british army of the rhine bases

Its original function was to control the corps districts which were running the military government of the British zone of occupied Germany. CONTENTS OF EMAILS MAY BE DISPLAYED ON THIS SITE (BUT IN AN ENCRYPTED FORMAT TO DETER SPAMMERS) TO BENEFIT HISTORY. London and Portland, OR: Frank Cass, 2000. I Canadian Corps advanced on Utrecht, supported by No. The British Army, Manpower, and Society into the Twenty-First Century. From 1952 the commander-in-chief of the BAOR was also the commander of NATO's Northern Army Group (NORTHAG) in the event of a general war with the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact. While it was under construction, the engineers came under attack by the Luftwaffe, and 8 men were killed and 22 wounded. Happily, we were posted to the British Army of the Rhine, in my case, to 282 (Welsh) Field Company, RE, in the 63rd (Welsh) Division. Recourse was therefore made to Weasel tracked vehicles, and every available Weasel was rushed to the front. They were also utilised for duties such as manning level crossings. British Army units from 1945 on - Royal Artillery Following the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review, the permanent deployment in Germany ended in 2020. [44] Crerar noted that if the ammunition for Operation Veritable was stacked side-by-side and 1.5 metres (5ft) high, it would have extend for 48 kilometres (30mi). The Regiments Depart: A History of the British Army, 19451970. . The BAOR Locationsteam-5 October 2009. Lorries then took them to the dispersal point at Renaix via Lyon and Dijon, guided by road markers that read "GF". 29th Division Entering Cologne 13 December 1918 Q 7220.jpg 641 800; 48 KB. LT COL Served from 1974 - 2011 Served in British Army of the Rhine. [50], Because it was not anticipated that the advance would be rapid, it was not considered necessary to hold large stocks of petrol, oil and lubricants (POL) in the FMCs, but to ensure that vehicles moving to the assembly areas arrived with full tanks of fuel, a train loaded with petrol was sent to Nijmegen to allow them to be topped off. The Operation Pluto Dumbo pipeline was now in operation. Three bridges were constructed there, but by the time they opened II Canadian Corps already had its three Canadian divisions across the Rhine. [18], Eisenhower ordered Montgomery to resume his preparations for Operation Veritable, the objective of which was to defeat the German forces west of the Rhine. [87] The 21st Army Group allocated an additional 2,190 tonnes (2,160 long tons) of road transport capacity to the Second Army between 27 March and 3 April. They were respectively augmented by 1,891 and 1,446 anti-aircraft guns and anti-tank guns. No. BAOR - British Army Of the Rhine | AcronymFinder During the first three weeks of April 1945, the 21st Army Group advanced about 320 kilometres (200mi) across northern Germany to reach the Elbe on 19 April and then the Baltic Sea. These were manufactured locally in Brussels and fitted in Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) workshops. Some of the ammunition that had earlier been dumped was to be made inaccessible by flood waters. Store Equipment Fleet (Germany) store of vehicles and other equipment for exercises and operations around Europe. There were tactical, operational and political reasons for this: the best sites for a crossing of the Rhine were there;[20] a crossing in the north gave access to the North German Plain, where the terrain was good for mobile warfare, for which his Allied forces were particularly suited;[21] it offered a means of cutting off the Ruhr,[22] a major industrial region of Germany;[23] and it had the political advantage of involving the British and Canadians. [92] There was an additional allocation of 5,100 tonnes (5,000 long tons) of road transport for the drive to the Baltic Sea on 26 April, and another 2,700 tonnes (2,700 long tons) was received by the end of the month. It closed in March 1994. [12] Civilian labour was utilised at the bases in a variety of tasks to enable military personnel to be released for service in forward areas. To compensate for this, to minimise casualties, and to maximise the combat effectiveness of what manpower they had, the British forces relied on machines, materiel and firepower. This was a problem as its special equipment was not stocked. [88][93], Dumbo surpassed its target of 1million imperial gallons (4.5million litres) (about 3,620 tonnes (3,560 long tons)) per day on 15 March 1945, and by 3 April the Dumbo lines were delivering 4,500 long tons (4,600t) a day. The