B.A.O.R 5

I am hoping someone may be able to help me with some information on my father-in-law, during his National Service time in Germany with the Royal West Kents.

I have requested his service record but it doesn't hold much information to help find where he served. The only other details I have are from a wooden suitcase that has his name, number, regiment and B.A.O.R 5 stencilled on the lid. On the inside in pencil, he has written his name and then "Weapon Storeman - HQ17 Infantry Brigade". Did everyone get these wooden suitcases?

Any information would be great or a simple nudge in the right direction to continue my search would be fine.

PS, glad I found this website, it is very interesting ready some of the stories and experiences.

Graham

Hi GPH and welcome to the site. BAOR 5 was the British Forces Post Office for the Hannover/Hameln area, http://baor-locations.org/BFPO.aspx.html. The Wooden suitcase that you refer to was probably a means for servicemen to transport and store their clothing and equipment. It was known as a Boxes Soldier (What else!!) and was issued, I believe, before the suitcase and kitbag became the norm. This link may also be of some help in your search:-http://www.britisharmedforces.org/index.php

Welcome GPH

Ongoing research still in progress shows as follows:

Feb 46 – 2nd Battalion Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment arrived from Belgium command 17th Infantry Brigade of 5th Infantry Division – Pontefract and Wiltshire Barracks Braunschweig aka Brunswick – to British Troops Berlin Oct 46 returns Jan 47 – to UK Nov 47

Hope this helps

Thank you both very much. You have given me more to work on, I remember seeing some photos a few years ago of my father-in-law in uniform, so I will have to find them and see if they give any more clues.

GPH

Welcome

Steve is the resident expert on matters concerning the Hannover area in the immediate post war era and I am certain is information regarding your father's old Battalion is correct

However there is one matter which is slightly confusing

About six years ago I started to research the BAOR Post Code system introduced in late 1946/early 1947 for both private and official mail throughout BAOR. I subsequently got side tracked and never completed the project. The current results can be found off the Main Page of the Master Document (not this forum) of the original BAOR Locations website.

As Shelldrake said BAOR 5 was always Hannover/Hameln. However BAOR 11 was the post code for Braunschweig/Brunswick.

Please do forward any other information you can find, the resident sleuths on this site love the challenge of solving questions related to the history of the early years of BAOR

I was in Germany from January 1955 until July 1957 and most of that time I was at HQ Hannover District in Hannover itself at Stirling House and we were in BAOR 5.  It later became BFPO 5 after I left Germany.

Noch ein bier,

Norman.

Thanks Norman for your input on Hannover District

Through my research with JPW into the early days of BAOR can confirm that HQ Hannover District formed at Bad Rothenfelde north-west of Bielefeld in requisitioned accommodation on 15 Jan 48, from the brigades and units of 7th Armoured Division on its disbandment, moving to Trenchard Barracks Celle on 15 Feb 48 when the RAF had moved out, absorbing units of the 5th Infantry Division, formally Yorkshire Barracks Braunschweig that disbanded on that day, BAOR was then a shadow of its former self consisting of:

HQ BAOR – Bad Oeynhausen requisitioned accommodation
Hamburg District – Uxbridge Barracks Hamburg- Blankenese
Hannover District – Trenchard Barracks Celle
2nd Infantry Division – St David’s Barracks Hilden near Düsseldorf

The following year with the start of the Cold War, the BAOR build up started, HQ Hannover District formed HQ 7th Armoured Division in Mar 49 at Trenchard Barracks Celle, the HQ moved to Sheil Barracks and the Signal Regiment to Caithness Barracks, both in Verden-Aller in Nov 50

Must assume the “new Hannover District” formed in Sterling House Hannover Mar 49 but as yet not seen confirmation, the limit of my research for the moment is 1948

Prior to this Hannover City was as follows:

