Number of posts : 89 Localisation : Norn Irn Cap Badge : QRIH/UDR Places Served : NI, GB, BAOR Registration date : 2013-05-03
Subject: Muenster Closed 6/7/2013, 18:07
Muenster Garrison was officially closed last Thursday (4th July) by HRH Prince Andrew. A former comrade of mine (who lives nearby) has described events thus:
The actual ceromony was short but very moving.H.R.H.Prince Andrew presented a sword of Freedom to the Mayor of Münster to replace the one given by General Guthrie (that got stolen). After the presentation I watched the Yorkshire Regiment march off which was very moving aswell. I think it was very befitting that a Yorkshire Regiment should be the last Regiment in Münster as Münster is Twinned with York.
Another chapter of the BAOR story closes.
Eric England Maj
Number of posts : 232 Age : 72 Localisation : China Cap Badge : REME 1972 - 1984 Places Served : Arborfield, Deepcut Camberley 25 Lt Regt Catterick/NI, 4 Lt Regt Catterick/NI, 655 Sqn AAC Detmold, QRIH Padderbon, 9/12 Lancers Muenster, 655 Tank Tptr Sqn Fallingbostel, HQ REME 3rd Armd Div Korbecke, SEE Arborfield, HQ REME Trg Center Arborfield. Registration date : 2013-04-22
Subject: Re: Muenster Closed 9/7/2013, 10:30
I had a couple of very happy years there despite a short stay in the BMH, sad really.
brum FM
Number of posts : 2808 Age : 83 Localisation : Sandbach Cheshire Cap Badge : RA/QOH Places Served : JLRRA (Hereford) Nienburg Paderborn Colchester Munster Maresfield (Cyprus) Hohne Hemer Op Banner x4 Woolwich Registration date : 2010-03-02
Subject: Re: Muenster Closed 9/7/2013, 10:44
I also only had a couple of years there. We were in Portsmouth Bks, which we thought was a punishment posting. A couple of things I recall that happened while there. On arrival we were lumbered with ancient 25pdr/5.5in mediums and I was back on driving a Saracen Command Post again. I took a brand-new FV432 on flick, (18 miles on the clock !). England won the World Cup. We were one of the last units to be involved in Battle Group training in Libya.
Eric England Maj
Number of posts : 232 Age : 72 Localisation : China Cap Badge : REME 1972 - 1984 Places Served : Arborfield, Deepcut Camberley 25 Lt Regt Catterick/NI, 4 Lt Regt Catterick/NI, 655 Sqn AAC Detmold, QRIH Padderbon, 9/12 Lancers Muenster, 655 Tank Tptr Sqn Fallingbostel, HQ REME 3rd Armd Div Korbecke, SEE Arborfield, HQ REME Trg Center Arborfield. Registration date : 2013-04-22
Subject: Re: Muenster Closed 9/7/2013, 11:02
I had my first married quarter there in 78, it was on the 10th floor and we had a tom cat, he used to pee on the balcony and it made the place stink, one evening wifey decided to wash the balcony down with a few buckets of water with dettol and the water landed over all the floors below, most of which had laundry hanging out. Sheesh I was such a popular chap that evening when I got home.
TimSherlock Sgt
Number of posts : 26 Age : 68 Cap Badge : Royal Signals Places Served : Harrogate, Munster Registration date : 2012-12-25
Subject: Re: Muenster Closed 9/7/2013, 17:32
Very sad to hear indeed. I spent almost four years at 4 Guards Armd Bde HQ & Sig Sqn (York Barracks). 1974 - 1977 .. Happy times.
ciphers Maj Gen
Number of posts : 978 Age : 91 Localisation : Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada V2S 7C5 Cap Badge : Royal Signals Places Served : Catterick (1951) - BAOR (1952 -1954)-(Herford - Bunde - Munster) - Japan (Kure) - Korea (Pusan - Seoul) - Cyprus (Nicosia) - Suez Op (1st Guards Brigade) - UK (63 Sigs Regt TA, Southampton) Registration date : 2008-06-30
Subject: Re: Muenster Closed 9/7/2013, 17:57
Me too, 1952/54 York Barracks, 20 Armoured Bde Sig Sqn. A great posting, made a lot of good friends there.
Len
Wilf Lt Col
Number of posts : 314 Cap Badge : RAOC Places Served : Bicester-Soltau-Canada-Kineton-Paderborn-Osnabruck (Inc Gulf 1) Donnington-Civy Strasse. Registration date : 2008-10-22
Subject: Re: Muenster Closed 13/7/2013, 14:52
I was never posted to Munster but when I was at Osnabruck my daughter was born at BMH Munster, so I do have a link with the town, however tenuous.
