Imphal Barracks

Someone, somewhere mentioned that they thought Imphal bks were built just after the war. I would contest that statement as when I was there in 1972 there was some kind of accommodation below the main square which had (apparently) been either an underground hospital or ammo dump. The buildings were possibly built after the war but I think the site had been an army barracks during the war hence the underground hospital/ammo bunker.

Can anyone confirm this?

Well it's finally happened. Imphal barracks has closed, QDG have gone to Sennelager and the barracks are empty.

as they say at the Panto "Oh no it hasn't". Imphal will finally close in 2009. There was a surface ammo factory on part of the site during the war and some simple airraid sheklters underground.

When I worked there in late 1990s the rumour was still going strong that there is a underground field hospital under parade square .Quess we will find out when germans dig up Barracks next year

I spent some time based in Imphal in the 70s and 80s and find it so sad that I never returned before the Osnabruck ended as a British forces garrison.
I am sure it was also the largest Garrison the British Army had and that included Aldershot.
I have hinted to my wife on the odd occasion to visit Osnabruck via Air Berlin from Manchester to Paderborn, but with little success. I have not given up hope and hopefully one day I can return if only for a day, to remember all those years ago based at Imphal Kasern and put some ghosts to rest.

I was there 1960-62 ish, plenty of locals working there who had known the site since before the war. A number of us asked if it was used then and were told that there was nothing permanent, all the main barracks were in the town area (well covered elsewhere on this site). Our ( Armd Regt) ammo store was in bunkers behind the main cookhouse in some trees by the outside fence as it went up the hill towards the Infantry Regt. then 12 Inf Wksp REME.

This is on the right of the aerial photo also somewhere on this site and also I believe on googlemaps.

SoltaumuddySoltau wrote:

I spent some time based in Imphal in the 70s and 80s and find it so sad that I never returned before the Osnabruck ended as a British forces garrison.
I am sure it was also the largest Garrison the British Army had and that included Aldershot.
I have hinted to my wife on the odd occasion to visit Osnabruck via Air Berlin from Manchester to Paderborn, but with little success. I have not given up hope and hopefully one day I can return if only for a day, to remember all those years ago based at Imphal Kasern and put some ghosts to rest.

It'll break your heart to see whats become of BAOR. I went back in 2007 to visit places I'd been posted to . It was bleak , the wife got really upset at the state of the MQ Estates. We're going back next year , but we know what to expect now.

bob wrote:

SoltaumuddySoltau wrote:

I spent some time based in Imphal in the 70s and 80s and find it so sad that I never returned before the Osnabruck ended as a British forces garrison.
I am sure it was also the largest Garrison the British Army had and that included Aldershot.
I have hinted to my wife on the odd occasion to visit Osnabruck via Air Berlin from Manchester to Paderborn, but with little success. I have not given up hope and hopefully one day I can return if only for a day, to remember all those years ago based at Imphal Kasern and put some ghosts to rest.

It'll break your heart to see whats become of BAOR. I went back in 2007 to visit places I'd been posted to . It was bleak , the wife got really upset at the state of the MQ Estates. We're going back next year , but we know what to expect now.

Bob, I was going to visit Germany in 2009 with my wife and youngest son but serious problems with my Thyroid set me back for a couple of years. As I posted earlier I am still trying to convince my wife to come with me to Osnabruck, though I'll admit it is disheartening to read your experiences from your visit in 2007. A couple of years ago I worked for an ex-reme reccemec, Peter Walsh, a superb boss and a good all-round bloke, as he was a bit of a rum-bugger when he was younger in the eighties when we were stationed at Imphal Barracks. He's still fit as a butcher's dog. While I was working for him we spoke about Osnabruck etc., but it seems a long, long time ago now and I still long for those days. I don't think I really fully adapted to civilian life even after all these years; a weakness maybe but it meant that much to me.

Malaboman. You were probably at Imphal when I was there, 1962-63. I was in the pay office, and the paymaster was Major John Crosse. I well remember the the ammo huts in the wooded area. I also remember overpaying a REME staff-sergeant when he went on leave, and, after he came back, he was on short pay for quite some time. Never did forgive me. I think his nick name was Dolly something or other. Happy days!