Is this the Barracks in Itzehoe?

I found this image quite a while ago, and have just come across it again.

Paul,
I have a relative who lives very close to Itzehoe. I will make inquiries!

Alan

27 Fd Regt RA

The Regiment adopted the role of a field training unit at Itzehoe in 1946 and in 1947 the batteries were renumbered to;
6 Bty (from 3 Bty),
23 Bty (from 5 Bty),
112 Bty (from 28 Bty)
and 137 Bty (from 16 Bty - which had been issued with x 240 mm guns - super heavy - on 21 Oct 1945)

later that year the regient returned to UK - Godshall Park Camp, Twycross, Nuneaton

There were two barracks in Itzehoe and also have an update on 27 Regt as taken from Historical Records at Kew

8 Jul 46 – 1st Heavy Regiment RA joined the Guards Division from 3rd Army Group Royal Artillery of 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division – Borgard Barracks Itzehoe relieving the 4th Battalion Coldstream Guards in Eckenforde on internal security duties – to Richmond Barracks Itzehoe – command to BAOR School of Artillery
31 Dec 46 – to Schleswig-Holstein Sub Area Hamburg District on the disbandment of the Guards Division
1 May 47 – redesignated 27th Heavy Regiment RA
early 48 – to UK

12 Mar 48 – 2nd Independent Parachute Brigade Group – HQ Marine Barracks Schleswig replaced Schleswig-Holstein Sub Area and 7th Battalion Parachute Regiment moved into Itzehoe with 334 Forward Observation Battery RA

16 Jul 48 – 2nd Independent Parachute Brigade Group redesignated 16th Independent Parachute Brigade Group and 7th Battalion Parachute Regiment redesignated 3rd Battalion Parachute Regiment

Sep 48 – to Hannover District relieved by the Danish Brigade Group

JPW and myself are endeavouring to piece together the early days of unit movement in BAOR

Steve

I have a third Barracks in the Itzehoe area briefly occupied by the British Army. The former Waldersee Training area, known as Conway Barracks (the influence of 53 Welsh Division in very clear), in the Bundeswehr era was known as Ibbenbeckstedler Training Area.

Have yet to confirm which barracks was occupied by the British Para Battalion Group/ Norwegian Battalion (very briefly) and the Danes

Danish Contingent needed plenty of space:

Borgard Barracks Hanseaten-Kaserne (Wehrmacht) BAOR 1949
(Denmark 1949-1958 Garrison HQ Danish Brigade in Germany)
Conway Barracks Waldersee-Kaserne (Wehrmacht) BAOR 1949
Richmond Barracks Gallwitz-Kaserne (Wehrmacht)

http://www.fnmuseet.dk/aarskrift/the.pdf

The writer of the link clearly did not have access to documentation held at Kew

My research has yet to start on 8/30 Corps – however from my rough notes:

8 May 45 – Hanseaten-Kaserne later Borgard Barracks and Gallwitz-Kaserne later Richmond Barracks were side by side in Itzehoe as a SS Hospital and PW/Displaced Persons Camp

HQ 7th Armoured Division was in requisitioned civilian accommodation in the town
1 Jul 46 – to Bad Rothenfelde

HQ 22nd Armoured Brigade was located in the accommodation when the divisional HQ was in Berlin

10 Jan 46 – 8th King’s Royal Irish Hussars
Borgard Barracks
23 Jul 46 – to Lingen

20 Apr 46 – 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards
Richmond Barracks – A Squadron from 22 Nov 45
14 Jul 46 – to Munster

8 Jul 46 – 1st Heavy Regiment RA
Borgard Barracks Itzehoe to Richmond Barracks Itzehoe
1 May 47 – redesignated 27th Heavy Regiment RA
Mar 48 – to UK

24 Mar 47 – recorded as a Displaced Persons Camp Lockstedter Lager formally Waldersee Kaserne – referred to as Itzehoe in documentation but outside of Itzehoe-Land and nearer Kellinghausen – must assume when the Itzehoe Barracks were cleared some inmates came here – today Lockstedter Lager is now Hohenlockstedt

16 Jul 45 – 1st Royal Tank Regiment (in Berlin 29 Aug 45 to 16 Mar 46)
13 Jul 46 – to Detmold

Various divisional sub units were also based here

My (independent) research notes support Steve's latest input.

The Borgward/Richmond Barracks complex must have been capable of housing atleast fifteen hundred service personnel.

In addition there was a very significant Control Commission Germany presence in the town at this time some of whom must have been based in the former Hitler era barracks.

