Osnabruck Garrison closing Down.

I have just come back from Osnabruck after visiting my in laws at the weekend. I decided to do a great escape from them for a few hours and had a drive round the old bases “good what a sorry sight!!” I was with the Argyle Mill band stationed in Mercer Bks from 1976 – 1978, and returned in late 1979 to live and work in Osnabruck until moving down to Monschau by Aachen in 1998.
Standing outside the main gate (or what’s left of it) of Mercer Bks on Saturday afternoon brought a tear to my eye. I will no doubt see things change even more in the next few years.

Many Germans told me that the move has left a great hole in their hearts, and for those of you who thought the German did not like us, be rest assured this is not true!!

Anyone know what happened to the MQ's in kleine Moscow and London?

Archie wrote:

recymech,
Question: Did you play any part in the parade that took place recently - I understand it was a farewell to us Brits from the Germans...
My (German) mother-in-law (God! What a combination - yes, I know) went, and she told me there were many tears as they played "Time to say goodbye". Knowing ze Germans they will not have been nostaligic tears - rather tears of sorrow as the city's economy will suffer
I'd be interested to hear how it went from a squaddies point of view. I would have gone myself, but alas I was in Ludgershall training for Afghan (!!!! - work that one out).
'ta,
Archie

Archie,

Apologies for the delay in answering your question, been very busy with Exercise, followed by posting and further Exercises then like a nugget I forgot my password.

Unfortunately I didn't take part in the Parade, which was a shame as I'd have loved to been part of it. But I do know that the Germans were/are very sad at the closing down of the Garrison. I used to get my hair cut by the nice lady in the hairdressers on An Der Nette Hiede (Roberts Barracks) and she and her husband are devastated that the camps are closing down, they'd cut the hair of Soldiers for the last 40 years so were not happy.

This was the general view of the locals albiet no doubt a few were happy to see the backs of us.

Have a safe tour.

recymech,

no need to apologise, and there's no shame in being a nugget for forgetting passwords! Ahem...

I'm back on R&R (4 weeks of tour to push) and will visit Osnabrück this week.

I feel for the large contingent of squaddies still serving (now elsewhere in BFG) who have civvie houses in the area - lots of commuting and staying in messes through the week. Life goes on I suppose.

'ta,

Archie

i was in 15sqn RCT scarborough bks from 1977/1980 then took over as manager of th dummersee yacht club until 1986 still had to go to 25eng regt RE for the rations i stayed in a house in kliena
moscow it is sad that there is no longer troops also the dummersee yacht club closed sad.

jock aitken B.E.M.

Have just come back from a business trip to Osnabruck yesterday where I stayed at the lovely little hotel “The Valhalla” which is in the old town of Osnabruck. As I was stationed there in the mid 70s and lived there up until 1998 thought it would be a good idea to brush up some old memories, my god what a shock..!

I drove round all the old camps which are now looked up, but look as if the boys have just jumped out for a beer nice and clean. As I was standing outside Quebec Bks an old German man came over to me and asked if I was looking for the British army, and went on to tell me that they all pulled out just before Xmas 2008.

He told me the brits were badly missed and asked if I knew anyone who was stationed there? I just grinned (a little sadly) and said no, I had just stopped by chance.
Is there anyone out there who was stationed at Osnabruck around the mid 70s? I was with the A&SH mill band and was stationed there from 1975 – 1978 went back to the UK when the regiment was stationed back to Cattrick, and returned as a civilian in 1979. If there is anyone out there would love to here from them

A sad day for Osnabruck and the British Army, final handover parade at Imphal Barracks.

http://www.neue-oz.de/


Scroll down to the bottom for photos.

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Turn the lights out when you leave.

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Great photos! many thanks. Will try and see if I can get them printed and put on the wall of fame.

Cmac

For all those who lived in Dodeshiede or worked at Mercer/Imphal Barracks.


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Quite a lengthy write up on TV over here.There is no doubt the people of Osnabruck were very fond of their "Tommies"and were sad to see them go!
Its the same here in Detmold,often I hear - "remember when the British were here",there are still MQs occupied by families in Detmold,the ones I speak to will be sad to leave.
----
Don

Hi all,

The people of Osnabruck have very ancient ties with England.
I went there in 1951 and we never felt any agression from the German people [the war had only been over less than 6 years]; I spend Christmas 1951 with a family.

Lower Saxony of which Osnabruck is; was part of the area from which the Saxons came from and invaded England 1500 years ago, and settled in Essex [East Saxons], Middlesex, Sussex and Wessex.

A few years ago I got my DNA tested and confirmed me as of Saxon origin [ my ancestor was an invader] of which about 6% of people in those counties in England have Saxon blood.

The Saxons [with other German tribes] defeated the Romans in 9 AD at the Teutonburg Wald, Kalkriese near Bramsche, and killed 10,000 Romans [a very big defeat for them] This battle site was previously believed to be near Detmold.

So I can now look back, and be amazed how lucky I was to be posted to Osnabruck; returning after 1500 years!!!

I would like to get back there, but now living in Australia; but I dont think it would be the same as I remember.
The smell of cigars and two stroke smoke is what I remember.

