Royal Navy in BAOR

Little mention has been made of the Royal Navy in BAOR, yet they were there in one form or another!

Are there any Navy types out there who can shed some light on the Service's presence from 1945 on?

There was a presence in Cuxhaven for a time, see here:-

http://baor-locations.com/CuxhavenKriegsMarine.aspx

I have also found a mention of Navy personnel being discharged from Germany in 1947, and a reference to Royal Naval Party 1735 here:-

http://www.warvetsweb.oddquine.co.uk/navy/2.htm

There must be some out there who have memories, or know someone who does. Let us have them before they are lost for ever.

Paul.

Hi
I read somewere,(but can't remember were)That the Royal Navy had a unit or somesort of HQ in Minden just after the war.

I'm not a Navy type but I do know that HMS Royal Rupert was a base in Wilhelmshaven from 1945 - 1948. The site it originally occupied was taken over by Prince Rupert School. The following link is an account by Mrs Conder, wife of the Naval Officer in Charge at Wilhelmshaven from 45 - 48.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/35/a6152735.shtml

There was always an RN weapons Petty Officer stationed at 23 Base Workshops in Wetter,I believe it was possibly an exchange affair with a REME tiffy being seconded to the Navy,unless of course you know different.

I remember RN personnel at the Allied Leave Center, Bad Harzburg in 1953!

In addition to the places mentioned there was also a significant Royal Navy presence in the former Kriegsmarine Dockyards in Kiel in the period 1945-47. The local Commander was known as Senior Naval Officer Schleswig Holstein (SNOSH) with his Headquaters, called HMS Royal Alfred, in the naval barracks in nearby Ploen. This was to be site of King Alfred School Ploen, one of the two boarding schools opened in 1947/48 to provide a secondary education to service children based in BAOR.

Refering to the KAS School Magazine a frequent visitor i(and probably to PRS Wilhemshaven too) the early days was the Senior Navy Officer Germany, an Admiral. Names were quoted but unfortunately not the location of his Headquarters, doubtless in the Minden area close to HQ BAOR in Bad Oeynhausen and HQ RAF (G) in Bad Eilsen

I also recall there was Royal Marines presence in the Lower Rhineland, exact location unknown, in the early 50s but probably in the Dusseldorf/Krefeld area.

In the 60s/70s there was definitely a RN presence in the Aircraft Workshops REME following the transfer of responsibility for repair and maintenance of the fleet of Army Air Corps helicopters and fixed wing aircraft from the RAF to the Army (REME). Selected RN Artificers were posted in to provide the appropriate technical and managerial expertise during the build up of qualified military knowlege and experience

Further research has indicated that the Royal Navy presence in the Rhineland was centred on the shore establishment known as HMS Royal Prince at Krefeld. Units under command included the Rhne Flotilla, a number of fast patrol boats responsible for the security and safe passage of water borne traffic along the Rhine through the British Zone. Also based there were elements of the Royal Marines SBS responsible for the protection of key bridges across the River Rhine

The units must have been disbanded in 1958 (and their American and French equivalents)when responsibility was transferred to the newly created units of the West German Bundeswehr

There's lots of good stuff about the SBS presence on the Rhine in "SBS - The Inside Story of the Special Boat Service" by John Parker. ISBN 0 7472 1976 1. For speedreaders, its all in Chapter 9.

A small force of RN minesweepers or similar came on a visit to Duisburg in 1963 or so.

I'll throw the RCN into the pot. In 1966 unification of all three services came into effect in the Canadian Forces. On arriving in Reinsehlen for a Bde. Ex. in the fall of 68 I noticed across the fields a major unit that was set up already and many of the personnel in combats were wearing some sort of white head dress. It was the Medical company and the white head dress were sailor types posted in to them. From the distance looked like they had sea gulls in the crowd. That's when we truly realized that the a** holes in Ottawa had truly done their best to screw over the forces. Mind I didn't mind the RCN taking the opportuinity to get a 3 year posting in Germany as they couldn't before.

Hardrations hits right smack dab on the head, there!

As mentioned elsewhere, the Canadian Armed Forces integration did NOT go over well with any of the branches. It appeared to many of them, if not all, that DND in its infinite wisdom just rode roughshod all over the traditions of Army, Navy, and Air Force. And the uniform they came up with, a deep green thing that resembled a bus driver's uniform more than a military uniform, really didn't go over well either! Not that the old uniforms were the cat's meow in terms of comfort, but they did look good. I remember my dad putting on his putties over his highly polished boots and the lingering smell of Brasso after he polished up his buttons and belt buckle. I knew I had become "a man" when my dad let me polish up his buckles (I seem to recall he did his own buttons, using that little brass slide thing). I quite enjoyed doing it, too.

the one thing post-integration, however, was the DND did allow those who were formerly known as Navy to keep their beards which was something, at least.

