REGIMENTS SERVING NEAR LUENEBURG 1945/46

Hello

I am researching family history and want to trace a relative who served in the army for a while before demobbing. No service number so can not use army records. Have D.O.B but surname can be spelled in various ways. Think if I had some regimental names and if there are not too many, then I could approach the regiments directly to find him.

Any better ideas most welcome!

Peter

Peter

This is going to be a challenge

Steve is our resident expert on the 30 Corps in the Luneberg area in the 1945/46 and I have been feeding him informatio from the National Archives at Kew. At a guess we have identified atleast 15 units so far with many more yet to come.

It might be helpful if you could tell us what part of the Country yiour relative came from but many Regiments such as the Royal Artillery,the Royal Engineers and Royal Signals plus the Logistic Support Corps recruited nationally. Sadly too very few units in existence in 1945/46 exist today.

Thanks for rapid reply. Agree this may be too difficult and do not want to put others to such hassle. Although you might want to just build up Army history anyway. If units/regiments merge (as they do) might make task easier if all archives have been inherited by new formations. Relative came from South London.

Peter

Peter as JPW pointed out a difficult one

In May 45 HQ 2nd Army was there and disbanded Jul 45 the only unit recorded so far is the Defence Company from 2nd Battalion Monmouthshire Regiment they moved to 71st Infantry Brigade of 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division Jul 45

30th Corps District moved its HQ from Neinburg to Lüneburg and disbanded Sep 46

4th Armoured Brigade but not the HQ units recorded in Lüneburg
Jun 46 – 3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters) disbanded Nov 46
Jun 46 – 2nd Battalion Devonshire Regiment to UK 1947
Jul 46 – Royal Scots Greys (2nd Dragoons) to 7th Armoured Division Jul 47 remained until 1952
Sep 46 – 2nd Royal Tank Regiment from Italy to UK Apr 48

There is confusion of who was in which barracks so very much "under construction" looks like in 1945/1946 the HQ administration units have a break down for 1 Corps District in Iserlohn but not for 30 Corps District but must assume very similar

Hope this helps and best regards
Steve

Peter

The DOB would be helpful and would indicate whether your relative had fought his way across Europe from D Day or whether he has a later reinforcement.

I had interpreted your opening remarks to mean he was in the Luneburg area not neccessarily the stadt as many units were spread across the surrounding countryside in Summer 1945d

Thank you Steve and JPW.

DOB is either 04.03.16 or 02.07.11 i.e. two individuals with identical first names and similar surnames. I doubt he was in Germany after 1948 from some other info.

After further research, in principle I could find one of them in army records - it's the 25 year rule! I will obtain a death cert and keep you posted. It would be fantastic if his unit was one you've mentioned Steve.

Peter

Peter

Thank you for the latest info which suggests your relative could have taken an active part in WW2.

There are two options
a. He could have been a member of the TA and therefore mobilised at very outbreak of war (like my father in law who had a 1916 birthday)
b. He was conscripted into the Army in 1940

In either case he undoubtedly would have been part of OPERATION OVERLORD (the D Day Landings and immediate aftermath). and would have fought his way across northwest Europe ending the war on the Luneburg Heath as Steve has indicated. He would have been demobilised and returned to civilian life in accordance with a complicated formula applicable to all troops involving
Age
Length of wartime service/overseas service
Former civilian occupation

If you have any more snippets of info happy to express an opinion on possible optionsi

Hello JPW

Yes, agree that seems likely. Wish he had been Monty's batman or held the pens in the tent on Luneburg Heath, then things would have been easier!

As I write have another idea. One of the two possibles had a father serving in WW1. I did track down that unit but have temporarily mislaid it but can go back to "Ancestry". Would a father and son regimental continuity been a common thing in WW2 conscriptions? Could soldiers- to- be express some choice?

Thanks for your continuing interest.

Peter

Peter

As you may have spotted elsewhere on this site many British Regiments were very proud of their individual family traditions spanning all ranks and a number of generations.

Alternatively many Regiments, particularly the Infantry and the TA, had longstanding geographical recruiting areas. It is therefore quite feasible that son served in the same Regiment in WW2 as his Father had in WW1.

Oxford camp was in Lüneburg (Lueneburg) from at least December 1945 (or earlier) until June 1947 or May 1948.
The camp had the DPAC (Displaced Persons Assembly Centre) number 257 in December 1945, 2510 from December 1945 to March 1946 (and onward?), 2519 from February to June 1947.
It had the DPACS number 83/2519 or simply 83 from June 1947 to May 1948..    

and then:  https://www.gunnerflann.com › luneburg in Wyvern Bks home to 24 Med Regt RA

and https://www.gunnerflann.com/adopted-munster-locals-walter/#more-1092


Lüneburg
Alma Barracks formerly Fliegerhorst Lüneburg der Luftwaffe (Wehrmacht), KG 26, KG 100 BAOR handed back 1958
now Theodor-Körner-Kaserne (Bundeswehr)
Bristol Barracks Schlieffen- oder Artillerie-Kaserne (Wehrmacht) BAOR handed back 1958
Worcester Barracks Infanterie-Kaserne (Wehrmacht) BAOR handed back 1958
Wyvern Barracks Kavallerie-Kaserne (Wehrmacht) BAOR handed back 1958
now Scharnhorst-Kaserne (Bundeswehr)
CRC Lüneburg RAFG used from 1953 to 1957