Former Barracks of B.A.O.R today!

Last year whilst in Minden i saw that my old Barracks 'Clifton Barracks had been demolished and a new housing/ estate and industry park had been built on this site.
only the HQ, The officers Mess and the old Stable building (Our LAD Bar!) remained.
this gave me the insentive to locate the remaining barracks that have been left to rot or to be demolished or converted and photograph them before this happens for memory sake.

I have been to several locations and will soon be visiting Osnabrucke as the barracks there are to be demolished (Belfast Barracks already has)

tHere is the link to view the photos of the locations i have already been to:
http://digital-exposures.jimdo.com/former-cold-war-installations/

Because the web and google earth are always out of date, i only visit those barracks that have been confirmed that they still exist, should you know of any please let me know.

Hi Kev, here is a link to some pics I took of Mercer/Imphal Bks.
Regards
Alistair

Mercer Bks. June 2011

Hello Kevm..
Have been to the link you put up "thats great "its good to see old Barracks sites of years gone by. I was in West Riding Barracks Dortmund in 1958 but i se you say that, and all other Barracks in Dortmund have gone to housing and other units.."To Late"..... Alan.

I believe West Riding Barracks is now a Major Road/Autobahn, Alan.

BigJock wrote:

Hi Kev, here is a link to some pics I took of Mercer/Imphal Bks.
Regards
Alistair

Mercer Bks. June 2011

Dont know if i am doing this correctly answering a post but here goe's

Alistair the pictures are great just what i need, is the camp still intact and worth a visit? and can i get in or do i have to jump the fence?

Thanks for the link

Kev

ALAN.BREAKSPEAR wrote:

Hello Kevm..
Have been to the link you put up "thats great "its good to see old Barracks sites of years gone by. I was in West Riding Barracks Dortmund in 1958 but i se you say that, and all other Barracks in Dortmund have gone to housing and other units.."To Late"..... Alan.

Hi Alan, Dortmund doe's not look good, they have been flattened or converted, i went to Napier Barracks not long ago but this is now a Borrusia Dortmund traing ground.
i havent ventured further than Dortmund jet, but will after i have completed this area.

Kev

Quebec Bks Osnabruck ................. 21 Eng. Regt in residence 1998

Top Pic. Guard Room & Main Gate from principal access road.

Lower Pic. Principal access road looking west.
Accommodation Blocks to right.
Sqn. offices, stores, etc on left.

Quebec Bks Osnabruck.......... 21 Eng Regt in residence 1998

Top Pic. CET in front of MT sheds

Lower Pic. Private cars parked on Regt. Square with RHQ offices behind.

Whilst I never served in Osnabruck one thing about the private cars I found interesting. I'm sure the older one's amongst us will have noticed as well - no BFG plates!! They are all looking like standard UK plates. What happened to BFG licences etc and when?

Good point !

Did they still get BFG petrol coupons, I wonder.

ChrisP wrote:

Whilst I never served in Osnabruck one thing about the private cars I found interesting. I'm sure the older one's amongst us will have noticed as well - no BFG plates!! They are all looking like standard UK plates. What happened to BFG licences etc and when?

I left Germany in 1987 but possibly it was after the murder of 2 Australian tourists in Holland ( after 1990 I think.) They got phased out for security reasons , bit like shutting the stable door after the nags made a run for it.

I was at Quebec Barracks from 1983 - 86 with 23 Eng Rgt , remember it well .

It was for security reasons...

If I remember correctly a RSM from a Welsh Regiment was shot by the IRA at a set of traffic lights on his way to catch the Ferry at Zebrugge, it didn't help matters that his car had BFG Plates. I believe after that incident troops were give the choice to have local German plates of British plates, it was all still administered by the BFG Licensing Office at HQ BAOR. I think British plates are the norm nowadays, which all rather defeats the object in the first place!

Moin all
It is still a BFG registration just UK plates and tax discs from ramdon DVLA/Post Offices for RHD vehicles and German plates local to the garrison for LHD vehicles and yes they still have petrol coupons
Cheers
Steve

Shelldrake wrote:

If I remember correctly a RSM from a Welsh Regiment was shot by the IRA at a set of traffic lights on his way to catch the Ferry at Zebrugge, it didn't help matters that his car had BFG Plates. I believe after that incident troops were give the choice to have local German plates of British plates, it was all still administered by the BFG Licensing Office at HQ BAOR. I think British plates are the norm nowadays, which all rather defeats the object in the first place!

You could well be right, but I seem to recall the murder was nearby at Ostend.

Me and some of the lads used to travel around Belgium when on a 72, and there were some IRA bars/folk in Ostend in the 70's.

cartav wrote:

Quebec Bks Osnabruck.......... 21 Eng Regt in residence 1998

Top Pic. CET in front of MT sheds

Lower Pic. Private cars parked on Regt. Square with RHQ offices behind.