British Army of the Rhine - DocuWiki The West German town of Bruggen, 55 miles (88 km) south of Dusseldorf, celebrated its 700th anniversary on Saturday (2 June) by granting the freedom of the city to a British Army unit which has been stationed in the town for 21 years. Although the book is concerned primarily with the British armys experiences prosecuting counterinsurgency campaigns after 1945, it proves a helpful reference guide to the composition of the British army and its overseas deployments between 1945 and 1970. Troops met thin resistance as the operation wasn't intended as a surprise . It has been an honour to command this fantastic organisation doing its very best to support our people here in Germany. A train caught alight, and the fire spread to three nearby storage tanks. Strachan, Hew, ed. 13 Army Roadhead while II Canadian Corps advanced on Oldenburg supported from No. A third bridge, "Westminster", was commenced by the 6th Army Troops Engineers on 26 March, completed at 18:00 on 29 March, and ceremoniously opened by Dempsey the next morning. The extensive use of the German archives is commendable."--Ian F. W. Beckett, editor of Citizen Soldiers and the British Empire, 1837-1902 "Speiser provides a well-researched, lively account of how, not always successfully, after 1945 the British attempted to use their Rhine Army to win German hearts and minds. By this time the system consisted of 1,811 kilometres (1,125mi) of pipelines and storage tanks with a capacity of 104,770 tonnes (103,120 long tons). BMH Munster was one of several BAOR (British Army On The Rhine) army hospitals in Germany. Posted 30 March , 2015. carndook. Both were originally occupation forces in Germany, one after the First World War and the other after the Second World War. Commanders in Chief. Operational research had shown that the number of guns saturating an area was more important than the actual weight of shells fired. 15 Army Roadhead opened in the Almelo area on 18 April and was stocked by road from No. [28] Advance parties from each formation involved travelled by air from Florence, but most Operation Goldflake units moved by sea. It was estimated that each could carry 7,000 vehicles per day under frozen conditions and 4,000 per day during a thaw. [19] He intended to make the main Allied effort in the north, in the 21st Army Group's sector. Its primary combat formation was British I Corps. Railway units were moved forward, and only one railway group headquarters and two railway operating companies were left in France, Belgium and the Netherlands south of the Waal. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003. The troops in the assault units were issued with 24-hour ration packs, together with a Tommy cooker and a tin containing tea, condensed milk and sugar, enabling the troops in the front line to brew a hot cup of tea. Corps Water Polo Championships, BAOR (British Army of the Rhine)Team Winners, Aldershot. The British Army of the Rhine (BBC) - DocuWiki This brought the amount of road transport capacity under Second Army's control to 31,580 tonnes (31,080 long tons), which was reckoned to be the equivalent of 76 general transport companies. The purpose of this site is to give people, still serving or not, the opportunity to look back at the places in Germany where they may have served over the years and also a view of the regiments and units which shaped them. Exercising troops technical accommodation. [2] Although it contained personnel nations, the logistical support was British. Garrison/HQ JHQ Rheindahlen, Germany. Peter Walker. Three trains a day were run over this route under an arrangement with SHAEF and the American Military Railway Service. They were augmented by 1,891 and 1,446 anti-aircraft guns and anti-tank guns. This came from the reorganisation of the line of communications, and additional general transport companies arriving from Italy through Operation Goldflake. Overseas military bases of the United Kingdom - Wikipedia Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008. The 21st Army Group asked for four base supply depots (BSDs), six field bakeries, three field butcheries, a cold storage depot and two detail issue depots (DIDs). As the Soviet threat increased, so BAOR became less of an occupational army and assumed the role of defender of Western Europe, and as a major contributor to NATO after 1949. British Forces Germany - Wikipedia A traffic jam broke the bridge during the night, but it was reopened thirteen hours later. bases and force levels," the political response focused on the creation of defensive alliances. The