Thanks JPW

Indeed a very large complex

Locations around Itzehoe:

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freiherr-von-Fritsch-Kaserne_(Breitenburg)#/media/File:Karte_des_Deutschen_Reiches_von_1893,_Itzehoe,_(Ausschnitt),_5820112c_-_Kopie.jpg

Bw used this camp (near the former Arty Range) for a Hel Unit in the 60s

https://www.geschichtsspuren.de/forum/lost-militar-flugplatz-hungriger-wolf-t11886.html

it had, during WW2, been called Graf-von-Waldersee-Kaserne, at Lochstadt (part of the larger Amt (community) of Kellinghausen) around 8 km NE of Itzehoe, Kr Steinburg. The Heeresmunitionsanstalt Lochstadt was part of the military use up to the end of WW2 - the Muna then became a medical supplies factory. (In the 1950s following land reforms the area was renamed Hohenlochstadt).

Other Barracks in the Town:
Alte Kaserne, Kaiserstrasse
http://www.ak-ansichtskarten.de/ak/91-old-postcard/2578-weitere-Ansichten-Itzehoe/6674058-AK-Itzehoe-Alte-Kaserne
Used by Wehrmacht up to 1945 - British use unknown

Gudewill Kaserne, Oelixdorfstrasse ?

Paddy

As you know research into the British presence in Itzehoe is on going (the Stadt Archivist awaits the results with interest)

Even though Itzehoe was the administrative centre for Kreis Steinberg and a significant military garrison it would appear that the majority of British units were deployed outside the town and barracks in particular 1945

I believe 65 (Norfolk Yeomanry) Anti Tank Regiment were the first permanent British occupants in early May 45 but were based in the Prinzesshof not a barracks complex.

Have yet to identify any British occupants of your 1945 Breitenburg Kaserne nor exactly where HQ 7 Armoured Division were based when they first moved in from Albersdorf in late June 45 (lack of the proper military map is a major problem).

It has been a while since a comment on this thread, not barracks but the location of HQ 7 Armoured Division in Itzehoe from 28 May 45 to 1 Jul 46, when in Berlin HQ 22 Armoured Brigade were in residence, dates confirmed by War Dairies held at Kew but no address, the grid reference according to echodelta.net showed them located in a cemetery! Have found during my research when an address given it can be a few hundred metres south-west of the grid reference.

Regarding JPW’s comments, I needed to “make” a map, so with the 1950s map, see my earlier reply and taking the grid lines from a larger scale 1940s map, found what I believe is the location a complex at the top of Gartenstrasse, after the purchase of a 1930s copy of the Stadtplan found Norddeutscher Network Offices, unable to find the building on the internet so needed to do a recce.

Taking advantage of the euro 9 monthly travel ticket see https://www.bahn.com/en/offers/regional/9-euro-ticket-en travelled to Itzehoe yesterday and found the building (Brunnstrasse 23) under reconstruction as flats, so will be getting in touch with the Stadt Archivist and hopefully an image from the 1940s will turn up. Thanks for listening.

Hey steve , im new here but really interested in what you have found out about barracks etc in Itzehoe .
My G/F lives by the cemetery there and over last 12 years tried to find locations etc .. the buildings up by aldi were apparently barracks but now flats . If you have more maps etc would love to see and she and her mum would be very interested as her mum cant recall where or what was used by the army in the 50’s 60’s .. thanks .. Rich

Good morning Rich, thank you for a positive reply, I have received details from the Stadt Archivist with an image of the Norddeutscher Netzwerk Offices in 1950, they have no records of being used by HQ 7 Armoured Division, they sent a page of a record written in 1994 that they were in Hanseaten Kaserne later Borgard Barracks in October 1945, know this to be incorrect, was hoping to prove this by obtaining the Town Major War Dairy from the Public Records Office in Kew London, the role of Town Majors was to arrange the requisitioning of civilian accommodation, received in the last few weeks and sadly no mention.

HQ 7 Armoured Division moved out of Itzehoe by 1 Jul 46 and there is no record of the accommodation being used again, did speak to a few folks in Gartenstrasse and workers on the building and nobody knew anything the history of the building and nothing on the internet regarding the Norddeutscher Netzwerk.

