79 Squadron ambulance train rotting away in Montzen sidings

the room at the end of the ward coach was for ward coach staff There was med supplies stored here (dressings infusions etc) And your right the small stove could be used to brew up but also to boil water for cleaning or sterilisingequipment

hammy wrote:

Hi all reading with interest about the ambulance trains.After leaving the regular army i stayed in germany.in 1983 BAOR formed initally 2 TA units in Germany made up mostly of ex Army.One of these units was 335 ambulance train(V) BAOR.

This bit of info will also be added to the 'Contintal TA' page on the BAOR-Locations Web Site.

My wife Ann who was a Garrison Sisster at Sennelarger MRS was called up to the reserves during Crusader 80, and wore Combats for a month instead of ward whites, and one of the TA manned ambulance trains was based at Sennelarger Sidings with the local MRS & RAMC Field Ambulance acting as a rear area Medical Clearing Station.

Her normal allocated unit was 306 Specialist Field Hospital (V) which is based at York as is 335 Medical Evacuation Regiment (V) (335 MER) This new unit was formed in 2005 from the old TA Ambulance Train Squadron you mention.

Ann only ever visited such a train filling with Simulated Casualties with labels saying what was wrong etc, and was told that during the 2 day journey they had to feed these casualties from the main mess cars with basic meals from compo 10 man packs.

I've contacted the Nene Vally Railway who operate a number of German and continental rolling stock, but owing to funding problems they cannot help, but are symathetic so they have forwarded my e-mail to one of their volunteers who runs the IRPS (International Railway preservation Society) who, although interested mainly in Wagons Lits is also intereted in all continental stock.

It would be nice to think they could be preserved and maybe even restored to their original function.

Well done! I also contacted them earlier and was promised a reply which I haven't received yet.

I have found a VHS tape of the Ambulance trains.The quality is so so .The film was done with a normal video camera.my son is home next week so hopefully he can get it on to a DVD as I havnt a clue how to do it.Some of the film features ex Mini Mash from 1990 .The train was operating between Germany and belgium.Also shots of 2 trains in sidings at barracks in Münster and lots of action with the trains on arsbeck ranges near Rheindahlen.When its done maybe someone on the board could help me with posting it for viewing.Will keep you updated on how its going.

not strictly Trains [50-50] but BAOR. I would like the ambulance train restored to its former glory, I would also like to see all the tanks, the artillery pieces, even the helicopter we had in HOBART bks, I would like to see them all preserved and put on display in a bks that has not been let to rack and ruin by the english and germans alike, one large reminder, good or bad depending how you look at it, just for historys sake.

Some good thoughts there....

I to would like to see a 'Rhine Army' Museum set up in Germany, and possibly a 'Soviet Army' Museum in the former East Germany where the past is being treated in the same way.

Will it happen? I doubt it.

What an excellent idea, Mike. Yes, we're probably whistling in the wind, but it would be the best way to honour history, for good or bad.

A lot happened over the years between '45 and '90 on both sides of the zonal border that should be recorded. Museums, or one single museum maintained by proper historians from both sides would go a long way toward showing the newer generations how we got to where we are today. If it works with the concentrations camp museums at Dachau, Auschwitz, and Buchenwald it can work with an "occupation and protecting powers" museum, even if it touches a few nerves.

So now, what do we do about it? Maybe this should be a new topic.

T'would be a good idea. One example on this line I've seen is the museum set up at Check Point Charlie in Berlin. It has many of the actual items eg: car, hot air balloon, etc" used in escaping from East Germany. If you're in Berlin make sure to check it out. Incidentaly you can get a pass port stamp of either, British, American, French, Russian or East German Commandts from those days. I think my mother-in-law is spinning in her grave, we got the Russian stamp.

I received an e-mail from the National Railway Museum today asking for info, so Ive sent them the link, and they say they will investigate.
Perhaps wheels have been set in motion!

Sounds good 'brrowe'

I wrote a while back re the RCT Railway Collection from the now closed 'Army Museum of Transport' at Beverly which had a Ambulance Carrage, and was told to write to the Imperial War Museum, from whom I got no reply! I also will perceiver.

