Oldenburg Service

I served in Oldenburg from 1953 to 1957 in HQ 5 AGRA. I was a committee member of the Casino Club 9in town where we held dances, tombola and whist drives. I also remember the YMCA in town run by Mrs Paul (Pauli). I married Shirley a twin daughter of Sgt Ron Burns (44 HAA). The other daughter Sheila married a REME Sgt Norman Davey (they now live in Auustralia). My best man Roy Waslidge was a REME Clerk. Happy days ! GEM

HELLO GEM
NICE TO SEE A RA MEMBER WHO WAS STATIONED IN OLDENBURG. I WAS A GUNNER IN E TROOP 154 BTY 44 REG. FROM DEC 1953-AUG 1955. I NOTE YOU LIVE IN SIDMOUTH I SPEND 2/3 DAYS HOLIDAY EACH YEAR I WILL DOWN LATER THIS YEAR
regards
john rockett

I remember when I was stationed in Wolfenbüttel I used to drive to Oldenburg now and then with our armourer to hand in illegal weapons,can't remember the recieving Units name.It used to be quite funny as every time the static water ponds were emptied then weapons were found which squaddies hd d found too hot to hold.Even funnier was the winter when I checked the box with the snow chains in the back of my truck and found a FULLY LOADED LUGER underneath the chains!!!
----
Don

What was the name of the Barracks there?? I seem to remember it was called Pricess Elizabeths field or something??? Also over the doorway of one of the accommodation blocks entrance was the "German Eagle" ring any bells>>> waz NS Gnr

bucketsfull wrote:

What was the name of the Barracks there?? I seem to remember it was called Pricess Elizabeths field or something??? Also over the doorway of one of the accommodation blocks entrance was the "German Eagle" ring any bells>>> waz NS Gnr

Take a look at:-

http://baor-locations.com/Oldenburg.aspx

What can you tell us about Oldenburg, or your other post about 23 Fire Command?

Paul.

Hi Paul, well firstly as a NS GNR/Driver sometime in 1951/1952, we paid a visit to Oldenburg camp, my brother said it was called
Princess Elizabeth Field, he was based there in 1948/1949, it was an airfield as it was used to store all the war tanks buses jeeps lorrys etc for selling to the highest bidder at cessation of war??
I was based at Delmenhorst but had occasions to visit!! Were there two bases?? or was it in fact an airforce base. No one seems to know. I do remember a large convoy heading for Sylt pulling in and using the barracks (the one with the Eagle)
Much later after having joined the RAF I paid a visit to the airfield,
still the same!! I was based at RAF Jever, and worked at 101SU
at Brockzetel (an underground bunker of NATO) about 60 to 70kms out west near Aurich?
Time spent with 23 Fire Command Unit at Delmenhorst , one of those dodgy units that no one owned and we were dumped around different camps but it was our main base!! I think its purpose was a a forerunner to battery control for the Guns?
however dont take my word I only pulled them around, even down to the Bavarian Forest (bloody cold)
I also remember going down to Cologne on leave (they gave us some after the extra 6 months NS ) and that City was totalled, people living in bits of buildings, the bridge into Cologne was adorned with flags of all the participating nations (what a sight) and waiting on the Cologne side was those lovely ladys of the Salvos with cuppa and wad?? I couldnt believe the damage those 1000 bomber raids wrought!!!! Peter

Thanks for the reply peter.

Can you remember who your brother was with in 48/49?

Paul.

Hi Paul, my brother was with REME driving Matadors with Queen Mary trailers they were picking up wrecks etc for sale as scrap, he did 3 years NS.

bucketsfull wrote:

Hi Paul, my brother was with REME driving Matadors with Queen Mary trailers they were picking up wrecks etc for sale as scrap, he did 3 years NS.

Any idea which unit?

Paul.

Sorry Paul, no idea and he's 82 and deaf as a post

bucketsfull wrote:

Sorry Paul, no idea and he's 82 and deaf as a post

Never mind, it was worth a shot.

Paul.

Is there anyone out there that served or can remember the 35th LAA Regt at Oldenburg,I was there from 1954 to 1956,and served the later part in Delmenhorst,where the regt was relocated,I can recollect some of the lads that also shared the barracks in the 44th HAA regt,I have many photos of those days at the barracks should anyone be interested,

Brian

Welcome

There are one or two veteran members of this site who served with Gunner units in the Oldenburg area

What was the name of the barracks 35 were initially based in Oldenburg?

[quote="GEM"]I served in Oldenburg from 1953 to 1957 in HQ 5 AGRA. I was a committee member of the Casino Club 9in town where we held dances, tombola and whist drives.  I also remember the YMCA in town run by Mrs Paul (Pauli).  I married Shirley a twin daughter of Sgt Ron Burns (44 HAA).[quote="GEM"]  

Hello Gem,

I am trying to find some photos of Keith Baldwin in 44HAA who was stationed at Oldenburg 1955 to 1957. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

A request for info and notice refurbishing a former Globe Cinema


REMEMBERING THE GLOBE CINEMAS AND THEATRES

German Teaching Fellow at the University of Birmingham, Dr. John Goodyear, is searching for soldiers’ stories on the Globe theatre in Oldenburg to unlock the mysteries of one of the last remaining Forces’ theatre in Germany.