The CET prototypes were first used in early/mid 1976 and we got a couple to play with. They were to replace the Cent AVRE.


A Chieftain AVRE was never developed IIRC as you needed a manual clutch for digging emplacements etc. So hence the CET. Which I never got to drive.



I don't think CETs would have been much good in Op MOTORMAN.



The Chieftain bridgelayers came in just after I left and seemed to be a success.

[quote="pete26"]

I don't think CETs would have been much good in Op MOTORMAN. [quote]


I never had any experience with CET but, somehow, it seemed to be a bit of a lightweight, and I sometimes wondered if it was any more capable than a Cat D8. Except ,of course. it had a bit of armour, a gpmg, and could swim. The exposed tracks look a tad vulnerable to shot & shell, as do all those hydraulic pipes.

Using the rocket powered hooky thing might have been exciting , but if it didn't bite first shot who climbed out to put it back for a second go ? Comment from anyone who hands -on experience please !!!!

I don't think CETs would have been much good in Op MOTORMAN.



Looks like the Creggan

http://www.forgottenhistory.co.uk/Pages/CampPhotographs.asp check this site out

Shelldrake..
and
Kevm..
Thanks for your information on W-R-B at Dortmund..I have seen a few old photographs of the Barracks when i was there, and perhaps one day more will be put on........Alan.

[quote="cartav"][quote="pete26"]

I don't think CETs would have been much good in Op MOTORMAN.

Quote :

I never had any experience with CET but, somehow, it seemed to be a bit of a lightweight, and I sometimes wondered if it was any more capable than a Cat D8. Except ,of course. it had a bit of armour, a gpmg, and could swim. The exposed tracks look a tad vulnerable to shot & shell, as do all those hydraulic pipes.

Using the rocket powered hooky thing might have been exciting , but if it didn't bite first shot who climbed out to put it back for a second go ? Comment from anyone who hands -on experience please !!!!

I think your dead right CARTAV.

The CET was too flimsy. Reminded me of a much lighter scorpion, but without any firepower.

I do remember seeing them go and dig emplacements quicker than an AVRE, as they could go forward and reverse quite fast with a skilled crew.

Of course the AVRE dozer blade was much wider than a CET.

brum wrote:

I don't think CETs would have been much good in Op MOTORMAN.



Looks like the Creggan

Indeed it is Brum.

The work was done by 26 Armoured Engineer Squadron.

"john boy" wrote:

http://www.forgottenhistory.co.uk/Pages/CampPhotographs.asp check this site out

Interesting stuff !, Especially, the Osnabruck Stadt site with before & after shots of the Heger Tor with both both Wehrmacht and, later, Commandos marching by. Pity the site predates the post-war Quebec Bks, but here are two to add to the Stadt pics.

Both of the St. Katharinen kirche.

Top pic from 1956 when the spire had not been fully restored after bomb damage, and the second from 2000 when the skeleton framework has been clad. Looks like
copper tiles or panelling,.......... but that's a guess.

c
.

More for Osnabruck Stadt...............

Top Left Rear of Heger Tor 1956.

Top right
32 Minden Bty trainee DR's, 1956, at the bottom of the ramp
which accesses the top of the Heger Tor. Brit type "L " plates on
bikes.

Bottom
Heger Tor 1998. Facade to old town gate was erected 1817 to
commemorate the bravery of local squaddies who won the
Battle of Waterloo .......... with a little help from the Brits.
Favourite fraulein of the period central over archway !

[quote="cartav"][quote="pete26"]

I don't think CETs would have been much good in Op MOTORMAN.

Quote :

I never had any experience with CET but, somehow, it seemed to be a bit of a lightweight, and I sometimes wondered if it was any more capable than a Cat D8. Except ,of course. it had a bit of armour, a gpmg, and could swim. The exposed tracks look a tad vulnerable to shot & shell, as do all those hydraulic pipes.

Using the rocket powered hooky thing might have been exciting , but if it didn't bite first shot who climbed out to put it back for a second go ? Comment from anyone who hands -on experience please !!!!

I recognise the pics of Quebec Barracks, I was posted there from 89 to 92 attatched to 23 Engineers, happy days. As far as the CET goes, well I never drove one but I was posted to two units who had CET's (The other being BATUS) and yes they were designed to swim but as far as I can remember they were never 'kitted out' to swim, in fact they spent most of the time parked up waiting for repair. I believe they were made of aluminium (for the largely none existent swimming role) which did indeed make them rather lightweight. A D8 was a far more capablle machine for digging & pushing because it has a blade rather than a bucket and as buckets go the CET bucket was quite a small. We took one to the Gulf with us in 1990, as far as I know it's still there!