Barker Bks, (prev. Panzer Viking!) Driburgerstr, Paderborn

1992 Barker Barracks Paderborn Amalgamation Parade 4/7 and 5 Skins

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wlx30spAc98

Update on closure of Barker. The Stadt want to turn it into an industry park, however the Bundeswehr have expressed interest in the site too. I think the decision on what happens next will be taken in the next few months.

The Bundeswehr have pulled out due to the distance from the training area - latest is that the camp is going to be flattened

aerial views from a drone flight

checking all the lights are off

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sumA-DI8VU

closed and might be demolished

Credits etc as stated on Youtube

The barracks was named for  General Sir Evelyn Barker.
From 1945 the extensive Panzer Viking/Barker Barracks had been home to numerous British Units Subject to further researches British units stationed in Barker Barracks were:

Outstations of the All Arms Training Centre, Sennelager

Elements of the REME Trade Training School were in this Barracks (and Flak Barracks Lippsptadt and Benteler Works, Neuhaus (the full title of the village  "Schloss Neuhaus" did not arise until 1957 - they were given a pair of swans by HM The Queen!))).

Also accommodated in the Barker Barracks - 1947
School of Administration (this had started its existence in Bad Lippspringe in 1945 and the Normandy Barracks /Senne I in 1946).

Garrison/ Brigade Headquarters and associated Signal Squadron:
Dec 1992 – Aug 2001. 20th Armoured Brigade (previously 33rd Bde & Task Force Echo from Alanbrooke Barracks, Paderborn)  (2001 moved to extensively refurbished Bl. 215 Antwerp Barracks, Sennelager - had been there in 1945 as 33 Armd Bde )

Royal Armoured Corps:
Dec 1948 – Jul 1951. 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards (came from York Barracks, Munster and thence to Talavera Barracks, Aldershot)
Jul 1951 – Apr 1959. 8th Royal Tank Regiment (under Comd 33 Armd Bde) came from Shaiba Lines, Catterick and then Apr 59 to Wessex Barracks, Fallingbostel)
Aug 1957 – Dec 1959. 17th/21st Lancers (moved to Piddlehinton)
Apr 1959 – Mar 1964. 10th Royal Hussars (came from Swinton Barracks, Münster and thence to Lucknow Barracks, Tidworth)
Feb 1964 – Dec 1966. 13th/18th Hussars (came from Wessex Barracks, Fallingbostel and thence to Cachy Barracks, Perham Down)
Dec 1966 – Jun 1970. 14th/20th King's Hussars (came from Cachy Barracks, Perham Down and thence to Aliwal Barracks, Tidworth)
Nov 1970 – Jun 1979. Queen's Royal Irish Hussars (returned to Bhurtpore Barracks, Tidworth)
Jul 1979 – Nov 1986. 3rd Royal Tank Regiment (came from Bhurtpore Barracks, Tidworth and thence to Allenby Barracks, Bovington)
Nov 1986 – Jul 1992. 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards (amalgamated with 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards, to form The Royal Dragoon Guards)
Jul 1992 – Jul 1996. Royal Dragoon Guards (moved to Aliwal Barracks, Tidworth)
Aug 1996 – Jun 1999. 1st Royal Tank Regiment (moved to RAF Honington as part of the new Joint NBC Regiment)

Royal Artillery:
(1948 78 Bty 40 Regt RA - potentially support battery for Arty support for All Arms Trg at Sennelager)
Jan 1962 – Nov 1972. 24 Missile Regiment Royal Artillery (arrived from Assaye Barracks, Nienburg and thence to Ubique Barracks, Dortmund) There was also 15th US Army (Fd Arty) Det of 59th Ord BN US Army at Büren).
Nov 1972 – Jan 1978. 45 Medium Regiment Royal Artillery (arrived from Ubique Barracks, Dortmund and thence to Haig Barracks, Hohne )
Jan 1978 – Apr 1984. 25 Field Regiment Royal Artillery (arrived from Dennis Barracks, Munsterlager and then to suspended animation)
Apr 1984 – Jan 1990. 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery subsumed J Bty RHA and individuals and equipment from 25 RA (from Hopton Barracks, Devizes and thence to Kirkee Barracks, Colchester)
Jan 1990 – May 1993. 45 Field Regiment Royal Artillery ( from Kirkee Barracks, Colchester and thence suspended animation)

Royal Engineers:
Dec 1999 – present. 35 Engineer Regiment (moved from Gordon Barracks, Hameln) (took over buildings from Royal Armoured Corps and then, in Sep 2001, relocated to the HQ building vacated by 20th Armoured Brigade) 2019/20 moved to Wimbish and re-roled as EOD Regt RE.