22 May 45 – 8th Armoured Brigade direct command 30th Corps from 11 Jun 45 30th Corps District relieving 35 Infantry Division United States Army
8 Mar 46 – 8th Armoured Brigade disbanded relieved by the newly formed Hannover Garrison of 51st (Highland) Infantry Division command 30th Corps District
21 May 46 – Hannover Garrison to 5th Infantry Division command 30th Corps District
14 Oct 47 – Hannover Garrison disbanded former area of responsibility to 15th Infantry Brigade of 5th Infantry Division command HQ BAOR

BTW up to now it was recorded that Trenchard Barracks Celle was occupied by HQ 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division, however now going through documentation from Kew, their home was the Silk Factory on Lüneburger Strasse, Celle from 21 May 45 to disbandment 31 Jul 46

Hi Steve,
Many thanks for your information.
If you go to Locations and click on Hannover and then Stirling House there is some info re the handing back to the Bundeswehr of Stirling House. You may have done this already I was always led to believe they had been there since 1947.
Perhaps it was only the Control Commission for Germany at first and they were still in occupation when I left in mid-1957. The local German clerks in the HQ called them Charlie Chaplins Grenadiers!!.
Nice to see the white horse flash again.

Noch ein bier,

Norman.

An interesting narrative that ends near Hannover:

http://www.royaltankregiment.com/9_RTR/individual/cordiner.htm

Great read...

I quite agree with alan8376. A fascinating account and I found the bits about immediate post-war Hannover very interesting. The places he mentioned bring back memories. The Red Shield club had moved to a place about 400 yards from the Bahnhof on Georg Strasse and was a favourite spot of mine for an hour with the newspapers and a very good cup of coffee.

That was before I had

Noch ein bier

Norman.

steve wrote:

Thanks Norman for your input on Hannover District

Through my research with JPW into the early days of BAOR can confirm that HQ Hannover District formed at Bad Rothenfelde north-west of Bielefeld in requisitioned accommodation on 15 Jan 48, from the brigades and units of 7th Armoured Division on its disbandment, moving to Trenchard Barracks Celle on 15 Feb 48 when the RAF had moved out, absorbing units of the 5th Infantry Division, formally Yorkshire Barracks Braunschweig that disbanded on that day, BAOR was then a shadow of its former self consisting of:

HQ BAOR – Bad Oeynhausen requisitioned accommodation
Hamburg District – Uxbridge Barracks Hamburg- Blankenese
Hannover District – Trenchard Barracks Celle
2nd Infantry Division – St David’s Barracks Hilden near Düsseldorf

The following year with the start of the Cold War, the BAOR build up started, HQ Hannover District formed HQ 7th Armoured Division in Mar 49 at Trenchard Barracks Celle, the HQ moved to Sheil Barracks and the Signal Regiment to Caithness Barracks, both in Verden-Aller in Nov 50

Must assume the “new Hannover District” formed in Sterling House Hannover Mar 49 but as yet not seen confirmation, the limit of my research for the moment is 1948

Prior to this Hannover City was as follows:

22 May 45 – 8th Armoured Brigade direct command 30th Corps from 11 Jun 45 30th Corps District relieving 35 Infantry Division United States Army
8 Mar 46 – 8th Armoured Brigade disbanded relieved by the newly formed Hannover Garrison of 51st (Highland) Infantry Division command 30th Corps District
21 May 46 – Hannover Garrison to 5th Infantry Division command 30th Corps District
14 Oct 47 – Hannover Garrison disbanded former area of responsibility to 15th Infantry Brigade of 5th Infantry Division command HQ BAOR

BTW up to now it was recorded that Trenchard Barracks Celle was occupied by HQ 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division, however now going through documentation from Kew, their home was the Silk Factory on Lüneburger Strasse, Celle from 21 May 45 to disbandment 31 Jul 46

Thanks to the notes here http://www.baor-locations.org/StirlingHouse.aspx.html

Can confirm HQ 8th Armoured Brigade command 30th Corps District moved in on 31 Jul 45, there were in a school to the west from 21 May 45, both locations are on Hans Böckler Alle, Hannover-Kleefeld, this has come to light as have now received a copy of the war diaries from Kew for the 8th Armoured Brigade