XXX Corps Troops Engineers commenced work on the "Lambeth" class 15 Bailey pontoon bridge at 15:00 on 24 March, but work was frequently interrupted by German fire, and the bridge was not opened until 08:30 on 26 March. The second British Army on the Rhine was formed on 25 August 1945 from 21st Army Group. The best introduction to the regimental system of the British army. After the assumption of government by civilians, it became the command formation for the troops in Germany only . When the flood waters subsided, it was found that the Nijmegen-Cleve road surface had been too badly damaged to use, so the II Canadian Corps and XXX Corps were forced to share the road running south of the Reichswald. Montgomery's armies were reinforced by the redeployment of three divisions from Italy under Operation Goldflake. British logistics in the Western Allied invasion of Germany [44], Thus far in the campaign in North West Europe, XXX Corps had only served as part of the British Second Army, and it found that maintenance procedures of the First Canadian Army differed from what it had been used to due to the fact that the First Canadian Army's operations had been conducted where there had been adequate communications. [7] Following a further spending review, one brigade was withdrawn and Osnabrck Garrison closed in 2009. British Army Germany, is the superior institution under which the remaining installations of the British Forces Germany are organised after the completion of the withdrawal of the British Forces from Germany in February 2020. 26 In a European context the first step in this process was the 1947 Anglo-French Treaty of . A comprehensive history of the British army aimed at undergraduate students and the general reader. [8], Administrative support for British service personnel in Germany and across continental Europe was delegated to United Kingdom Support Command (Germany), (UKSC(G)). The XXX Corps FMC series started at 151 while the II Canadian Corps one started at 201, and the stark difference in maintenance practices between the two corps was illustrated by the fact that XXX Corps had opened three times as many FMCs in the campaign up to this point. Technical Services BAOR (British Army of the Rhine), Shooting Team, 1969. For nearly 70 years, generations would grow up on bases with special schools, shops, housing and even their own radio station, as parts of the Rhineland became little bubbles of Britishness. A general study of the historical experiences that have shaped the British army. [4] Its original function was to control the corps districts which were running the military government of the British zone of occupied Germany. 2019 Ted Fund Donors [28], Originally scheduled to start on 12 January 1945, when the ground would have been hard and frozen and off-road vehicle movement possible, Operation Veritable was delayed for five weeks by the Ardennes Offensive. [47], The opening of a railway bridge over the Maas at Ravenstein on 4 February enabled the FMCs to be served by rail. Chinese surveillance cameras are being used at British Army bases despite Ministers banning them from Government buildings over fears they pose a major security risk. The object sank after being cut loose during an attempt to recover it, and the swimmer was captured. [3], The 21st Army Group's campaign in North West Europe had commenced with Operation Overlord, the Allied landings in Normandy on D-Day, 6 June 1944. A. British Army of the Rhine Wikipedia Republished // WIKI 2 [73] In XXX Corps, all DUKWs were retained under corps control. British Army of the Rhine - YouTube 0:00 / 58:47 British Army of the Rhine Ichioku 334 subscribers Subscribe 6.6K views 1 year ago BBC Documentary from 2012 (small edit to avoid. [44] The 25-pounders were each provided with an additional 1,471 rounds in addition to the 206 rounds per gun each regiment normally carried. 30 hurt in blast at army base. 16 Army Roadhead from railtails around Bocholt using captured rolling stock and locomotives. Twenty-five special vehicles were built in Army workshops to carry them. Please continue & follow him.pic.twitter.com/TU3GKnZFPU", "British Orders of Battle & TO&Es 1980-1989", "From occupiers and protectors to guests", "Osnabrck picks up the pieces after British withdrawal", "All British army bases in Germany to close by 2019 with 20,000 troops returning to UK", "Farewell to the 1st Westfalen Garrison Commander", "A Queen's birthday reception was held in Germany", "British army hands back last headquarters in Germany", "Defence review ends Iraq-sized ventures", In West Germany: Military