The administrator's precis on 'BARRACKS'

Hello,

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the informative introduction on 'BARRACKS'.

I should like to add the following:

The German term for 'barracks' is 'Kaserne' which was adopted like so many
military terms from French.

The German term for 'camp' is 'Lager', short for 'Feldlager' -
implies something 'provisional' or less stable than a 'Kaserne' built with
bricks and masonry. E.g. Munsterlager

In German the word 'Baracke' means a provisional, often wooden, single-storey building.
The English equivalent would be 'hut' as in Nissen or Quonset hut (Wellblechbaracke).

Subsequently the buildings of a Kaserne are called 'Block' or 'Gebaeude' (building), NOT 'Baracke'!; so it's 'Block 1' or 'Gebaeude 1'
The 'economy block' is called "Wirtschaftsblock" oder "Wirtschaftsgebaeude"

I hope I have not bored you. By the way there must be some Kasernen left over from the Imperial German Armies, I should think.

Kind regards,

MB

Michael

Welcome and thank you for kind comments and additional information

Cuxhaven Steve and I have a particular interest in the British and other Allied Forces which formed the British Army of the Rhine in 1945.

We have identified over 200 locations where British and other Allied units were based at this time, to then suggest we try and identify which were Kaiser Wilhelm, Hitler era and post War British Build would make life very complicated. Though I do know Westminster Barracks Minden where I was based for a number of years was a Prusian era Artillery Barracks

Niddle, noodle nooo

Dear JPW,

thanks for your reply.

There has been a misunderstanding.

My reference to pre-1918 barracks was a mere statement of fact, not a suggestion or even demand that you should research the construction history of each of the odd 200 barracks listed.

The barracks built from 1933 can easily be recognised by their identical layout, so well described
by you.

I was stationed in one of these barracks (Bismarck-Kaserne, Wentorf near Hamburg) for two years and got to know several others during reserve exercises.
Sometimes you would still find lettering on the storeroom doors in the cellar, originating from British troops that had been occupying these barracks at some time.

My next posts will be devoted to Bradbury Barracks, Krefeld (my hometown).

Take care!

Kind regards,

Mike the Fritz

Mike

Thank you for recent contributions to this site, you clearly have a sense of rival to challenge the more senior members

Regarding Bismarck Kaserne at Wentorf, according to my working notes 156 Field Regiment RA briefly occupied the Barracks in May 1945 but subsequently the British units responsible for Miltary Security of Hertzogtum Lauenburg but were based in the Aumuhle or Sahms area, this must have released your barracks for use as emergency accommodation as described in the History described in the Panzer Brigade 16 site

Beware, If Bloodnok is here then Electric Hermit wont be far away, they hunt as a pair and in my experience are trouble.

Hello JPW,

only now discovered your kind reply.

I had always been planning to show my wife my old barracks.
Yes, it is true. They had been used as emergency accomodation for displaced persons and Germans that had managed to flee from Eastern Germany.
The German Army moved in around 1961. To be precise my Batallion, Panzergrenadierbataillon (MTW) 162 in which I served from 1968 till 1970.
I had never returned to Hamburg and had always been planning to revisit with my wife.
Somehow never worked out, and I reached retirement age and emigrated to Thailand.
I wanted to have a look at my old barracks, and was shocked when I learnt that except for
the two economy buildings it had been razed to the ground, with apartment buildings erected
on the premises.
Can you imagine my shock if I had gone there with my wife, and the taxi driver would have
stopped at the site!LOL
I must admit I was quite shocked. It felt like you had been robbed of an essential part of your
life.
Of course, my old batallion had been disbanded as well.
Many British soldiers must feel the same with their old barracks gone - in Germany and Britain (e.g. Chelsea Barracks, London)

Must close for now.
Take care!

Kind regards,

MB aka 'Mike the Fritz'

P.S. As for 'Baracke' - the typical buildings in POW camps (NOT Colditz Castle!Lol) would
      be called 'Baracken' in German!