Volunteers from the charitable Globe Cinema and Theatre Trust have raised 280,000 euros and are set to buy the abandoned building to restore it to its former glory. As part of the restoration process, John Goodyear is writing the Anglo-German cultural story of Oldenburg’s Globe. It is his hope that the publication will act as a blueprint for its future use.

The research project has also featured in the Express and Star in Wolverhampton, on both British Forces Broadcasting Service TV, expat radio as well as the university’s website.

Any member of services who would like to share their stories about Oldenburg’s Globe between 1945 and 1958 or, more broadly, on their experiences of the Globes across Germany are invited to contact Dr. John Goodyear at j.goodyear@bham.ac.uk

Globe Trust: www.globe-oldenburg.de



The Globe site: http://www.globe-oldenburg.de/

The Globe site (English): https://www.globe-oldenburg.de/English.html

The Globe research (my project): https://www.globe-oldenburg.de/das-globe/forschung.html

More from the Globe Oldenburg - 2018 - they boughtbthe building back for 250,000 pounds!

https://www.forces.net/news/wanted-former-patrons-abandoned-cold-war-cinemaupdated

https://www.globe-oldenburg.de/English.html

Any Veteran who would like to share their stories about Oldenburg’s Globe between 1945 and 1958 or, more broadly, on their experiences of the Globes across Germany are invited to contact Dr. John Goodyear at j.goodyear@bham.ac.uk

interest broadens to include the CVWW org - YMCA, Toc H, Church Army, Salvation Army, Red Cross Huts, WVS (later WRVS) same contact person

Sitrep from Globe Oldenburg: (with permission of: John Goodyear)

Links:
https://www.nwzonline.de/oldenburg/kultur/altes-globe-kino-kulturhistorisches-juwel_a_31,2,3703377824.html

https://www.globe-oldenburg.de/das-globe/das-globe-in-bildern.html

https://www.globe-oldenburg.de/English.html

https://www.forces.net/news/wanted-former-patrons-abandoned-cold-war-cinema

Dear A.K.C. Globe Cinema Supporters,

This time last year, in January 2018, I started my Anglo-German research project into the Globe Cinema in Oldenburg, Germany. Now one year into the project, I am writing to you as you showed interest as former army service personnel, as leading authorities on Anglo-German military history, as eye and ear witnesses to the work of the Army Kinema Corporation (A.K.C.), not just in Oldenburg, but further afield. Here is an update on my progress and on the progress of the rescue of the Oldenburg Globe.

The Globe Cinema and Theatre Trust, known as the Globe Kulturgenossenschaft, was established at the end of 2016 to rescue, renovate and restore the Globe Cinema and Theatre to its old glory. In June 2017, enough money was raised to buy the building so that the building works are now underway. It is expected that the Globe cinema, now a German national listed building, will open in the autumn of next year, subject, of course, to the timely building works.

Part of that renovation work, as many of you know, is for me to write the story of the Globe during the British occupation of Oldenburg. Many of you have been so forthcoming with information and photos. For those former service personnel who I have got around to interviewing, let me thank you for your time. Some of the interviews are on the Globe website and can be found here. I will be speaking to further former service personnel in January and in the coming months.

To research the cultural history of the Globe, archival work has taken me to the National Archives in Kew in London, the John Rylands Library in Manchester, the Cadbury Archive in Birmingham, the British Library in London, the film archive at the University of East Anglia as well as the Militärarchiv in Freiburg, the Bundesarchiv in Koblenz, the Staats- and Stadtarchiv in Oldenburg. I have amassed around 7000 documents pertaining to the Globe in Oldenburg. I would like to thank librarians and archivists on my travels who have helped me a lot in this worthwhile endeavour.

I am pleased to say that I am having talks with a local publisher to get the book published. It makes logical sense to have it published in Oldenburg, the location of what is one of Germany’s last remaining, intact British military cinemas. I am expecting to start the writing process in September of this year after trips to Canada to check out archival collections across the Atlantic.

Over the past year, the support of the media has been very positive, most notably the piece in the Daily Telegraph by Justin Huggler, the Forces TV piece by Rob Olver and the newspaper article in the Express and Star by Heather Large as well as on the German side, a number of articles in the local Nordwestzeitung, the Fokus magazine and closer to home, the University of Birmingham. There was also my own radio report for Expat radio.

If you are interested in sharing your stories about the Globe in Oldenburg or more broadly about the A.K.C., then please feel free to get in contact with me at this address. I am happy to receive more insights, photos and anecdotes. There is also an opportunity to help with the fundraising by visiting the Globe website here.