The poor Air Force never got over having to now consort with Army and Navy sorts, I suspect LOL

stephen, the little brass slide thing is known to the british army as a button stick,dave.

dandc wrote:

stephen, the little brass slide thing is known to the british army as a button stick,dave.

Also made of bakelite.

never seen one like that,dave.

The bakelite ones were cheaper...I still have my old brass one.which can be quite a conversation piece to those not in the know

Not sure I ever knew what they were called...I think Dad called them button slides, but don't quote me on that.

I can't imagine bakelite ones....although I'm sure they'd be collectors' items as bakelite is highly collectible (and I remember junking an old bakelite phone my parents let me play with as a kid. wish I still had that!)

Gordon, you're right, button slides/sticks really are quite the conversation piece for those who've never seen one. I remember going to a flea market and talking with one of the vendors who had several kicking around in a box. He thought they were interesting but couldn't figure out what they'd be used for. I told him and he said "oh...okay, yeah. I thought they were to hold something in place but never thought about that" He figured they were carpentry oriented or something; close but no cigar! LOL

I have no idea what happened to my Dad's button slide/stick. Long since disappeared.

A brass one

Whoa....does that bring back a flood of memories!! Thanks, Gordon.

Out of fashion due to 'Staybrite' metal parts and the old style 37 Webbing no longer in use. All the cut outs and patterns in the photo above were to accommodate all the various packs and straps that went to make up 37 Pattern equipment .. that was by the way designed by a woman ... must have had a warped sense of humour .. you had to use it to appreciate the complex patterns from, battle order, to Full Service Marching Order and all the scallywags in between. I used my first one in 1946.

Len (Ciphers)

Mine was issued in 59 when i was a "Harrogate brat"Used it a lot for buttons but not for webbing brasses.It was more of a hinderance than anything else.When staybright metal came along,it was only used for badge and collar dog back plates.The back plates were only cleaned on both sides when there was a risk of being asked to remove them.

I was issued one in 64,as everything bar belt and anklet brasses were staybright,as already mentioned,I carried my Button Stick around for 27 years,purely as an ornament.

Don't forget the piece of cardboard with a slot cut in it, that you passed the leather straps from your gaiters through to polish with boot polish. We must have been nuts, the happiest day of my life was on being posted to Korea we were issued with 'combat gear', no more polishing except cap badge, never had collar dogs in my day, still itchy scratch BD ..

Len (Ciphers)

When I left BOAR in 1979 , there was a Naval chap,either a Petty Officer /Chief Petty officer attached to the 'P' Wing of BMH Muenster.

Been 5 years since this particular subject has been played with (Button Sticks). This summer Mrs. C and I were doing some touring of Southern Manitoba and stopped off to check out a small museum in Dominion City. They had a really good display of military items donated from families of veterans who had passed on. In the RCAF (Women) display there was an unusual button stick. It had the required slot but was closed off at both ends. On the top part it was a larger hole to fit over the button and then slide the button into the slot. There was no name or description as they weren't aware of the use. So I explained this item to the lady there. I'm assuming it was RCAF as it was in that part of the display and I never saw that kind in the army. Also on the same trip we stopped off in Altona. Where the local community center had a fantastic display honouring men K.I.A. in WW 1 & 2. Medals, pictures and details of there action. This in a Mennonite town most unusual as Mennonites are a strong pacifist in their beliefs. These men were Mennonites. I have met and attended a reunion of many of the men who were C.O.'s (conscientious objectors )  in WW 2. Some interesting history and stories about these men. Still many of them enlisted and faced being shunned by the Mennonite Church on return to Canada.


http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CDgQFjAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.winnipegfreepress.com%2Fspecial%2Flestweforget%2FA-soldier-shunned-230552091.html%3Fpage%3Dall&ei=_GOfVK6GENShyASOvYCgAw&usg=AFQjCNFF4Yzu8VCRbgwvTOmirDxH5iLXaQ&bvm=bv.82001339,d.aWw

All these little extras the British army had to look smart. In our regiment the first thing we had to do was to take our battle dress top to have all of the pleats removed from the waist band, They had to fit tight not baggy, Most of us also had the lead weights in out trousers so that the trousers hung over the gaiters.