British Army Units over 65 years in Germany

2. We have debated elsewhere on the site who is the longest serving unit in BAOR. The clear winners are the RAVC at Sennelager though the unit title may have changed there has clearly been a continuous Vets presence for the past 65 years

Here goes JPW and all...they may just beat them

14 (Corps) Field Survey Company were in Moltke Strasse Bad Salzuflen in 1945 changed to 14 Field Survey Squadron and to Clifton Barracks Minden 1947 to Catterick Barracks Bielefeld 1949 to Stornoway Barracks Lemgo Feb 51 to Napier Barracks Dortmund Oct 53 to Nicholson Barracks Mönchengladbach May 58 to Roy Barracks Ratingen 1964 amalgamated with 3 BAOR Map Depot Apr 77 formed 14 Independent Topographic Squadron to Aryshire Barracks Mönchengladbach Feb 95 changed to 14 Geographic Squadron from 1994 command 42 Engineer Regiment in UK

The Royal Signals will have units 65 years + but these had numerous name/number changes

Cheers and off back to work
Steve

Steve

Civil war is likely to break out over this topic

The Vets at Sennelager are undoubtedly the British unit with the longest unbroken service in the same place in Germany.

As to who has been the longest we are going to be splitting hairs and will need the wisdom of a High Court Judge to make final decision

Every capbadge on the site is going to make a claim.

Flying my own, REME, 7 (Field Support) Workshop Company, now based in Fallingbostel (where it has been for fifty plus years) has an unbroken history starting as 22 Armoured Brigade Workshop REME, part of 7 Armoured Division, who were in the Hamburg area on VE Day in May 1945.

We are now down to which was the first unit with an UNBROKEN history of service in BAOR to cross the German border in Spring 1945

Have donned my tin hat and await the counter barrage!!

Flying my own, REME, 7 (Field Support) Workshop Company, now based in Fallingbostel (where it has been for fifty plus years) has an unbroken history starting as 22 Armoured Brigade Workshop REME, part of 7 Armoured Division, who were in the Hamburg area on VE Day in May 1945.

JPW

Sure we cannot possibly fall out on this one BUT the name/number changed the RE unit kept the number 14 all the way through...plenty of units continued through from May 45 until today...here goes for my old unit 1 Div HQ & Sig Regt 67-69
May 45 - 7 Armd Div Signals - various places NW Germany and Berlin?
1946 - 7 Armd Div Sig Regt - Verden
1947/8 - Hannover District Sig Sqn - unknown if Verden or Hannover
1949 - 7 Armd Div Sig Regt - Celle and Verden
1958 - 5 Div Sig Regt - Verden
1950 - 5 Sig Regt - Verden
1960 - 1 Sig Regt - Verden
1964 - 1 Div HQ & Sig Regt - Verden
1978 - 1 Armd Div Sig Regt - Verden
1993 - Lower Saxony Sig Regt...not sure about this title - Verden
1993 - 1 (UK) Armd Div Sig Regt - Hereford and still there

Disbandment is mentioned on the www but believe to be the same unit for 65 years

Cheers
Steve

carunit 3/36 : end of the fourties to 195x in ESPELKAMP, near LUEBBECKE. Any info available? With GSO-german-drivers? carunit@t-online.de 12-04-2011

What also could be interesting, is what unit is the last to close the door, lock the door and throw the key away.

Not forgetting to switch off the lights!

AND pay their beer decal bill.

Or not, as the case may be!

I would have thought the Army Catering Corps would have got a mention, they must have been there in the beginning of BAOR, cooking the Chips (and BRATWURST) for the lads !

ALSO..I wonder why the ACC never got the 'Royal' prefix ?

Major 'john boy' Sir, does thou know?

Quote :

I wonder why the ACC never got the 'Royal' prefix ?

That question could send one`s imagination into overdrive.

Perhaps Johnboy knows.

Gordon. wrote:

Quote :

I wonder why the ACC never got the 'Royal' prefix ?

That question could send one`s imagination into overdrive.

Perhaps Johnboy knows.

they have it's called the Royal logistics Corp

Now LT COL so every one buys me a drink. Also now 2ic that not second in command it's 2nd Incompetent Cook

Oh! They are one of that lot now.

Gordon. wrote:

Oh! They are one of that lot now.

They didn't know what to do with all the Non Combatants - P & C, ACC, RPC, RAOC and RCT - so they lumped them altogether and made them the Really Large Corps (other interpretations are available).

