A Sort Of History of BMH Iserlohn

Perhaps others can flesh this out some...

The site which we know as BMH Iserlohn was originally a German garrison built, I believe, circa WWI and certainly used by a Panzer outfit during WWII. In fact, the Third Reich Eagle can still be seen on the main gates, albeit with the swastika carved out of the block upon which the eagle sits.

My understanding is the eagle has since been moved from the main gates to somewhere else on the grounds. At least he (I assume it was a male eagle!) is still around...

The site is now a college/technical college campus, unlike so many of the former Canadian/British sites in the area which have been allowed to slip into dereliction.

When my family and I lived in Iserlohn circa 1971-72, while my father was closing out the remaining Canadian holdings and transferring them to BAOR, my mother worked part-time in the 'tuck shop' at BMH and always quite enjoyed the rather cheeky squaddies who delighted in giving "The Colonial" a hard time. She was fully capable of handing it right back!!

One story that has stuck in my memory for some reason was of a young squaddie, Irish Ranger I believe, or perhaps he was Welsh...at any rate he always called her a Yank and she was forever correcting him.

One day he did it again and she pointedly told him that, no, she was NOT an American but a Canadian.

"Oh..." he shrugged "Same bloody difference!"

"Hmmm..." replied my mother, "Well, I suppose as an Englishman it's difficult for you to distinguish between the accents..."

"I'm not bloody English!! I'm Welsh (Irish, Scots, whatever he was)!!"

"Oh?" Mom replied with a shrug "Same bloody difference..."

He stopped calling her a Yank after that.

Excellent story!!!!!! and thanks very much.
Mikool

I was posted to Deilinghofen Fort Prince of Wales attached to 1 SSM Bty RCA (64-69). I well remember BMH Iserlohn. I have pictures of it's present state taken by a friend for mine. I'll have to dig them out and post a few of them. One of my memories of BMH was being asked to volunteer to give blood as they were short. So a group of us went down and gave blood. The Medic who attended us was RAMC and not RCAMC. Well.... We found out they gave you a bottle of beer after giving blood. This was something new for us Canadians as all we got from the Canadian Red Cross was a Coke or coffee and doughnuts. We kind of terrorized the young RAMC medic and got a second beer each as we told him we felt faint. Still on a request for a 3rd bottle each, he booted us out with the explanation that he was going to have to explain the missing beer, as it should total only one beer = one donation of blood. Then there was the time a fellow buddy from our section went for a circumcision . A memory to be shared at another time.

i have great memories of bmh iserlohn.i played football there in the 70s the social side of life was very good.really enjoyed krankenfolk where you could see some top folk acts.my daughter was born there in 1980.by the way i was a naafi manager in hemer.

My Brother (Deceased) was born in Iserlohn.

graham wright wrote:

i have great memories of bmh iserlohn.i played football there in the 70s the social side of life was very good.really enjoyed krankenfolk where you could see some top folk acts.my daughter was born there in 1980.by the way i was a naafi manager in hemer.

When were you the manager of the Hemer NAAFI? I was kicking around circa 1971-72 and my parents and I shopped at the Hemer NAAFI all the time. I also got my Cornwall School uniform -- well, a blazer and tie and grey flannels -- there. The blazer was nice, hated the grey flannels (they itched), and for some unknown reason the sales clerk sold me a 5th Form-style tie, and not 6th Form which proved rather embarassing the first day or so at school, thank you very much!! I mean, come on, it wasn't like I LOOKED like I belonged in the 5th Form LOL. I suspect he was having bit of a laugh at my expense....

stephen i started in HEMER NAAFI 18/12 1973 so i missed you by a year or two.graham

graham wright wrote:

stephen i started in HEMER NAAFI 18/12 1973 so i missed you by a year or two.graham

Ahhh...yes, I had returned to Canada for a year and then returned to Germany (Soest) by then. Worked up in Soest for a German construction company (dreadful job!!) 73/74 building a resort hotel on south shore of Mohnesee called The Atrium.

My only 'claim to fame' re the Soest NAAFI was I streaked it. I forget when, now. Got written up in the local BAOR newspaper. One housewife was quoted as saying she "looked at the sausage [she'd] bought for [her] husband's tea, then at the streaker and suddenly the sausage seemed a bit insignificant!" Bless her. She was likely mistaken...it was a tad nippy out and I was nervous, after all but I appreciated the compliment

Luckily, everyone thought it was some Belgique soldier (I had short hair and a trimmed beard at the time, not unlike many of the Belgiques) so suspicion was deflected from this "colonial."