Royal Signals:
Special to Msl Regts RA was a Rear Link Det R Signals (1962-1972)
Comcen Paderborn (to support  Bde/Garrison HQ now l,ocated i
Paderborn) 1992 to 2001)

Infantry
Jun 1994 – Jan 1998. 1st Devonshire and Dorset Regiment (moved from Albuhera Barracks, Werl, and thence to Battlesbury Barracks, Warminster)
Jan 1998 – Feb 2005. 1st Royal Regiment of Wales (moved from Cavalry Barracks, Hounslow and then to Lucknow Barracks, Tidworth)
Feb 2005 – 2019 1st Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (moved from Burtphore Barracks, Tidworth)

Army Aviation  Circa 1968-1972 some hels were based in the Barracks, co-located with 1 CS Ord Bn. Further details needed.

Royal Army Ordnance Corps:
The MissileRegiment RA had its own Stores Section alongside the REME Wksp to provide spares for US Eqpts used by Msl Regt RA.

Oct 1970 – Apr 1982. 1 (BR) Corps Combat Supplies Battalion RAOC (renamed to 5 Ordnance Battalion RAOC)

Apr 1982 – Apr 1993. 5 Ordnance Battalion RAOC (moved Princess Royal Barracks, Gütersloh and Tower Barracks, Dulmen) (merged with 6 Ordnance Battalion RAOC to become 6 Supply Regiment Royal Logistic Corps)
circa 1970 to circa 1990 Armoured Delivery Squadron (tank park)

Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers:
early post war 1945 – Apr 1950. REME Technical Training School BAOR (moved to Glamorgan Barracks, Duisburg)
circa 1959 to 1995 57 Station Workshop REME
circa 1995. 20 Close Support Company REME
1995 – 2007. 3 Battalion REME (moved from Hobart Barracks, Detmold) (renamed 3 (Close Support) Battalion REME)
2007 – 2019. 3 (Close Support) Battalion REME
2019. During the Barracks clean-up remnants of the hard-standing and some AFV spares that had been the tank park and assets of 2 Armd Delivery Sqn were re-discovered and the land remediated and metal parts consigned to scrap. The last remaining troops were withdrawn and the barracks handed back to the German Finance Ministry.

Thanks Pborn4

A small amendment for the period 8 May 45 to 1 Mar 49 that is my current research:

5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards RAC arrived Sep not Dec 48 from Münster, also prior to them 78 Battery of 40th Field Regiment RA were located there May to Jul 48, there were other minor units but that is work in progress.

School of Administration and REME Technical Training School of the BAOR Training Centre were established there in Jul 47.

Hope this helps

https://britisharmyingermany.com (under construction)

Many thanks Steve,
Panzer Viking was occupied before the termination of hostilities virtually from Easter 1945, and there
were many minor units in  and out of the gates - very short entries in War Diaries- until postings and locations settled down.
I may amend the entry for RA above - though it was just a 3 month period when the Bty could have been attached for Arty support duties on the Range.
(78 Bty had Sexton SP and the "track mileage" question was very pertinent).
Sch of Admin (RASC) was variously in Bad Lippspringe (Kurpark), Normandy Bks (aka SENNE 1), and settled in Lippstadt.

REME Tech School had themselves well spread:  in Panzer Viking, in the Benteler Works in Neuhaus and eventually at Flak Bks, Lippstadt.

In  modern times (between 1968 and 1970) Army Avn were also accommodated in the Barracks attached 1 CS Bn RAOC, also (humourously) known as 1 Complete Surprise Battalion . . .

