Aachener Strasse, Monchen Gladbach.

Hi,

I have just returned from a little job in MG at the Football stadium which is on the above mentioned street on the other side of the A61 at MG Holt. Bang opposite the new access road there is a British army camp which still appears to be open and operating judging by the rather forlorn looking Union flag by the guardroom. I think it must be close to GHQ Rheindahlen as I saw a road sign for MG Rheindahlen close by. On the football stadium side of the road were some buildings which looked remarkably like the old German Army ones we all lived in at some time, the 3 or 4 story high ones. They were in use for something else and had been very done up. Does anyone know who's camp this is/was?
The girl running the bar in my hotel said all the residents of MG are very upset that the army is leaving and she seemed to think very soon. Things must have changed since my days in Osnabruck (mid to late 60's) as they couldn't wait to get rid of us.

You can clearly see the camp on Google Earth right next to the M way. It looks to me like the whole area of the Stadium was a camp at some stage.

I only went to MG once to 17RVD to pick up some new trucks. The transfer box fell off mine on the way back to Osnabruck!!

The barracks on the stadium side are/were Ayreshire Barracks (North Park). I believe they are now listed buildings, and one of them was occupied by 608 MCTG. Adjacent on the same side was Hampshire Barracks, but this was demolished in the late 80's. Where the football stadium is was a disposals site, and rail sidings (Holt 1) that led down to Rheindahlen. Then it went back up to Ayreshire (South Park) which was mainly a US war supply storage depot on the opposite side of Aachener Strasse. Also in South Park was 79 Rly Sqn RCT (latterly RLC), and latterly a det from 14 Topo RE. On the same side as South Park was Fife Barracks housing the Command Pay Office and BFG licence office.

Thanks for that Nige. It always brings all the memories flooding back when I go to the BAOR part of Germany. A colleague of mine and myself went for a wander and being the ex squaddie I am found ourselves by pure chance on the local "dodgy strasse" Waldhausener strasse. Not very salubrious but we found a good old fashioned German Gasthaus with a typical blousy barmaid of interminable age who served me an excellent "Currywurst mit pommes. I can't recall the name but it was on the corner of Waldhausener strasse and Sternstrasse. We had a few as they say and it made the years fly away. The same can't be said for flying away from Dusseldorf airport at 8 the next morning though!!

79 Railway sqn RCT. That would have been right up my street. What the hell did they do?

steve1226 wrote:

79 Railway sqn RCT. That would have been right up my street. What the hell did they do?

Supplied the rail capability for BAOR. NEO Trains, Ambu, so were a majorlance Trains, Warflats, they held these types of stock. Then they had the stock they hired in for spec moves, e.g. Challenger in the latter days.

The actual role, if I remember correctly, was supplying manpower for the Ambulance Trains and manning the various rail served depots in transition to war. I was only ever in the TA version, 275 Railway Squadron, and was allocated Willich as a Cpl.

The Sqn had its own locomotives, the largest being a 600hp Barclay loco. We had a couple of WW2 Wermacht locos as well. The main line work was done by the DB.

I think the priorities were to man NEO trains to the channel ports in TTW to evacuate the Brit Civ Pop using the Ambulance Trains and hired in DB stock, then to man them as Ambulance Trains. In the meantime, the rest of the Sqn would be moving into the War locations.

79 was a small Sqn of not more than 40 or so troops, plus REME workshops. 275 (when I joined) had 70+ on the books, so were a major boost to 79. Good times while they lasted.

79 eventually moved back to the UK becoming part of 17 Sport & Pastime Regt at Marchwood and operated the railhead at Ludgershall. This sounded the death knell for the Sqns rail operating capability, as they eventually became a Port Clearance Sqn. 275 survived as a bolt on (integration they called it) to 79. 275 were reduced to a troop as I was posted out (they didn't need the WO1's post). Now 79 revived itself in about 2003 by moving to Bicester which had a large rail layout (275 had been operating there since the mid 90's), but 79 disbanded in 2012 and 275 are going under FR2020.