Graham,

I lived in Hemer 1972 - 1975, we lived in Berlinner Strasse. My Dad was an Auditor for Naafi traveling around the stores and clubs. His name was Gwilym Pritchard, sadly he died in 1980 at 55. I worked down in the stores one summer holiday (1974 ?) pricing up tins and stuff, I can't remember the mangers name but before him it was a guy called Skeltonbury ? My sister also worked in clothing for a while.

We also lived in Iserlohn and Munster - Great Times!

It would be good to hear from you.

Thanks

Gwyn

. . . . oh my mum worked in the BIA office on Berlinner Strasse at the back of the school. People used to come to the BIA to replace broken household items.

The 1st Royal Irish and REME? took up residence in Hemer.

Wow memories are flooding back but I won't bore you all.

Gwyn

gwyn,i was in hemer naafi from dec 73 to nov 82,became manager of the foodhall in dec 78.never met your dad i was only a lowly storeman when i started there,humping sacks of spuds about.len skantlebury left before my time.mr stevenson was my first boss along with his wife.trying to remember you gwyn,name rings a bell.fire a few names at me ,it might jog my memory.graham.

Graham,

When I was a part time storeman (summer of 74) there were three or four full timers who I think lodged in Hemer somewhere (they walked down towards town). There was a tall thin guy (I think his surname was Brown ?) who seemed to be the most senior storeman, a shorter guy very helpful showed me the ropes and fixed my pricing machine when I broke it. (was this you ?) My Pricing Table was by the conveyor belt up to the shop floor.
I also had to break up bakery goods that had passed their sell by date.

Was the main delivery day Wednesday evening.

There was also a lady behind me that did the veg, her daughter used to do pricing but she got promoted to a cashier. Her boyfriend was also a storeman(?).

I used to fancy a girl who ran the little confectionary shop (Ann, sigh!) any excuse to go upsatirs and sort out her empties.

Who would the store manager have been at that time.

Good to speak with you.

Gwyn

gwyn,think i remember you you now.the woman on the fruit and veg was veronica and her daughter was yvonne yvvonne was going out with john brown.there was me,little jimmy ,mike from essex and we all lived in the westiger hof past the railway line on the way to town.little annie brown was the girl in the candy store(no relation to john)she married a lad from 2 royal irish.i remember your dad as well(nice man as i now remember)i remember when we were told he had died ,very sad.it was me who talked you through the pricing gun saga,for some reason i could fathom out those crap guns but thats as far as my techno knowledge stretched.i am off tomorrow so i will dig out some photos.graham.

gwyn,had a look at my millions of photos and low and behold cant find any before 1979.must have moved over 30 times inthe last 35 years and lost a lot of stuff over the years.got some pixs of the shop inside and out from slightly later.graham.

Graham, thanks for looking. A more recent pic from inside and out would still be interesting. Aggh yes little Annie Brown. I used to go to the Long Bar (probably not the right name) 100 yds or so passed the Sally Army.

So how did you manage to transfer from Naafi to uniform?

Gwyn

long bar was always known as long bar all the time i was in hemer.joined efi/raoc in 1990(T.A.)and went to saudi as a sgt in the main supply depot in AL JUBAIL.stayed there till end of may 1991 and back to civvie street as a naafi manager.

gwyn,go to the index then locations then click on HEMER then on to peninsuler bks and you will see how the old naafi looks today.also some pix of the married quarters there as well.graham

Thanks Graham,

The other bar I used to frequent was the Picadilly back towards the cross I think, although there were some really bad fights there - one night I remember the polizei and Red Caps were called in to split up the testosterone.

Anyway thanks for all the info
Take Care
Gwyn

I have enjoyed reading the 'chat' between Gwynno and Graham...isn't it interesting that, after all these years, the two of you re-meet on this site and that the fellow who helped Gwynno out with the pricing gun does, in fact, turn out to be Graham!

The building that was the Hemer NAAFI is still there and is now some sort of chain grocery outlet. Sadly, the NAAFI up in Soest (also formerly a CLFEX under the Canadians and, prior to being "CLFEX" was known as the MLS (Maple Leaf Services) -- "CLFEX" = Canadian Land Forces Exchange) has since been demolished. Mind you, that is fairly recently so the old place stood for another 30-odd years, which I take some comfort in.