As an aside, we once played the Gren Guards at football in Munster (Oxford Barracks?) After the game as we were getting changed a runner was sent to speak with our team captain, he said we were all invited for drinks...that was all except the black player! We got on the bus and returned to Paderborn without accepting their so called 'hospitality'.
Eric England Maj
Number of posts : 232 Age : 72 Localisation : China Cap Badge : REME 1972 - 1984 Places Served : Arborfield, Deepcut Camberley 25 Lt Regt Catterick/NI, 4 Lt Regt Catterick/NI, 655 Sqn AAC Detmold, QRIH Padderbon, 9/12 Lancers Muenster, 655 Tank Tptr Sqn Fallingbostel, HQ REME 3rd Armd Div Korbecke, SEE Arborfield, HQ REME Trg Center Arborfield. Registration date : 2013-04-22
Subject: Re: Muenster Closed 13/7/2013, 15:10
Wilf wrote:
I was never posted to Munster but when I was at Osnabruck my daughter was born at BMH Munster, so I do have a link with the town, however tenuous.
As an aside, we once played the Gren Guards at football in Munster (Oxford Barracks?) After the game as we were getting changed a runner was sent to speak with our team captain, he said we were all invited for drinks...that was all except the black player! We got on the bus and returned to Paderborn without accepting their so called 'hospitality'.
In my opinion you did the right thing.
brum FM
Number of posts : 2808 Age : 83 Localisation : Sandbach Cheshire Cap Badge : RA/QOH Places Served : JLRRA (Hereford) Nienburg Paderborn Colchester Munster Maresfield (Cyprus) Hohne Hemer Op Banner x4 Woolwich Registration date : 2010-03-02
Subject: Re: Muenster Closed 13/7/2013, 17:43
That must've been a while ago Wilf, even the Woodentops have black blokes in their ranks now. (Have a look at The Trooping of the Colour parade.
Wilf Lt Col
Number of posts : 314 Cap Badge : RAOC Places Served : Bicester-Soltau-Canada-Kineton-Paderborn-Osnabruck (Inc Gulf 1) Donnington-Civy Strasse. Registration date : 2008-10-22
Subject: Re: Muenster Closed 13/7/2013, 22:51
brum wrote:
That must've been a while ago Wilf, even the Woodentops have black blokes in their ranks now. (Have a look at The Trooping of the Colour parade.
It wasn't 'that' long ago Brum, mid 1980's, 1986 probably.
Shelldrake FM
Number of posts : 3048 Localisation : Camberley Cap Badge : Royal Artillery Places Served : Troon, Lippstadt, Devizes, NI, Paderborn, Dortmund, Colchester, Belize, Canada, Cyprus, Gutersloh Registration date : 2010-10-26
Subject: Re: Muenster Closed 14/7/2013, 07:42
Changed days, nowadays they would have two football teams, Ladies and Gents, and the RSM is probably Female.
steve LE Maj
Number of posts : 1027 Age : 75 Localisation : near Cuxhaven Cap Badge : Royal Signals + Royal Engineers Places Served : Verden-Aller + Willich + Iserlohn + Hameln Registration date : 2010-02-14
Number of posts : 117 Localisation : €uroland Cap Badge : REME Places Served : Arborfield, Bordon, Osnabrück, Paderborn and once again Paderborn. Registration date : 2011-06-14
Subject: Re: Muenster Closed 17/7/2013, 20:44
Another nail in the BFG coffin.
Eric England Maj
Number of posts : 232 Age : 72 Localisation : China Cap Badge : REME 1972 - 1984 Places Served : Arborfield, Deepcut Camberley 25 Lt Regt Catterick/NI, 4 Lt Regt Catterick/NI, 655 Sqn AAC Detmold, QRIH Padderbon, 9/12 Lancers Muenster, 655 Tank Tptr Sqn Fallingbostel, HQ REME 3rd Armd Div Korbecke, SEE Arborfield, HQ REME Trg Center Arborfield. Registration date : 2013-04-22
Subject: Re: Muenster Closed 18/7/2013, 12:57
BigJock wrote:
Another nail in the BFG coffin.
We should be grateful for the times we had over there, the next generation will never see or feel it.