Networks Spreading Pop, Secret squad sent in to track down IRA killers, BBC News: Army to scale down Germany troops, BBC News: From occupiers and protectors to guests, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=British_Forces_Germany&oldid=1126727293, This page was last edited on 10 December 2022, at 22:46. BRITISH ALLIES ARMY RAF. By January 1945, some 90,000 civilians were employed by the 21st Army Group, of whom half were employed in workshops in the advanced base, and 14,000 at the port of Antwerp. Five days before the operation began, the Navy asked for 40 more, which were provided. The British Army of the Rhine was born in 1945 out of the British Liberation Army at the close of the war as the military government of the British zone of occupied Germany. History of the british army of the rhine 06 09 14. Both stocked 200 rounds per gun of field artillery ammunition for the entire XXX Corps. Every available amphibious craft was collected, and they were joined by a Royal Navy contingent of 36 Landing Craft Medium (LCM) and 36 Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel (LCVP) that were transported by road across Holland and Belgium to participate. It was therefore decided that the floating bridges should be replaced by semi-permanent ones as soon as operational circumstances permitted. Both formations had areas of responsibility located around the German section of the River Rhine . In a broader context, Barnett 1970 and Chandler and Beckett 2003 provide an essential overview of the experiences that have shaped the British Army over its long history. There have been two formations named British Army of the Rhine (BAOR). Petrol, oil and lubricants (POL) was brought by ships and the Operation Pluto pipeline from the UK at a rate of 15,000 tonnes (15,000 long tons) per day, of which 3,000 tonnes (3,000 long tons) was over the pipelines, and delivered by barge and pipeline to the army roadheads. [13], During the German Ardennes Offensive in December 1944, the Supreme Allied Commander, General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower, transferred the US First and Ninth Armies to Montgomery's command. Road transport accounted for another 29,865 personnel and 23,360 trucks. Check 'British Army of the Rhine' translations into Italian. [6] In 1967, the force was reduced in strength to 53,000 soldiers. [2] Composition [ edit] The installations consist of: [3] Normandy Barracks, Paderborn Headquarters, British Army Germany: Germany Enabling Office (GEO); Germany Support Unit. Fifteen minutes after the glider landings, there was a resupply mission flown by 240 Consolidated B-24 Liberator bombers from the US Eighth Air Force. London: Penguin, 1970. After the assumption of government by civilians, it became the command formation for the troops in Germany only, rather than being responsible for administration as well. [44] For security reasons, troop movements had to be conducted at night. The 6th Line of Communications Sub Area was earmarked to take over the administration of the port of Rotterdam when it was captured. The class 12 Bailey bridge, known as "Sussex", took the XII Corps Troops Engineers and the Royal Navy 43 hours to erect. As a result of this fire it was decided to remove camouflage from the oil storage tanks, because it was not effective against the V-2, and hampered fire fighting efforts. Garrisons which closed at this time included Soest (home of the 6th Armoured Brigade),[8] Soltau (home of the 7th Armoured Brigade)[9] and Minden (home of the 11th Armoured Brigade).[10]. This freed the 9th Line of Communications Sub Area to participate in Operation Goldflake. Medium and heavy ammunition for units north of the Maas was stockpiled at Wijchen and that for those south of the Maas at Oss. Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery's 21st Army Group consisted of the General Harry Crerar's First Canadian Army and Lieutenant General Sir Miles Dempsey's British Second Army. British Army of the Rhine - OverDrive Depots and stocks remaining in the RMA were transferred to the control of the War Office. [102] Lend Lease aid from the United States and a high degree of industrial mobilisation provided the equipment and materiel. The airborne troops landed with two 24-hour ration packs, and the 6th Airborne Division's seaborne tail held two days of compo rations in second line transport. The attacks resulted in the deaths of nine people, including three civilians, and many wounded. It was therefore conducted over muddy and sometimes flooded ground, and roads were sometimes impassable even to four-wheel-drive