Happy days,
Regards
Tony

So sad to see the Traz closing down. I spent 3 years there ( 83/86) with 23 Engineers firstly in Roberts barracks then moving to Quebec .We lived in Schlesicher (?) Strasse.
We went back in 2007 , the wife wouldn't let me take any pictures.She wanted to remember it the way it was . Most of the quarters were empty and the place looked grotty and run down.
Happy to say though that Jim Blakes schnelly is still there and the burgers are still as good as they were all those years ago.

[quote="Big_Mike"]What a sad event, after all these years. I spent from about May 1962 to I think Sept 1966 with 1Bn Royal Fusiliers in Belfast Bks, Sedan Str. I got married and lived in a MQ at Gerhart-Hauptmann-Hof. I bought my first car, a Renault R8 Major from the garage on the corner of Sedan Str and Natruper Str. I think back to those days with fond memory's.

HI MIKE,
IF YOU WAS WITH 1RF IN BELFAST BARRACKS UNTIL 1966 WE MUST HAVE MET AS I JOINED THE REGIMENT IN 1965 AND WAS THERE UNTIL 67

FUSILIER

burgess720 wrote:

Hi all,

The people of Osnabruck have very ancient ties with England.
I went there in 1951 and we never felt any agression from the German people [the war had only been over less than 6 years]; I spend Christmas 1951 with a family.

Lower Saxony of which Osnabruck is; was part of the area from which the Saxons came from and invaded England 1500 years ago, and settled in Essex [East Saxons], Middlesex, Sussex and Wessex.

A few years ago I got my DNA tested and confirmed me as of Saxon origin [ my ancestor was an invader] of which about 6% of people in those counties in England have Saxon blood.

The Saxons [with other German tribes] defeated the Romans in 9 AD at the Teutonburg Wald, Kalkriese near Bramsche, and killed 10,000 Romans [a very big defeat for them] This battle site was previously believed to be near Detmold.

I did a search a few times on Arminius (aka Hermann the German), who led the Germanic tribes in their uprising against the Romans. He wasn't Saxon, but of a different tribe, I forget which one.

In the area I grew up in (Soest), the dominant tribe back then (since extinct)
was...and I'm going to get the spelling totally wrong...was the Bruschetti, somethng like that.

What I find fascinating about researching the ancient Germanic tribes on the Net (apart from the preponderance of Neo-Nazi crap!) is how their history has lived on.

For instance, I had no idea "Lombardy" was actually "Lombardii" and a Germanic tribe, not French. Ditto for the Franks, actually...Germanic originally.

burgess720 wrote:

So I can now look back, and be amazed how lucky I was to be posted to Osnabruck; returning after 1500 years!!!

Ehehehehe...a prodigal son finally returning to the land of his ancestors! Ironic, really....your ancestors invade what became England and 1500 years later a decscendent of theirs returns as a member of what one could characterize as an "occupying army".

I would like to get back there, but now living in Australia; but I dont think it would be the same as I remember.
The smell of cigars and two stroke smoke is what I remember.

Happy days,
Regards
Tony[/quote]

i was in 12 mech bde sig sqn from 1973 to 1976 and miss it!!!

nights out in town in the saskatch! diesel taxi's home.....ah those were the days...and sadly missed

cleat9214 wrote:

I madley miss osnabruck, I went back a while ago and got loads of photos. Of Roberts and Dodeshide. The stadt are going to use Roberts with the police . The rail head has been sold of to the stone company next door. There on about knocking down Qubec and building houses. the uni are having Woolich bks and the klinkium are having belfast bks. Not sure about Imphal. the hand over of Roberts had to be delayed for 3 months till march 31st as when they were handing the place over the found in the cellar the main computer sever link for Afghan/Iraq for northen Germany. No one knew about. so they had to build another one sharpish.

I will try and get in contact with phil graham so i can smash these photos up on the site.

Can't wait to see the pic's.

Does anyone know how to put images on this thing.

"The lights are on but there is nobody at home"
Regards
Steve

Re posting images .. I had all kinds of problems trying to post photo's by following the posted instructions, in the end I gave up and found that if I used Photo Bucket and used their hosting page I could paste the html link to this site .. it works fine ..

Len (Ciphers)

Well I for one wasn't happy with the closure of the garrison having been there since 1987, the last 16 as a civvy, but life goes on. The one thing that annoyed me the most was the unit that 1 Civ Wksp was attched to (1 Bn REME).

They went to Catterick, not a word of thanks to the the civilians at the workshop. After over 50 years of the Civ Wksp supporting 1 Bn , so much for being a team!

You would have thought they could have laid on farewell drinks / bbq, but no absolutely nothing. I personnally worked there as a civvy for over 16 years, other considerably longer. As usual in the military, they take things for granted, it's all ok when they want something, then after they get what they want, nothing.

I for one don't miss them, but still sad that the civilians were treated this way.

Dupester

Hi,
I do understand how you feel you have been treated.

I think personally what happens is, each OC/CO of the time just treats it as a 3 year posting and don't necessarily realise what the 'team' have done when called upon by the military over the 'many' years.

Yes, you and your civi colleagues will have been asked to pull out the stops, work overtime, and I bet you were 'thanked' by the OC of the day. He has now gone and no one remembers in general what went on in the past.

Alan

True, but it is annoying, if the wksp had only been there a few years I could understand. However over 50 years means that the wksp had been with REME for about 75% of the REME life since it's beginnings.

We were thanked on the last day, by some officer I'd never seen before, certainly not one from the Bn.

But that is all water under the bridge, am sure most civvies are used to not being thanked for the role we play.

Dupester