sennelager - Normandy Barracks 1958

I arrived at Normandy Barracks from the UK, via the Hook of Holland and having journeyed on the Green Train to Paderborn, with an RASC clerical contingent of National Servicemen in April 1958.   We were to spend the following month there on a continuation course before being posted to a working unit.  The barrack blocks were ex Wehrmacht (original rifle racks still lining the corridor walls) and were far more inviting than the grim Victorian buildings experienced at Aldershot.  The catering was an improvement too. We were really impressed with the modern Adler typewriters in the training rooms, they were nothing like the ancient machines used by the Army in the UK.   Those that smoked thought they had arrived in paradise with the NAAFI selling cigarettes at less than 25% of the UK price, a shilling (5p) for twenty, but rationed at 200 per week.  Paderborn was the nearest town but the trams were infrequent and it always seemed difficult to get back at any time of the day.   Sennelager being a vast training area always had a great number of troops around on short stays.   There was even some RAF people from Sundern.  We were advised to be careful when visiting any of the bars as it was quite easy to get involved in a punch up for no apparent reason.  The Redcaps were never far away.   Guard duty on the main gate just along from the tram terminus could be both colourful and hairy around the time the bars closed.    Life at Sennelager was relatively easy to what we had been used to in Aldershot but nobody in the group enjoyed the place as there was little to do, apart from visiting the NAAFI, read the newspapers in the WVS lounge, or go to the Globe cinema.   We were all in the first six months of National Service commitment and therefore on the lowest pay scale, drawing on average £1 a week, about 12 Deutschmarks in those days, which very much restricted visits to local bars.  Furthermore, the wearing of civilian clothes was not permitted until we had completed six months service.   It was a great relief therefore when the course finished and our postings were announced, which were scattered around BAOR at an assortment of places and units.   I was fortunate in being sent to a very small unit attached to an RAF base, much to the envy of some of my companions who were going to reputed hell holes. No guards, parades, or inspections for me ever again!   Nineteen months later I met up with several members of the group whilst on board the troopship sailing home from The Hook of Holland on demob and really learnt how lucky I had been to have ended up with the RAF when I heard some of the problems they had had to contend with.

L-R Senne Bahnhof - near Windmillstrip
Globe Cinema in Theatre Barracks complex  (middle of large H Block)
Ruins of Haustenbeck Village (centre of Range) and Haustenbeck Tower (Built by French PoW, housed the Alarm Horns installed after the Belgian Plane  crash in the 60s)
Bldg housing BFPO on Bielefelderstr. - not inside the Barrack' Fence BUT on the land owned by the Federal authority and thus part of the Brit estate (the estate boundary forms a straightline parallel to the Bielefelderstrasse!)
German Army and Sennelager War Memorial near Main Gate and in the Barracks see above.
Tank no longer on site
Swimming Pool - out of use close to the Commandant's O MQ.
NAAFI Restaurant and Bar

Pborn4 wrote:

L-R Senne Bahnhof - near Windmillstrip
Globe Cinema in Theatre Barracks complex  (middle of large H Block)
Ruins of Haustenbeck Village (centre of Range) and Haustenbeck Tower (Built by French PoW, housed the Alarm Horns installed after the Belgian Plane  crash in the 60s)
Bldg housing BFPO on Bielefelderstr.
German Army and Sennelager War Memorial near Main Gate
Tank no longer on site
Swimming Pool - out of use
NAAFI Restaurant and Bar

Hi all,
Interesting photos.
I am trying to remember either NAAFI or maybe another but smaller place in Sennelager that we went to in 1951 & 1952; but not as big as the building in the last photo
Any ideas
Regards Sapper

The NAAFI Bldg bottom right on postcard was such in 1945 (have Danish photos of the Bldg), and still is now.

Opposite (ie 30 metres to the North across two roads) the former Panzer Turret Armament workshop  had become the YMCA (later Church Army) Canteen and Bookshop - it is now (2017) the Families' Centre and Welfare Office.
2022 no longer the Families' Welfare Centre (reduced population)

Pborn4 wrote:

The NAAFI Bldg bottom right on postcard was such in 1945 (have Danish photos of the Bldg), and still is now.