vehicles. Despite the weather, all movements were completed as planned by 8 February. There have been two formations named British Army of the Rhine (BAOR). [59][60] Ammunition for the 25-pounders was based on 1,500 rounds per gun. Part of Ministry of Defence. By 9 February sections of the Nijmegen-Kranenburg road were under 46 centimetres (18in) of water. [47] Four main road routes were available for troop movements, utilising road bridges over the Maas at Grave, Mook and Ravenstein. West Germany: Commander Of British Army Of The Rhine, Sir Harry Tuzo [100], In the campaign in North West Europe in 1945, Montgomery sought to defeat Germany and ensure a prominent British role in the postwar political organisation of Europe. [28], On 15 February, the region south of the Seine under British administration by 5th Line of Communications Sub Area and the 101st Beach Sub Area were reduced to the ports of Caen and Ouistreham and the depots around them, while that administered by the 9th Line of Communications Sub Area was handed over to the US Communications Zone, as was the region between the Somme and the Seine administered by the 6th Line of Communications Sub Area, except for the city of Amiens. This was after British forces personnel were scaled down over several years, with 19,100 in April 2010, and 2,850 in April 2019. A double issue of Expeditionary Force Institutes stores was made to all participating units. As the Soviet threat increased, so BAOR became less of an occupational army and assumed the role of defender of Western Europe, and as a major contributor to NATO after . From 1922 the BAOR was organised into two brigades:[1], The second British Army of the Rhine was formed on 25 August 1945 from the British Liberation Army. british army of the rhine bases - Tedfund.org Due to changing operational requirements, it was ultimately decided to build only three semi-permanent class 40 bridges, at Xanten, Rees and Arnhem, and two class 70 bridges, at Rees and Arnhem. During the Great War (1914-1918) approximately 900,000 men, a quarter of the whole Army. [49] In the lead up to Operation Veritable, 446 special trains were run to the First Canadian Army railheads, delivering 349,356 tonnes (343,838 long tons) of supplies, of which around 227,000 tonnes (223,000 long tons) was for Operation Veritable. British Army of the Rhine (post First World War) B.A.F.S.V. The bivouac areas were provided with temporary billets, latrines, emergency rations and fuel, and medical teams and vehicle maintenance crews were on hand. Supplies and POL were stocked at Eindhoven; POL at Schijndel; ammunition at Veghel, Uden, Oss and Wijchen; road material at Mill; coal at Best; and bridging at 's-Hertogenbosch. With the activation of a NATO unified command structure in 1951, BAOR became an integral part, along with Belgian, Canadian, and Dutch army units, of the Northern Army Group (NORTHAG). VIII Corps also used its own transport to haul ammunition for the crossing of the Elbe on 28 April. [41] Pepperpot tactics involved supplementing the artillery fire with that of anti-tank guns, anti-aircraft guns, mortars and machine guns. British Army Germany - Wikipedia As of 1 April 1989, the following amounts of troops were deployed around the world: 71,000 in Great Britain, 56,000 (of which the Berlin brigade makes up 3,000), 10,200 in Northern Ireland (including 3,200 on roulement), 5,000 in Hong Kong, 4,000 in the Lines of Communications counties (Netherlands . The following day a German swimmer was seen affixing a suspicious cylindrical object to the bridge. Chieftain: British Army of the Rhine - BoardGameGeek The "Waterloo" class 9 FBE could not be built at the intended site at Rees on 24 March because the town had not been captured. Blaxland, Gregory. IF YOU WOULD PREFER TO STAY ANONYMOUS OR KEEP ALL CONTENTS PRIVATE PLEASE STATE THIS CLEARLY ON SUBMISSION: All rights reserved. [30], The two airborne divisions participating in Operation Varsity, the airborne operation supporting Operation Plunder, were initially supplied by the First Allied Airborne Army. After the successful Normandy landings, the units of 21st Army Group crossed the river Rhine near the Germany city of Wesel on 23 March 1945. The War Office therefore created a new headquarters, called the 25th Garrison, to take over the RMA, and four new line of communications sub area headquarters, the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th. [28], It was estimated that seven line of communications sub area headquarters would be required to support the advance into Germany. XXX Corps opened a new No. A petrol station company was formed from personnel made surplus by the reorganisation with six platoons, each containing three sections. Foster. [102] The 21st Army Group's logistical system proved capable of keeping the fighting men fed and supplied, whether in the awful weather conditions of Operation Veritable, or the fast-moving advance of the final drive beyond the Rhine.