I can remember the Tank Park as an extn of Hamm Delivery Sqn being set up near the Back gate of Barker Barracks - between the RA Regt Wksp REME and the Gymnasium - the site was finally cleaned and cleared  in 2019, by an RE Officer who was beyond surprises, in time for handback.

However the first British troops into the area were HQRA 3 Infantry Division with HQ at the Kirchplatz Delbruck arriving 21 May 45 relieving units of XVI US Corps.

The 2 photos further back. Are both photos of barker Barracks??

Alan

Confirmed both are aerial views of the Barker Barracks!
The first is from North to South key features are:


57 Station Workshops and its Vehicle Park (ie Covered storage for Vehs awaiting parts and repair or Cast Vehs for disposal, and accident wrecks secured against cannibalisation)
The HQ Block with clock tower (clock deficient),
The newly built Catering block called "Chard Restaurant"
The two Guard Rooms at one time serving the Artillery Regiment to the right and the Cavalry Regiment to the left  - eventually security precautions and manning made the left hand one the Main entry point.  There is a service road running parallel to Driburgerstrasse - which lets vehicles line-up under cover before leaving the camp area, from the Cavalry Gate.
and in the distance - outside the wire - the Goldgrund Dry Training area  (ideal for tankies with restricted track mileage, has its own Washdown).

The second photo views the Camp from the town of Paderborn into the distance where Driburgerstraße is along the right edge. Berliner Ringstrasse in the foreground was  built 1969/70 after Artillery Regiment sacrificed the Regt'l Pig farm, a plant nursery and the Officers' Mess buildings.

Pborn4 wrote:

The second photo views the Camp from the town of Paderborn into the distance where Driburgerstraße is along the right edge. Berliner Ringstrasse in the foreground was  built 1969/70 after Artillery Regiment sacrificed the Regt'l Pig farm, a plant nursery and the Officers' Mess buildings.

Those buildings were pulled down a tad later than that, it happened during 3RTR's tenure there, probably 80-82!

Added to occupants of Barker Barracks

2019 >> During the Barracks clean-up remnants of the hard-standing and some AFV spares that had been the tank park and assets of 2 Armd Delivery Sqn were re-discovered and the land remediated and metal parts consigned to scrap.<<

https://www.westfalen-blatt.de/owl/kreis-paderborn/paderborn/briten-nehmen-kaserne-in-betrieb-uebung-2917388

Teile der ehemaligen Barker-Kasernen gehen vorübergehend wieder in Betrieb.

Insgesamt nehmen 90.000 Soldaten aus 31 Nato-Staaten und dem Partnerland Schweden an der Übung teil, davon etwa 20.000 Briten.

Nach Angaben der britischen Armee von Freitag (9. Februar) werden die Soldaten auch einen Teil der ehemaligen Barker-Kasernen nutzen, um dort eine kleine Reparaturwerkstatt für Fahrzeuge einzurichten. Die Armee weist darauf hin, dass darum vermehrt Militärkonvois in Paderborn unterwegs sein könnten.

Diese seien möglicherweise sehr langsam unterwegs. Autofahrer sollten sich an zwei Regeln halten: Abstand halten und auf keinen Fall zwischen die Militärfahrzeuge fahren.

Maneuvers on the military training area begin next week

British reopen barracks on Driburger Strasse
PaderbornThe British will reopen part of the former Barker barracks on Driburger Strasse in Paderborn. The reason for this is the large-scale military exercise "Steadfast Defender" with 90,000 soldiers. This will lead to traffic disruptions.

A total of 90,000 soldiers from 31 NATO countries and the partner country Sweden are taking part in the exercise, including around 20,000 British soldiers.

The maneuver takes place throughout Europe; an important location is the Senne military training area, where logistical processes in particular are to be trained.

Two important rules for drivers
According to information from the British Army on Friday (February 9), the soldiers will also use part of the former Barker Barracks to set up a small repair workshop for vehicles. The army points out that this could lead to an increased number of military convoys in Paderborn.

They may be travelling very slowly. Drivers should follow two rules: keep your distance and under no circumstances drive between the military vehicles.