Best regards

Wow steve , that is so great t see these pics . ive walked past the factory in middle of the 1st pic sooo many times and its always been derelict ,,, well atleast for the last 12 years its had nothing going on in there but now it is mid way through a refurb along with a new block of flts being built to the right hand side of the main building ,,, the main building is being put back to as original as possible on the outside . the pic also shows the cemetery at the top which is certainly not laid out like that these days ( we laid my partners father to rest there a year sept and her kitchen window overlooks the graveyard } .. plus the patch of empty ground at top right of photo is a block of flats i think were built in early 70s ? Its wonderful to see a photo like this and see buildings that are long gone etc .
Information is really difficult to come by in Germany , my partners mother (well into her 70s) doesnt remember alot of the old town and the friends of hers argue between themselves as to what buildings and areas were used for .
only one knows quite alot but he is in his 80s and his father was a high ranking Wehrmacht officer who never returned from the eastern front , not known if captured or kia so he doesnt like to really discuss much , it depends on his mood . He did tell me the British tanks( im presuming actually canadian ) stopped on a hill just outside Itzehoe and the ' Major' as called in German towns was called and told to surrender all arms and allow allied troops into the town or he would flatten the town without hesitation even if 1 shot fired against allied troops ..
My partners mothers father was an NCO in the Luftwaffe on the eastern front and survived the war and we have no information as to her fathers fathers role in the war unfortunately ..
another interesting fact lol that may interest you ... the naval tower at Laboe was built by my girlfriends grandfathers company which amazes us both when we go there as there are photos of it being built that she had never seen before ...
sorry for waffling im just so excited to see any information that i can also share with her that i know she will not know lol lol .

Richicia,

I suspect you have done many a search for photos of Itzehoe?  This photo I found on the net. I wonder if you have seen it?  Probably 1950-60!

The videoo is courtesy of the Imperial War Museum. Danish Soldiers 1951. Some parts from Itzehoe.  (No sound track!).

Danish troops engage in PT and swimming practice, Itzehoe, Germany. A sentry salutes as Danish troops march out of the company area down a country lane near Itzehoe, where they are briefed prior to field exercises. The Danish troops advance through smokescreen and use guns and mortars during the exercises, and relax and eat in the field during a break. A soldier salutes the flag of Denmark.


Alan





https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1060039445

Richuk1 wrote:

Wow steve , that is so great t see these pics . ive walked past the factory in middle of the 1st pic sooo many times and its always been derelict ,,, well atleast for the last 12 years its had nothing going on in there but now it is mid way through a refurb along with a new block of flts being built to the right hand side of the main building ,,, the main building is being put back to as original as possible on the outside . the pic also shows the cemetery at the top which is certainly not laid out like that these days ( we laid my partners father to rest there a year sept and her kitchen window overlooks the graveyard }  .. plus the patch of empty ground at top right of photo is a block of flats i think were built in early 70s ? Its wonderful to see a photo like this and see buildings that are long gone etc .
Information is really difficult to come by in Germany , my partners mother (well into her 70s) doesnt remember alot of the old town and the friends of hers argue between themselves as to what buildings and areas were used for .
only one knows quite alot but he is in his 80s and his father was a high ranking Wehrmacht officer who never returned from the eastern front , not known if captured or kia so he doesnt like to really discuss much , it depends on his mood . He did tell me the British tanks( im presuming actually canadian )  stopped on a hill just outside Itzehoe and the  ' Major' as called in German towns was called and told to surrender all arms and allow allied troops into the town or he would flatten the town without hesitation even if 1 shot fired against allied troops ..
My partners mothers father was an NCO in the Luftwaffe on the eastern front and survived the war  and we have no information as to her fathers fathers role in the war unfortunately ..
another interesting fact lol that may interest you ... the naval tower at Laboe was built by my girlfriends grandfathers company which amazes us both when we go there as there are photos of it being built that she had never seen before ...
sorry for waffling im just so excited to see any information that i can also share with her that i know she will not know lol lol .

Thanks Rich, unsure about the battle for the town, my research is strictly post VE Day, however it would not be the Canadians they were advancing in East Friesland, the first occupational troops in the town were F Squadron 49th Armoured Personnel Carrier Regiment RAC arriving on 10 May 45 and billeted on Edendorfer Strasse remaining there until the end of the month, 65th (Norfolk Yeomanry) Anti-Tank Regiment RA arrived on 12 May 45 relieving German guards in the three barracks until the end of the month.

Hanseaten Kaserne later Borgard Barracks and Max-von-Gallwitz Kaserne later Richmond Barracks were not cleared of prisoners/displaced persons until Oct/Nov 45 when armoured regiments moved in, however in July room was made in Hanseaten Kaserne for an armoured squadron on guard duties, Gudewill Kaserne on Oelixdorfer Strasse was never used for British troops, except the former Officers’ Club Casino on Kaiserstrasse was an anti-aircraft battery headquarters Jun/Jul 45.

Hoping to put together a full list of major and minor units for Itzehoe and other garrison towns in the future.