Let me thank you all for your support in my Anglo-German research project, one that I am doing voluntarily to advance the important cause of Anglo-German relations. I wish you all a very Happy New Year 2019.

Best wishes from Oldenburg,

John Goodyear

P.S. Of course, you (me) can "steal" links to the pictures to add to the BFG Locations Site to awaken your Canadian contributors.

I am currently putting together a photo compilation for the Globe and life on the Donnerschwee barracks where all of these pictures will be in a line-up. That is something I am going to be doing in the coming weeks. Wehn/If you use the pictures from the website, and feel free to do so, just acknowledge that they are private photos and write:

Private photo: + name of serviceman.

All of the PDFs on the Globe website have the photos of the servicemen after the transcript so you will know which photo belongs to whom.

I have tracked down 25 servicemen and intend to repeat the process and supply the Globe with this information. I only have until August and then my time in Birmingham comes to an end.

Dr. John Goodyear
German Teaching Fellow
Email j.goodyear@bham.ac.uk

OLdenburg as it was for old soldiers

A real find
This programme clip from NDR TV describes the find of several thousand photographs
and negatives from the 1950s.
Many may need explaining or establishing the actual ,locations
of some of the shots - they were taken , sometimes, more than
70 years ago and some may be of interest to the BR /CDN / NL /Pl /DK /Norwegian troops
stationed in and around the town.
https://www.ndr.de/fernsehen/sendungen/hallo_niedersachsen/Oldenburg-in-den-50ern-fotografiert-von-Artur-Kast,hallonds72188.html

Oldenburg in the early days of BAOR

2nd Canadian Infantry Division command 2nd Canadian Corps liberated Oldenburg on 3 May 45, however worth mentioning the British Army were in support, as at VE Day 8 May 45:

RHQ 32nd Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment Royal Artillery of 107th Anti-Aircraft Brigade with 55 Light Anti-Aircraft Battery were located in the Schlossplatz, RHQ moved 16 May 45 into the Staatsministerium, today Police Headquarters, Theodor-Tantzen-Platz formerly the HQ of 2nd Canadian Infantry Division and remained there until 22 May 45, 55 Light Anti-Aircraft Battery remained in the Schlossplatz until 7 Jun 45.

C Squadron 141st Regiment (The Buffs) RAC of 31st Armoured Brigade were located in Osternburg until 9 May 45

4th Army Group Royal Artillery command 2nd Canadian Corps arrived in Etzhorn north-east of Oldenburg on the 26 May 45 and their responsibilities included Stadtkreis Oldenburg, 2nd Canadian Infantry Division came under command 30th Corps District 15 Jun 45 and replaced by 3rd Canadian Infantry Division (CAOF) on 9 Jul 45, 4th Army Group Royal Artillery disbanded 23 Feb 46

***
Major units – Donnerschwee (Flak) Kaserne later Crerar Barracks*

26 May 45 – 68th (West Lancashire) Medium Regiment Royal Artillery of 4th Army Group Royal Artillery

2 Feb 46 – 3rd Battalion Stormont Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders of 2nd/9th (Highland) Canadian Infantry Brigade

17 May 46 – 7th/9th (Highlanders) Battalion Royal Scots of 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division/155th (Lowland) Infantry Brigade

7 Jul 46 – 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery of HQ Royal Artillery 7th Armoured Division – to 3 Jan 48

16 Aug 46 – 21 Anti-Tank Regiment Royal Artillery of HQ Royal Artillery 7th Armoured Division less Q (Sanna’s Post) Anti-Tank Battery
9 Oct 46 – redesignated 4th Regiment Royal Horse Artillery (Anti-Tank)
1 Apr 47 – redesignated 10th Anti-Tank Regiment Royal Artillery – to 7 Apr 48

Major units – Dragoner Kaserne

16 May 45 – 79th (Scottish Horse) Medium Regiment Royal Artillery of 4th Army Group Royal Artillery to 2nd/9th (Highland) Canadian Infantry Brigade 16 Feb 46 to 27 Mar 46
1 Jul 47 – Q (Sanna’s Post) Anti-Tank Battery – to 19 Feb 48

***
There were many Canadian minor units stationed in Oldenburg prior to departing for UK/Canada June 1946, have found details of a rear party up to a year later.

15 Mar 48 – HQ Royal Artillery 7th Armoured Division disbanded and Oldenburg was command Hannover District, after 7 Apr 48 no major units were recorded there.

*Crerar Barracks; this name for Flak Kaserne did not appear until the early 1950s, however there was a small collection of buildings known as Crerar Barracks in the late 1940s.

Thanks go to JPW and others who have supplied information, the bulk has come from the UK Public Records Office files held at Kew also from Canadian Heritage online, at the moment my research is VE Day 8 May 45 up to 1 Mar 49 when the 7th Armoured Division was reformed with the real start of the “Cold War”.

https://britisharmyingermany.com (under construction)