I think I had the best of the times in the early 80's through to the mid 90's. Made some cracking mates and had some great times.

Waldhausener Strasse, now that rings a few bells. As to dodgy, we used to do all our touring and drinking around the Alter Markt area, not far away. My daughter has just come back from touring Germany and hopefully (she better had) has brought me back a few jars of Currywurst sauce. Just need to get the Bratties, Frites and Mayo out to have a good feed. I know she's bought a few 'Yellow Hanbags' back, so if the weather holds, next weekend should be a BAOR revival night:twisted: 

Nige

Hi Nige,

Railways and a REME workshop? I would have been in heaven with a posting like that. I take it the workshops looked after the vehicles? As for Sport and Pastime Regt, you couldn't make that one up!

Curry sauce, Tomato ketchup and curry powder works a treat. Just warm it gently on the hob. Bratwurst? Aldi sell them. If you go to Germany now they sell these smoked sausages which are called currywurst. You still get the same sauce. If you want what we used to have you have to ask for a "Bratwurst mit curry sauce."

The smoked Brattys have crept up from Bavaria. My favorites were served up in Osnabruck. A smaller Wurst all lovely and buttery with cracking sauce and crispy pommes. Heaven.

https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRDHQ-7cBvbN1A9C1ftGj2PmBwbb_IpdbtCepN0ShCp2m_GXvZeJQ

Just to wet your appetite.

REME looked after the whole shebang. Locos, rolling stock etc to Rovers. It was a very close knit unit. You'd be posted away for a tour, but always returned as it was an 'A' trade and railwaymen were in short supply. The only down side to it all was boredom. There were few movements to be done, so it was polishing carraiges etc, not the best retention duty. The highlight of the year was the annual Ambulance Train exercises. Trains full of nurses, what more could you ask for?

As to the Bratties, I get mine from Lidl. I never thought of making my own currywurst sauce though. Can't be hard.

"If you want what we used to have you have to ask for a \"Bratwurst mit curry sauce.""steve1226 wrote:

Oh well, I hope the daughter learned that one.

Nige

ALDI DOES A DECENT BRATTIE , AND YOU CAN ALSO GET THAT MILD MUSTARD FROM THEM , GINGER

Pining for the old senf?
Have a rummage in the Polish (That's Polski, not Kiwi, by the way), section in Tesco.
The Polish mustard tastes about the same.

Ah Bratwurst, I can taste em still LOL.

Eric England wrote:

Ah Bratwurst, I can taste em still LOL.

FLASH Message !

Just got 6, I say again,  six Bratwurst from local TESCO.  Not big, each genuine German made, vacuum packed sausage is about 5" ( 125 mm) long. Couldn't wait.  10 mins  under grill beat waiting for 20 mins in griddle.  Only five left 30 mins after purchase.  Outlay.......... £ 1. 69 !

cartav wrote:

Eric England wrote:

Ah Bratwurst, I can taste em still LOL.

FLASH Message !

Just got 6, I say again,  six Bratwurst from local TESCO.  Not big, each genuine German made, vacuum packed sausage is about 5" ( 125 mm) long. Couldn't wait.  10 mins  under grill beat waiting for 20 mins in griddle.  Only five left 30 mins after purchase.  Outlay..........  £ 1. 69 !

Dang:no:  I managed to buy a few frozen bratwurst one time in Hangzhou in the 19 years I have been in China and they were finished the same afternoon. I now know I can buy them in Shenzhen down on the Hong Kong border, looking for an excuse to book a flight without wifey giving me hell.

I would kill for Bratwurst and pork pies arrrrrrrggghhhh. OH an steak and kidney pie with mushy peas. Droooooolll

Eric, if Amazon deliver to China, you can order them online. 

Shelldrake wrote:

Eric, if Amazon deliver to China, you can order them online. 

Last time I checked with the Chinese it is still 1925 here LOL.

Ach so!