The schnell-imbiss across from the Hemer MLS/CLFEX/NAAFI likewise remained in business for many many years and only recently (i.e. in the last 7 or 8 years, I believe) closed down. That schnell-imbiss must have been open for business for close on 40 years or more! Amazing.... I had my first bratwurst there and was immediately hooked!

Stephen,

I lived in Iserlohn 1964 - 1968 and we used to go the MLS, I remember the brown paper carry bags - it was different from the Naafi and for us kids it felt like a treat.

I also enjoyed the delights of the schnell-imbiss, my mum used to fancy the guy who ran it and I (like many others) fancied the daughter.

One summer holiday I worked for a german Dry Cleaners who used to go around the army houses/flats, Messes, Kitchens etc and we always had lunch there "bratwurst sliced and covered in a curry sauce" mmm schmeckt gut !! My sister visited Hemer in 1995(ish) and they were still there then.

Good to chat

Gwyn

19TH DECEMBER 1973,MY FIRST BRATWUST MIT SENF AT THAT SCHNELLIE .I AM STILL ADDICTED ALL THESE YEARS LATER.GRAHAM.

Gwynno wrote:

Stephen,

I lived in Iserlohn 1964 - 1968 and we used to go the MLS, I remember the brown paper carry bags - it was different from the Naafi and for us kids it felt like a treat.

My years in Germany were 1959-1962 (I was 6 when we arrived, well actually 5-1/2 and 8 when we returned to Canada) and again in 1969-1972 (lived out in several villages near Hemer, then in Soest, then in Iserlohn while my father, who was Ordance Corp, completed the Brigade Close-out).

I did not want to return to Canada whatsoever. To me, Germany was "home." I made a deal with my parents that if I returned and completed school (good idea!), they would assist me in getting back to Germany, which they did.

I returned to Soest -- a city I still consider "home" -- in 1973 and worked for a German construction company building a resort hotel on the Moehnesee. Dreadful job, btw LOL

So, we missed each other.

Gwynno wrote:

I also enjoyed the delights of the schnell-imbiss, my mum used to fancy the guy who ran it and I (like many others) fancied the daughter.

I don't recall the fellow at all really...my guess is, to me at the wise old age of 16 and 17, he appeared ancient. Nice enough, as I do recall, and certainly very fluent in English since the majority of his clientele were, first, Canadians and, later, the British (so he certainly knew which side his bratwurst buns were buttered on ). I don't at all remember a daughter.

Nope, it is the bratwurst, and smell of them sizzling away on a crisp and damp Westphalian Autumn night, that has stayed with me all these years.

Gwynno wrote:

One summer holiday I worked for a german Dry Cleaners who used to go around the army houses/flats, Messes, Kitchens etc and we always had lunch there "bratwurst sliced and covered in a curry sauce" mmm schmeckt gut !! My sister visited Hemer in 1995(ish) and they were still there then.

Oh yes, I remember bratwurst and curry sauce...of course, Canadians weren't quite as gung-ho on curry as you lot, but still.....I preferred the more traditional bratwurst and senf (hot mustard).

Stephen

graham wright wrote:

19TH DECEMBER 1973,MY FIRST BRATWUST MIT SENF AT THAT SCHNELLIE .I AM STILL ADDICTED ALL THESE YEARS LATER.GRAHAM.

Cripes, Graham...you even remember the exact date?!? Those sausages did make an impression on you, didn't they?

I must say, I have never found an bratwurst comparable to the ones I devoured while in Germany...the ones here are a bit too -- I dunno -- not greasy enough LOL

Stephen I well remember MLS but CLFEX? it was CANEX still is, I just checked on Google to make sure. Hope you don't mind me correcting you on this.

A curry wurst, pomm frits and an Iserlohener Pills made a Canadian soldiers idea of a great square meal. I have learned over here to get the Thurnigeau wurst for them and have made my own curry sauce. The standard for curry sauce in Germany unfortunately has dropped from my experience in the past year or two. Incidentally a lady from Soest who married a Canadian soldier (she's much older than me) tells me that the Curry Wurst was brought to Soest by the Belgian soldiers and wasn't a German invention. Hard to find a real German Imbiss now, seem to be all Spanish, Turkish, Hungarian, Check, Polish, etc.

I get real German Bratwurst,Bockwurst and Frikadellen from ALDI or LIDL here in Manchester,plus of course DAB or any other German pils on offer.