british army of the rhine bases british army of the rhine bases

To secure the required transportation resources, eleven general transport companies, seven artillery transport platoons, a tank transporter company, a bulk petrol transport company, a petrol depot, a bridge company and an ambulance car company were transferred from Italy. BRITISH ALLIES ARMY RAF. [62], Once the link-up with the ground forces was effected, the 6th Airborne Division drew its supplies from XII Corps, while the US 17th Airborne Division drew its from the US Ninth Army. Military Identities: The Regimental System, the British Army and the British People c.18702000. [1] The General Officer Commanding UKSC(G) also functioned as head of the British Forces Liaison Organisation (Germany), which was responsible for liaising and maintaining relations with German civil authorities. [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. Apart from the Alpine Training Centre Hubertus Haus in Oberstdorf, which is in Bavaria, British Army Germany is entirely based in North Rhine-Westphalia. Four days later the German Instrument of Surrender was signed in Berlin, and the war with Germany was over. [94] New lines continued to be laid, the last one being laid to Bocholt on 24 May. British Land Forces in Germany came under the command of the British Army of the Rhine. [12] Petrol was brought in tankers and over the Operation Pluto pipeline. On the other hand, the 21st Army Group held sufficient stocks of POL to accede to a request from SHAEF to allocate 73,000 long tons (74,000t) of petrol for US use. This freed the 9th Line of Communications Sub Area to participate in Operation Goldflake. 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. Start reading The British Army of the Rhine for free online and get access to an unlimited library of academic and non-fiction books on Perlego. They were augmented by 1,891 and 1,446 anti-aircraft guns and anti-tank guns. The troops were located principally in the vicinity of Cologne at an approximate cost per month of 300,000. The BAOR Locationsteam-5 October 2009. The Cold War has gotten hot and the 3rd Shock Army is approaching your dugout but how do you differentiate a BTR from a BMP? Deployed on the European Central Front with its NORTHAG sister formations, BAOR was a significant feature of NATOs forward shield of ground forces to deter or, if deterrence failed, to repel a major Warsaw Pact offensive on the Continent. Ron. Includes a chapter on the creation of the postmodern regimental system between 1945 and 1970 against the backdrop of postwar austerity and the consequent reorganization and amalgamation of many regiments. Mallinson, Allan. [11] To get the railway system in operation again required the reconstruction of bridges and the importation of additional locomotives. Pipelines were now constructed from Calais to Ghent, and thence to the storage facilities around Antwerp. SGT Served from 1967 - 1985 Served in British Army of the Rhine. A large force of engineer units was assembled for the operation: 37,000 British and Canadian engineers and pioneers, and 22,000 American engineers. [37] Operation Veritable was scheduled to commence on 8 February, but the date for Operation Grenade could not be set, as it depended on the capture of dams on the Roer further south by the US First Army. 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. [14], In autumn 2019, British Forces Germany effectively closed,[15] with the last military base handed back to the German Bundeswehr in February 2020. 166 FMC. It is a history of British European security commitments, of NATO military strategy, and of the changing character of land warfare after 1945. [74], The South Beveland Canal was opened on 19 February to allow inland water transport to reach the Dutch canal system when the western Netherlands were liberated. BMH Iserlohn was one of several BAOR (British Army Of The Rhine) army hospitals in Germany. WO2 Served from 1974 - 1994 Served in British Army of the Rhine. Following the war the BLA was redesignated to become the British Army of the Rhine in August . Preparations were made to move it to a new site, but this was not required. Country United Kingdom. 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. [7] Following a further spending review, one brigade was withdrawn and Osnabrck Garrison closed in 2009. 616 Squadron RAF began operating Gloster Meteor jet fighters from Brussels, and they required kerosene. [46] There were 350 different types of ammunition in all. [72][97], As the German forces crumbled before the Allied onslaught, the numbers of German prisoners of war grew to the point where orders were issued on 1 May that no more prisoners should be sent west of the Rhine. 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). There have been two formations named British Army of the Rhine (BAOR). The United States and the Middle East, 1945-2001, World War II in the Mediterranean and Middle East. At the beginning of March 1945, the 21st Army Group had bulk petrol transport capacity of about 2,700 tonnes (2,700 long tons) per day, assuming 80 per cent of the vehicles were running. [42] The weight of shell employed would still be formidable; the fire plan still called for 6 tonnes (6 long tons) of shells to be delivered on designated targets, and some would receive up to 11 tonnes (11 long tons). Contains informative chapters on the precarious position of BAOR during the austerity years of 19461953 and of the contribution made by BAOR to conventional deterrence throughout the Cold War. Both formations had areas of responsibility located around the German section of the River Rhine . [5], First established following the Second World War, the forces grew during the Cold War, and consisted, by the early 1980s, of I (BR) Corps made up of four divisions; 1st Armoured Division, 2nd Armoured Division, 3rd Armoured Division and the 4th Armoured Division. It was therefore decided that the floating bridges should be replaced by semi-permanent ones as soon as operational circumstances permitted. London: Bantam, 2009. [24], The Combined Chiefs further decided to reinforce Eisenhower's armies in North West Europe at the expense of those in the Mediterranean. Branch British Army. It was also feared for a time that the skeleton FMC was in danger of being inundated, although it was sited on high ground. 