[quote............. Good times while they lasted. 79 eventually moved back to the UK becoming part of 17 Sport & Pastime Regt. 

Nige[/quote]


Sport & pastime regiment ????????? Why are these things kept secret and what sort of army is it now ?

cartav wrote:

[quote............. Good times while they lasted.  79 eventually moved back to the UK becoming part of 17 Sport & Pastime Regt. 

Nige

Sport & pastime regiment ?????????   Why are these things kept secret and what sort of army is it now ?[/quote]

I was thinking something similar, they make a whole regiment for sports and pastimes?? LOL.

I would have loved to have been in the pastimes section. Do you think that would include reading Escort and Razzle and watching Continental art films of an adult nature?

steve1226 wrote:

I would have loved to have been in the pastimes section. Do you think that would include reading Escort and Razzle and watching Continental art films of an adult nature?

I guess it must have been more "hands on" than just flipping through mucky
books. And you never know, if you'd managed to get a posting into one, you
might have been part of the entertainment.

cartav wrote:

steve1226 wrote:

I would have loved to have been in the pastimes section. Do you think that would include reading Escort and Razzle and watching Continental art films of an adult nature?

I guess it must have been more "hands on" than just flipping through mucky
books.  And you never know,  if you'd managed to get a posting into one, you
might have been part of the entertainment.

Porn movies, cool:shock:  

Eric England wrote:

Porn movies, cool:shock:  

Guess I'll stick to Bratties Eric !  

Bratpack Rep..........  Down to two ready to use.

And ref. your location, did you advise nearest & dearest of your posting in that wartime manner aimed at fooling the censor ?   i.e Taking first letter of the final words in a written letter to encode the destination ?  Like "Be Undressed Ready My Angel for BURMA.", and so on.........   CHINA, so I'm told, was  "C....t  Hunting In North Africa ".  I suppose everybody knows that.

cartav wrote:

Eric England wrote:

Porn movies, cool:shock:  

Guess I'll stick to Bratties Eric !  

Bratpack Rep..........  Down to two ready to use.

And ref. your location, did you advise nearest & dearest of your posting in that wartime manner aimed at fooling the censor ?   i.e Taking first letter of the final words in a written letter to encode the destination ?  Like "Be Undressed Ready My Angel for BURMA.", and so on.........   CHINA, so I'm told, was  "C....t  Hunting In North Africa ".  I suppose everybody knows that.

China is full of C...s so no need to travel to Africa for fresh blood.

That's what I love about this forum. You can start talking about a location, move on to unit history, through to Bratties and currywurst sauce recipes, onto to porn and then back to unit history. It's great, that's why I like reading this:lol!: 

Anyway, 17 Port & Maritime are well known in the RLC (ex RCT) for their sporting prowess and little else. Well, they do drive boats sometimes.

Nige

Nige P wrote:

That's what I love about this forum. You can start talking about a location, move on to unit history, through to Bratties and currywurst sauce recipes, onto to porn and then back to unit history. It's great, that's why I like reading this:lol!: 

Anyway, 17 Port & Maritime are well known in the RLC (ex RCT) for their sporting prowess and little else. Well, they do drive boats sometimes.

Nige

Drive boats? LOL

Nige P wrote:

That's what I love about this forum. You can start talking about a location, move on to unit history, ............: 

Anyway, 17 Port & Maritime are well known in the RLC (ex RCT) for their sporting prowess and little else. Well, they do drive boats sometimes.

Nige

Yeah, it's easy to digress ! Not that I do it myself, of course............
With one contributor well placed to indulge in Chinese Whispers, I suppose some deviation is inevitable.

Port & Maritime sounds like a bundle of laughs, better than all that digging pits and freezing in winter snow that the rest of the army might have to do.. And driving boats ? The Sappers do watermanship training & have drivers who drive boats, or boats of sorts, so don't knock it ! Check out the web for the bits on the M2 or M3 Rigs if you've not come across them in the 40 odd years they've been around.