I have tracked down that carriage to the Defence Medical Centre at Metchet nr Aldershot, where it is in a poor un-maintained condition in the open.

I think 79 Railway Sqn RLC at Marchwood may be interested in helping in a planed move, if they had a good home to go to?

The Imperial war museum had no interest or no resources and suggested the Defence Medical Centre. Since they can't maintain one historic carriage on their site this suggestion seems to have no wings! Anyone got any photos of this rotting carriage at Metchet?

I have just contacted the Nene Valley Railway society again.

Details of Museum are:

Army Medical Services Museum
Keogh Barracks
Ash Vale
Aldershot
Hampshire
GU12 5RQ
Tel: 01252 868612

http://www.armymuseums.org.uk/museums/0000000012-Army-Medical-Services-Museum.htm

The thread I started on ARRSE.com has had some good replies & internal pictures in use:

http://www.arrse.co.uk/military-history-militaria/133780-79-railway-squadron-baor-ambulance-train.html

Hmmm.. 10 -3.30pm Mon - Fri. I'll have to take time off work to visit it. Would it be possible to trudge around the derelict coach?
As you say, good thread and pix on the ARRSE forum - shame we can't merge them! The internal pix of the ward coaches look different to the ones I photographed in Montzen in terms of the support structures for the bunks and the depth of the windows. When I first saw them at Montzen I thought they were some sort of baggage or mail carriages, because of the small windows near the top. It was only when I climbed inside that I saw their true purpose!

Yes there are certainly 2 types of ambulance carriage! I wonder which type is at Metchet (Ash Vale)? I may be down that neck of the words later this year myself, if so I will take a look, as its not far from Deepcut.

If I do go I will phone the museum first, and arrange to look inside the carriage if at all possible, as it will be an outside exhibit and probably locked at that!

I have permission to copy a selection of the pictures to the BAOR-Locations page by the way.

Hi Mike,

We could arrange to meet there if that's OK with you! I'll take time off work. I'd quite like to deploy my camera in the appropriate direction.

Cheers: Tom

If, and I say if I do attend, I will PM you at least the week before.

Next time I know I am down that way for definite if next June/July

I thought you were going down later this year. Well, let me know.

Cheers: Tom

Mention of Aarchen reminded me of a photo that I took, out of the carriage window of the train, whilst we were waiting at Aarchen. It was actually, my Birthday (20 Feb. 1957), whilst on my way to my first posting in BAOR.
A strange Birthday Present!
Suppose ite changed somewhat, although I was impressed by the Dutch trains.
I think we changed to a German steam loco, there.

Its was only a maybe for this year Tom, and I have now recieved notice that meeting is in London.

Mike, Tom and others

Sadly the Ambulance Coach at Mychett is in pretty poor condition having had virtually no maintenance since its arrival in the early 90s. I think the roof is leaking badly and the coach is covered in tarpaulins and is not visible accesible to visitors. I would have suggested a likely destination should be the Watercress Line at Alresford which used to have strong links with Bordon Garrison but a very serious fire at their repair works a Ropley means all their energies, both manpower and finance will be commited to salvage operations at present

Brian
Intrigued by your photos of what I think are Dutch Bullet nosed emu at Aachen. According to my info the BAOR Troop trains to and from the Hook did not routinely go through the city. You are correct however international trains changed locos to Belgian, if heading for Liege, and Dutch, if heading for Maastricht.

JPW, I have copied your remarks to 79 Railway Squadron OC at 17 Port & Maritime Regt RLC based at Marchwood Military Port as this is the same unit that operated them till the late 90's when they started to move to Southampton.

79 Railway Sqn were tasked with a lot of military rail movements within BAOR apart from the Ambulance Trains, the other famous activity was the Berlin Military Train.

Hi JPW,

Worth contacting the museum first to see if I can even peek under the tarpaulin otherwise not much point me driving down there!

I have a lot more info about the Dutch version of the Fliegender Hamburger, which was the bullet train of the era! The one surviving Belgian version is also rotting away badly at Leuven for the want of shunting it a few yards under cover many years ago! There are photos of it on my flickr photostream. My name is Tommoid on flickr as well. Also bigger pix of the ward coaches. http://www.flickr.com/photos/15523528@N06/sets/72157623852511867/