[104]. [51] There was also demand for covered accommodation in the 3,300 bivouacs, and 21st Army Group headquarters released 343 huts and 1,600 100-pound (45kg) tents from its stocks, which were delivered to the railheads around Mill and 's-Hertogenbosch. . 19191929. The next major operation was Operation Plunderthe assault crossing of the Rhine on 23 March. Menu Search. This page was last edited on 27 February 2023, at 08:31. British Armed Forces Special Vouchers B.A.O.R. The British 6th Airborne Division was withdrawn to the UK and re-equipped there, but its seaborne tail had to be re-equipped by the 21st Army Group. The former held 200 rounds per gun of medium and 250 rounds per gun of heavy artillery ammunition, while the latter held 200 rounds per gun of medium and 150 rounds per gun of heavy artillery ammunition. [3] However, around 185 British Army personnel and 60 Ministry of Defence civilians will stay in Germany beyond 2020. [30], A rail halt was established at Gevrey-Chambertin and bivouac areas at Montbard and Chalon-sur-Sane. Fourteen transport platoons,[53] each of which operated thirty vehicles,[54] were taken from the formations to serve the corps's needs. Between 1945 and 1957, West Germany made a dizzying pivot from Nazi bastion to Britain's Cold War ally against the Soviet Union. British army the rhine hi-res stock photography and images - Alamy Chinese spy cameras are being trained on British Army bases On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. In addition to the storm boats, DUKWs, Buffaloes and Weasels,[62] there were also amphibious DD tanks. The remaining RAF forces in Germany ceased to be a separate command, and instead became No 2 Group RAF, part of RAF Strike Command. Four trains a day passed through Gevrey-Chambertin, which handled 72,550 personnel and 4,035 trucks. 206 FMC. 12 Army Roadhead in the Rheine area commenced on 3 April, and the corps started drawing from it on 9 April. GYM. Adjutant Generals Base AGDU Army Guard Dog Unit AGR Army General Reserve A.G.R.A. Preparations were made to move it to a new site, but this was not required. British Army Of The Rhine - The Armourers Bench Its original function was to control the corps districts which were running the military government of the British zone of Allied-occupied Germany.After the assumption of government by civilians, it became the command formation for the troops in Germany only, rather than being responsible for . 14 Army Roadhead. Both were originally occupation forces in Germany, one after the First World War, and the other after the Second World War. This account will transfer to the new Comd British Army Germany, Col Tim Hill. [11] Rhine Garrison, which principally comprised HQ British Forces Germany in the Rheindahlen Military Complex and Elmpt Station (formerly RAF Bruggen), also reduced in size; the HQ moved to Bielefeld in July 2013 and other units returned to the UK. Positioned on the North German Plain, it is the command element of NATO's Northern Army Group (NORTHAG). The Oxford History of the British Army. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1950s British Army Rhine Royal Artillery Soldiers sergeant officer etc 3.25*2.25 at the best online prices at eBay! [89][90], Despite this, stocks at the Nos. Disbandment of the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) and Royal Air Force Germany (RAFG) in 1994, following the end of the Cold War and the Options for Change defence review in the early 1990s, reduced the strength of the British Armed Forces in Germany by almost 30,000 with just one division (1st Armoured) remaining by the late 1990s, [7] Your current browser may not support copying via this button. [88][92][96], Meanwhile, the First Canadian Army established two lines of communications. [80] Although working in the British Second Army area, they remained under the command of the US Ninth Army. But back in the 1950s, a posting in Germ. Army personnel will be permanently based in the country where the UK is retaining the 45-square mile Sennelager Training Area, which provides both UK and NATO forces with an expansive live firing. Four days later the German Instrument of Surrender was signed in Berlin, and the war with Germany was over.