MONTY'S TURN MINDEN

To the south of Minden and east of Bad Oeynhausen was an autobahn junction where the main road south out of Minden (now 482) crossed the Hannover- Ruhr autobahn. The area was known as Porta Westfalica.

In my time in Minden (1960s) the junction was generally known as Monty's turn. It was notable that the turnings betwen the two routes were much sharper than elsewhere in BAOR and the surface of the link road was wooden cobbles not tarmac (482) or concrete (autobahn).

Rumour was that it had been built by the Sappers on the orders of FM Montgomery as C in C BAOR in order that he get more quickly by staff car from his HQ in Bad O to his personal residence. The junction was still not officially recognised by the Federal Transport authorities, therefore recieved minimum maintenance and had not been modernised although it was now regarded by everyone (Brits and Germans alike) as the best way onto the autobahn from Minden

Recent postings elsewhere on the site suggest that FM Montgomery's residence was elsewhere in the area but the junction could have been built to aid vehicle traffic between HQ BAOR in Bad O and the main RN HQ in Minden.

We do have a number of contributors who were familiar with the Minden area can anyone confirm my thought?

Secondly can anyone remember where CinC BAOR's residence was in the early 1950s immediately prior to the move to Rheindahlen?

Monty's turn-off (B482)- a strange autobahn junction, with cobbled slip roads,  that allowed leaving the autobahn direction Minden or joining autobahn from Minden, at Vennebeck.  Suited our trip to and from Nienburg (Spring 1966).  A direct road that paralleled the railway for some distance and a traffic lighted junction  5 kms  North of the autobahn at Hausberge on the Porta!  From my vantage point in the back of the Q Bedford comfortable on sacks of spuds - all that was remarkable at the junction was some splendid chestnut trees West of the road (they aren't there anymore) and a little further along glancing toward the Kaiser Wilhelm memorial a long straight bridge over the Weser in that direction (Barkhausen)   thats been replaced as well!

After much searching on the web, I reckon I have found Monty's private residence April 1945.

Gut Ostenwalde - Groenegau, which was near Melle, there was an airstrip located close by.

Schloss/Gut Benkhausen was used mainly by the Navy and CCG.  Minden and Bad Oeynhausen HQ are not far away..



http://www.noz.de/lokales/melle-nord/artikel/9912/feldmarschall-montgomery-auf-gut-ostenwalde#gallery&0&0&9912


https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/Ostenwalde(Melle)+Gut,+49324+Melle,+Germany/Schloss+Benkhausen,+Schlossallee+1,+32339+Espelkamp,+Germany/@52.3392851,8.3454024,10z/data=!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x47ba02aeefef3761:0x2b9de152cd6c0f36!2m2!1d8.347627!2d52.244108!1m5!1m1!1s0x47ba083dc5d841c3:0xb369cadc4ad5f5a9!2m2!1d8.5756242!2d52.3448077

Gut Ostenwalde is correct according to separate research I am still progressing:

(http://www).ak-ansichtskarten.de/ak/91-postal-antigua/29136-493-Melle/4635975-AK-Melle-Burg-und-Gut-Ostenwalde
and
The Monty's Turn-off tag for the Autobahn exit seems more likely to have underlined the need for everything that was following 2nd Army's advance (baggage train, reinforcements, having to turn Left direction BREMEN (instead of straight on toward BERLIN)!

Monty commuted by Auster aircraft from  Bad Lippspringe  (2nd Army) and BAD OEYNHAUSEN

The Land House was "Gut Ostenwalde" near Melle- Oldendorf

There was a grass landing strip nearby, long since built over.

Thanks for the confirmation Pborn4, this fits in very well with my research

On VE day, 8 May 45 the main HQ 21st Army Group was in Viersen-Süchteln moving into Bad Oeynhausen on 4 Jun 45, Monty moved to Gut Ostenwalde a day earlier to use as his TAC HQ from Wendisch Evern south-east of Lüneburg

Hello, just read this subject and I think it might be interesting to know, that there is a place near Bad Oeynhausen, which fits for the Rhine Army years 1945- 1954 (!)
It is called  Rittergut Rothenhoff, and it's only 3 or 4 kilometers from that autobahn exit mentioned.
So the expression "Monty's turn" is fully okay with that.
Prominent guests were Princess Margaret and Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and General Dwight D. Eisenhower.
You can find information on the german wiki-side that I might be able (as a newbie) to post after 7 days ;-)

At Vennebeck, 1 km N of the Autobahn / 4 kms NE of Bad Oeynhausen
and 10 kms S of Minden British Construction Engineers built the Airstrip
(now in Porta Wesfalica) in 1945.  In regular use through 1946, usage
dropped off as plans emerged to re site the Admin centre of Rhine Army
at Rheindahlen by Monchengladbach (1953/54).

http://wikivisually.com/lang-de/wiki/Flugplatz_Vennebeck

The footnote question from JPW  (12 Mar 2011) regarding the C in C BAOR residence in the 1950s prior to the move to Rheindahlen   ;

Schutzenstrasse, Bad Oeynhausen    -  (retained as building of historical interest in 2015! by Land NRW) *

http://www.nw.de/lokal/kreis_minden_luebbecke/bad_oeynhausen/bad_oeynhausen/20347016_Denkmalschutz-fuers-Weisse-Haus.html

* and sold by auction in 2017 for €310,000 to a local developper who had admired the building as a school kid - outside will be retained but interior to be re-configured.