Royal Marines and General Headquarters Troops.

The story behind  607th (Essex Regiment) Infantry Regiment Royal Artillery  
(formerly 65th (Essex) Searchlight Regiment RA) is recounted here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/6th_Battalion,_Essex_Regiment

Even when the Navy (RN/RM) were stationed at this small barracks there was an jnherent
Guard duty for barge transport/jetties on the Mittelland Canal (aka
Ems-Weser Canal) just to the North.  Interestingly 4 canal kms eastward there is a pick-up point on the European pipeline as some
tanker/POD drivers will know!
Elsewhere on this Site there are accounts of skinny dippers splashing in the canal on the way home.
Less than a km east where the Canal and the Weser cross unexploded ordnance is still being recovered/detonated.

607th (Essex Regiment) Infantry Regiment Royal Artillery relieved the Brigade Headquarters East of 4th Commando Brigade Royal Marines and their units on 26 Nov 45, with responsibility for Landkreis Büren and Landkreis Warburg under command 52nd Divisional Artillery Brigade until disbandment.