Opposite (ie 30 metres to the North across two roads) the former Panzer Turret Armament workshop  had become the YMCA (later Church Army) Canteen and Bookshop - it is now (2017) the Families' Centre and Welfare Office.

Many thanks Pborn4,

It was the YMCA / Church Army canteen; one time a group of us arrived on a bren carrier, I was kneeling on the back somehow
Sennelager training camp, I only did twice, was great fun

Regards Sapper

A Bren Gun Carrier (BR operated by DK)  1948  - for those who no longer remember

A  versatile equipment much favoured by the Wehrmacht
who recovered, re-badged and re-used vehicles left
on the Dunkirk beaches.

Newspapers, Paperbacks, writing kit, Sandwich/Pie/Sticky Buns and a Cuppa

CARLILE Club */Church Army Normandy Barracks, Sennelager opposite the NAAFI Building - taken over nowadays as the Families' Centre



(* Wilson Carlile, CH (1847-1942) was an English priest and evangelist who founded the Church Army and was a prebendary of St Paul's Cathedral, London. Known as "The Chief", Carlile inspired generations of evangelists) and currently:
https://wilsoncarlilecentre.org.uk

Snow was deep and crisp and even in 1951




Early example of rear axle on a brick!
OR accn block at Sennelager Normandy Bkls

Belgian Barracks then later Antwerp Barracks in 1951 home to (variously from 1945) RAC Gunnery Trg School, 33 Bde, Tank Tpt Sqn and later 20 Armd Bde HQ

Parade Square filling up with Norwegian Tps in Training

Where was the swimming pool located? I don't ever remember seeing one in stc.

Swimming Pool Normandy Barracks - it is still there, built before 1910 last used around 1974. (Life-guards were supplied from APTC (now RAPTC) staff from Garrison duty unit - became a stress as units were deployed.) Nearest building in-use is the STC Comdt residence, near the Lippspringe Gate.

Many thanks!

formerly 95 Army Fire Service (arrived with 21 Army Group) transposes to Defence Fire Services. Here photos from Sennelager in the modern times
https://www.rafanddfsa.co.uk/Q-T.htm#Sennelager
Alan Pearce was a robust Garrison Fire Advisor! with equestrian interests

Hello, my father John Russell was based at Sennelager in 1958. He was with the 16th / 5th The Queens Royal Lancers H/Q Squadron. I have his old permanent pass dated 12th September. Unfortunately my dad is very poorly in a care home with a personality disorder and dementia. He really focuses on negative stuff but loves his old army days. I am trying to find out some facts about Sennelager around the time he was stationed there and the sort of thing he used to do. I have got some information from the internet but really want some information, old photos, etc.. that may brig up some happy positive memories.
Thank you in advanced.
Jeff Russell

16/5 Lancers - often known as the Vulgar Fraction (and retitled Queen's Royal Lancers in 1954) were based in the very new-build camp at Athlone Barracks, Sennelager (Athlone Barracks featured on this site too) on the edge of the range and a few kilometres from civilisation, (Bad Lippspringe/Sennelager/Paderborn) in any direction.
At     https://bfg-locations.editboard.com/t231-site-guard?highlight=athlone    scroll down and there is an airphoto of Athlone Barracks (supplied by Soprano 54) and its near neighbours - an ammo site that was not there in 1954.
Athlone was a British specification barracks intended for tankies and had purpose built heated  hangars for post WW2 armour, a route out for tank transporter moves to the old and now upgraded Route 1, or via the Ranges and Normandy Barracks to the Sennelager railhead.  
Soldiers' accommodation, cookhouse, NAAFI, Messes  were complete in single storey dormitory blocks -
in 2000 a refurbishment was completed to upgrade the accn to multi levels -

This is where the post 2020 Training Area users are accommodated on short term stays in theatre, and where their pool equipments are stored, maintained, repaired.  
Way back then 16/5 L were the armour contribution to 33 Armd Bde most of 16/5 L live firing was conducted at Bergen-Hohne (think Canada Cup and fire with movement) as Sennelager is/was an Infantry purposed training area and not really long enough for tank shoots.  
Most pictures, back-history and regimental memories are likely to be at  QRL or GRH Museum https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Queen%27s_Royal_Lancers_and_Nottinghamshire_Yeomanry_Museum