JPW Let Gen
Number of posts : 1119 Age : 83 Localisation : Berkshire Cap Badge : REME Places Served : Rotenburg Ploen Lippstadt Hamm Wetter Minden Munster Bielefeldt Dusseldorf Registration date : 2008-11-09
Subject: Re: Muenster Closed 18/7/2013, 15:16
Eric England wrote:
BigJock wrote:
Another nail in the BFG coffin.
We should be grateful for the times we had over there, the next generation will never see or feel it.
Eric
Hear, Hear
From another veteran of Munster Garrison (met my wife, a School Teacher, there)
Eric England Maj
Number of posts : 232 Age : 72 Localisation : China Cap Badge : REME 1972 - 1984 Places Served : Arborfield, Deepcut Camberley 25 Lt Regt Catterick/NI, 4 Lt Regt Catterick/NI, 655 Sqn AAC Detmold, QRIH Padderbon, 9/12 Lancers Muenster, 655 Tank Tptr Sqn Fallingbostel, HQ REME 3rd Armd Div Korbecke, SEE Arborfield, HQ REME Trg Center Arborfield. Registration date : 2013-04-22
Subject: Re: Muenster Closed 18/7/2013, 15:33
JPW wrote:
Eric England wrote:
BigJock wrote:
Another nail in the BFG coffin.
We should be grateful for the times we had over there, the next generation will never see or feel it.
Eric
Hear, Hear
From another veteran of Munster Garrison (met my wife, a School Teacher, there)
It is truly incredinble really, one could write a book about it and maybe call it the German transformation, we all saw it with different eyes from the fifties for some members to the 60/70/80/90's until present day.
Our fathers experienced a world war and we watched the transformation first hand.
I sincerely hope a new world war never happens but if it does we know lessons can and will be learned by our offspring. I have many German friends today and only a few years back had problems talking to my father about my friends. He is at rest now and nothing I could say would help him to understand the lessons that were learned from his period on this planet.
TimSherlock Sgt
Number of posts : 26 Age : 68 Cap Badge : Royal Signals Places Served : Harrogate, Munster Registration date : 2012-12-25
Subject: Re: Muenster Closed 18/7/2013, 16:22
totally agree ! I learned so much there, a new culture, language and some really nice people. A beautiful city
Chemist SSgt/CSgt
Number of posts : 70 Registration date : 2012-10-24
Subject: Re: Muenster Closed 19/7/2013, 12:38
I can only say "hear hear" to all of the above. I spent the best seven years of my life in and around Muenster. As a civvie I ,and my wife (SSAFA) could not have been better treated by most of the Military for whom we both worked. We were there from 1979 to 1982 and again from 1984 to 1988. As I grew up in the wawer, Germany, and all it stood for, was a complete no- no until I got there. How wrong I was. Being in Germany was a complete education in every way. It is sad to think that those who follow us will not have the experiences that we lucky few had. Our thanks to all those great people who we met in BAOR,I only wish we had kept in touch.
Pborn4 Brig
Number of posts : 706 Localisation : Between Hannover and Herford, off all main routes Cap Badge : Not even a reservist now - have been Pborn3 Places Served : Oswestry 1965, Paderborn to 1971, NE Dist, Munsterlager from 1974, Sennelager (1976 to 2012) Registration date : 2016-12-16
Last edited by Pborn4 on 25/10/2023, 09:28; edited 2 times in total (Reason for editing : trans)
alan8376 likes this post
alan8376 Maj Gen
Number of posts : 778 Age : 76 Localisation : Norfolk, UK Cap Badge : REME Places Served : Carlisle AAS, Aden, Hildesheim, Bordon, Fallingbostel, Dover, NI Tours, Osnabruck, Herford, Muenster, UN Nicosia, SBA Dhekellia Cyprus x2, Waterbeach, Civi Street 1988. Retired from VOSA 2007. Registration date : 2009-07-28
Subject: Re: Muenster Closed 25/10/2023, 09:15
I keep losing the English translation. How to change it back. I have done it once.
Alan.
alan8376 Maj Gen
Number of posts : 778 Age : 76 Localisation : Norfolk, UK Cap Badge : REME Places Served : Carlisle AAS, Aden, Hildesheim, Bordon, Fallingbostel, Dover, NI Tours, Osnabruck, Herford, Muenster, UN Nicosia, SBA Dhekellia Cyprus x2, Waterbeach, Civi Street 1988. Retired from VOSA 2007. Registration date : 2009-07-28
Subject: Re: Muenster Closed 25/10/2023, 09:34
PS. Here s the Converter at the top of page one of Muenster page.