JPW wrote:

We are now down to which was the first unit with an UNBROKEN history of service in BAOR to cross the German border in Spring 1945

Have donned my tin hat and await the counter barrage!!

Need to repeat an earlier quote

14 (Corps) Field Survey Company were in Moltke Strasse Bad Salzuflen in 1945 changed to 14 Field Survey Squadron and to Clifton Barracks Minden 1947 to Catterick Barracks Bielefeld 1949 to Stornoway Barracks Lemgo Feb 51 to Napier Barracks Dortmund Oct 53 to Nicholson Barracks Mönchengladbach May 58 to Roy Barracks Ratingen 1964 amalgamated with 3 BAOR Map Depot in Apr 77 formed 14 Independent Topographic Squadron to Aryshire Barracks Mönchengladbach Feb 95 changed to 14 Geographic Squadron from 1994 command 42 Engineer Regiment in UK"...and still in BFG today with the number 14!
Cheers
Steve

after a few years eating the slops dished out to us, i would have thought a ten year prison sentence would have been handed out before a royal acc, ginger

All joking aside.

In view of events since WW2, how come no Royal Parachute Regt, Royal Special Air Service ?

It's RAPTC now, and good luck to 'em. They're working miracles with the lads coming back from Afghanistan but surely the casualties in the Falklands, if not NI, should qualify the above for recognition ?

It's a mystery to this old codger.

Good point Brum..

I have a thought, write to HM The Queen and when she retires from the 'Throne' to let Charlie take charge Invite her to grant the 'Royal' prefix to all British Army Corps and Regiments, as a 'send off' present.

You lads like that idea, do it !

Steve

You win

Had hoped to prove a REME 4 or 7 xxx Workshop had been continuosly in BAOR from May 45 onwards

However 4 CS Company of 3 Battalion REME left when Osnabruck closed last year

7 xxx, the long term residents of Fallingbostel were originally in Italy at the time of the German Surrender though other elements of the Battalion do have a continous unbroken history of BAOR based service but not with the number 7

Thats the problem with a lot of units, amalamations & re-naming over the years makes it difficult to keep track.

For example:

44 Company RAOC came ashore on D-Day+2 (detachment on D-Day itself) as 44 Ordnance Ammuntion Company, split between 11 & 12 Beach Ordnance Companies on Sword Beach,

Depot 90 at Sennelarger was manned by the RASC till 1965 when it came under RAOC control, and 44 RP (Repleanishment Park) Company RAOC took control, after moving from 154 FAD (Forward Ammunition Depot) control.

44 (RP) Company later became 53 Ordnance Company in 1981/2, then 63 Ammuntion Sqadron RLC in 1993 before drawdown which took it out of the running. But did it? as 63 CS Sqn is still part of 6 Regiment RLC at Gütersloh! (Made up of 5 & 6 Battlions RAOC in 1993)

All of these differant Companies/Sqadrons carried out the same 'Combat Supplies' Task in 1 Corps, 21 Army Group, BAOR and now BFG.

JPW and Mike

Very difficult with company/squadrons...as you know JPW 7 Armd Bde was formed from 22 Armd Bde in Jun 47 and also recorded here...

7 Armoured Workshops REME recorded Itzehoe to Künsebeck near Bielefeld...how did they turn out?

Need to give you another RE thread with the number 4

May 45 – 7th Armoured Division RE
4 Field Company RE
621 Field Company RE
143 Field Park Company RE
7 Bridging Platoon RE

Feb 46 – 7th Armoured Division RE
209 Field Squadron could have been formed from 4 Field Company RE

1947 – 7th Armoured Division RE formed 1st Engineer Training Establishment – Hameln

Jul 49 – 21 Field Engineer Regiment formed Holzminden from 1st Engineer Training Establishment to Gordon Barracks Hameln Oct 49 to Assaye Barracks Neinburg Nov 51
4 Field Squadron formed Holzminden Jul 49

Apr 57 – 7th Armoured Division RE becomes 5th Division RE
21 Field Engineer Regiment – Assaye Barracks Neinburg
4 Field Squadron (7 Armoured Brigade) – ? Barracks Fallingbostel

Field Engineer Regiments were disbanded Regimental HQs were absorbed into CRE divisional staff each Brigade Group was given its own field squadron and field park squadrons became divisional troops

1960 – 5th Division RE becomes 1st Division RE
4 Field Squadron (7 Armoured Brigade) – Assaye Barracks Neinburg

1960 – Divisional CREs became a Commanding Officer
4 Field Squadron (7 Armoured Brigade) – Assaye Barracks Neinburg

Apr 69 – 21 Engineer Regiment (11 Infantry Brigade)
4 Field Squadron – Assaye Barracks Neinburg

Apr 78 – 21 Engr Regt redesignated 1 Armoured Division Regiment
4 Field Squadron – Assaye Barracks Neinburg

1981 – 1 Armoured Division Regiment redesignated 21 Engineer Regiment
4 Field Squadron – Assaye Barracks Neinburg

1996 – 21 Engineer Regiment (4 Armoured Brigade) – Assaye Barracks Neinburg moved to Quebec Barracks Onsbrück and moved to Claro Barracks Ripon 2008 supporting 4 Mechanised Brigade
4 Armoured Engineer Squadron – Quebec Barracks Onsbrück

So 63 years?
Cheers
Steve

Up the Ginger Beers, best Corp in the Army ! But I am biased.

[quote="steve"]JPW and Mike


Jul 49 – 21 Field Engineer Regiment formed Holzminden from 1st Engineer Training Establishment to Gordon Barracks Hameln Oct 49 to Assaye Barracks Neinburg Nov 51
Apr 57 – 7th Armoured Division RE becomes 5th Division RE
21 Field Engineer Regiment – Assaye Barracks Neinburg
Field Engineer Regiments were disbanded Regimental HQs were absorbed into CRE divisional staff each Brigade Group was given its own field squadron and field park squadrons became divisional troops

1960 – 5th Division RE becomes 1st Division RE
4 Field Squadron (7 Armoured Brigade) – Assaye Barracks Neinburg

1960 – Divisional CREs became a Commanding Officer
4 Field Squadron (7 Armoured Brigade) – Assaye Barracks Neinburg


Steve,

Normally I'd avoid such a huge subject as this !

My first posting was to 24 Med Regt RA in early '59 They resided in Assaye Bks Nienburg.

Sharing the camp with us was 45 Field Park Squadron RE who I believe were in residence when 24 moved in.

I've seen no mention of the squadron at all !

I remember the RAVC dog compound in Sennelager, didn't know it had been there for such a long time. 39 Heavy Regt had been at Schloss Neuhaus (Between Paderborn and Sennelager) for more than thirty years (or so I was told) cant remember the name of the barracks. We once hired their mini bus for a trip to Hamburg, a fifteen seat mini bus with '39 Heavy Regiment' and the RA cap badge emblazond down each side. What a target...

[quote="brum"]

steve wrote:

JPW and Mike


Jul 49 – 21 Field Engineer Regiment formed Holzminden from 1st Engineer Training Establishment to Gordon Barracks Hameln Oct 49 to Assaye Barracks Neinburg Nov 51
Apr 57 – 7th Armoured Division RE becomes 5th Division RE
21 Field Engineer Regiment – Assaye Barracks Neinburg
Field Engineer Regiments were disbanded Regimental HQs were absorbed into CRE divisional staff each Brigade Group was given its own field squadron and field park squadrons became divisional troops

1960 – 5th Division RE becomes 1st Division RE
4 Field Squadron (7 Armoured Brigade) – Assaye Barracks Neinburg

1960 – Divisional CREs became a Commanding Officer
4 Field Squadron (7 Armoured Brigade) – Assaye Barracks Neinburg


Steve,

Normally I'd avoid such a huge subject as this !

My first posting was to 24 Med Regt RA in early '59 They resided in Assaye Bks Nienburg.

Sharing the camp with us was 45 Field Park Squadron RE who I believe were in residence when 24 moved in.

I've seen no mention of the squadron at all !

Brum
Was only following the path of 4 Fd Coy/Squadron...45 will get mentioned in time but here goes for now
Nov 47 – 45 Field Park Squadron formed from 145 Field Park Squadron disbanded Dec 47
Jul 49 – 45 Field Park Squadron reformed Holzminden part of 21 Field Engineer Regiment formed Holzminden from 1 Engineer Training Establishment Jul 49 to Gordon Barracks Hameln Oct 49 to Assaye Barracks Neinburg Nov 51 becoming 45 Field Support Squadron Jan 68 moved to Quebec Barracks Onsbrück 1996 to 28 Engineer Regiment – Gordon Barracks Hameln by 1999 and still there...but with a gap!
Cheers
Steve