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. Sixteen of the bombers were lost to anti-aircraft fire. The Corps was with the BEF in 1940 and thereafter involved in the defene of the UK. 14 Army Roadhead. Users without a subscription are not able to see the full content on 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 . During the month, 432 trains delivered 230,000 tonnes (230,000 long tons) to 37 railheads in the British Second Army area. After some debate, the Combined Chiefs of Staff endorsed his strategy at the Malta Conference in January and February 1945. [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. It was arranged that 40 tanks, 650 wheeled vehicles, 50 Bren gun carriers, and 3,700 personnel would disembark each day in Marseilles, where accommodation was provided for 10,000 troops in tents and 200 vehicles. [39][40], The artillery fire plan for Operation Veritable called for the widespread use of "pepperpot tactics". [30] All movements were completed by the second week of April. Contents 1 History 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. [60], The engineer units in the XII Corps assault area were under 11th Army Group, Royal Engineers (AGRE), commanded by Colonel R. B. 168 FMC near Goch. Blaxland 1971 and Mallinson 2009, for example, have produced histories of the army which are not entirely dominated by narratives of counterinsurgency campaigns. 2019 Ted Fund Donors [20], Commanders have included:[21]General Officer Commanding United Kingdom Support Command (Germany), General Officer Commanding British Forces Germany, Last edited on 10 December 2022, at 22:46, 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review, "UK to maintain military presence in Germany", "So, it is time to say Aufwiedersehen. 13 Army Roadhead. Posted 30 March , 2015. carndook. It was estimated that six one-way class 40 and two one-way class 70 pile bridges would be needed. Two pipelines were laid across the Rhine at Emmerich and were in operation by the end of April. Originally scheduled to start at the beginning of January 1945, when the ground would have been frozen, Operation Veritable, the 21st Army Group's advance to the Rhine, was delayed for five weeks by the German Ardennes Offensive. Home; About. [79] Seven American combat engineer battalions assisted with road and bridge maintenance in the British Second Army area. It was therefore agreed that from 1 March onwards, 81,000 tonnes (80,000 long tons) of fuel held in British storage would be transferred to the Americans so that both armies could have thirty days' reserves. The tracks of Sherman tanks were equipped with "duck bill" connectors to facilitate advancing across snow and soft ground. British Army Germany was formed in 2020 to administer the remaining service personnel, UK Civil Servants, and dependents (family members), based in Germany.[2]. [103] In this campaign the British Army demonstrated its proficiency in logistics. Download Citation | The British Army of the Rhine | The British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) began life in 1945 as a postwar administrative headquarters deployed in support of the civilian authority . Due to the proximity of Rees, the VIII Corps Troops Engineers could not work on the "London" class 40 Bailey pontoon bridge until the afternoon of 25 March, and it was opened at 23:00 on 26 March. 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. General histories of the postwar British army have tended to overlook the services preparations to fight a tactical nuclear war against the Soviet Union in Europe, despite this being its primary mission throughout the Cold War. [26], The headquarters of the 9th Line of Communications Area was transferred to Paris to assist the American Communications Zone with the move. List of units and formations of the British Army, "Neuer britischer Kommandeur in Paderborn", "Adventurous Training Foundation Delivery (AFTD)", Overseas military bases of the United Kingdom, British Forces British Indian Ocean Territories, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=British_Army_Germany&oldid=1141875126, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Military command, support, and administration, Land Training Fleet (Sennelager) which provides and maintains a pool of. [82][84], It was recognised in the planning of Operation Plunder that the maintenance of the floating bridges over the Rhine would require more engineers than could be spared from the campaign ahead. staff to a British Advanced Ordnance Depot. [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. 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. An allocation of 300 tonnes (300 long tons) per day was made, but owing to competing American demands, the use of aircraft to repatriate liberated American, British and Commonwealth ex-prisoners of war (PWX), and a somewhat cumbersome procedure for requesting air deliveries, the tonnage of air freight never reached this level, averaging just 145 tonnes (143 long tons) per day for the month of April. The best introduction to the regimental system of the British army. Margaret Brown. As was written earlier we are constantly searching for information, and adding or updating pages. Includes two chapters on National Service and professional recruitment after 1945, both of which were issues that influenced force generation in BAOR throughout its existence. [30], The two airborne divisions participating in Operation Varsity, the airborne operation supporting Operation Plunder, were initially supplied by the First Allied Airborne Army. On 16 April XXX Corps sent its road transport back to the Rhine roadhead to collect the ammunition it needed to capture Bremen. A problem was encountered when defects were discovered in the tensioners of the 29th Armoured Brigade's new Comet tanks. ST. Army Gymnastic Staff AH Army Health . 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. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008. 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. They were then loaded into landing ships, tank (LSTs) that took them to Marseilles, and onto flat wagons again for the five-day railway journey to Dixmude. Emmerich was taken on 1 April after a three-day battle to provide an additional bridgehead. 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. [7], The 1993 Options for Change defence cuts resulted in BAOR being replaced by forces roughly 25,000 strong, divided between Headquarters Allied Command Europe Rapid Reaction Corps, 1st Armoured Division, other combat support and combat service support forces, and administrative elements headed by United Kingdom Support Command (Germany). This merely delayed work on the bridge, which was opened to traffic at 20:15. 12 Army Roadhead in the Rheine area commenced on 3 April, and the corps started drawing from it on 9 April. . It took part in the Overlord invasion of Europe in 1944 and through to the end of war in Germany. For more information or to contact an Oxford Sales Representative click here. This was a problem as its special equipment was not stocked. 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). [28] Advance parties from each formation involved travelled by air from Florence, but most Operation Goldflake units moved by sea. The second class 40 Bailey pontoon bridge, known as "Blackfriars", was built by the II Canadian Corps Engineers in 50 hours, starting at 10:00 on 26 March. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2020. This account will transfer to the new Comd British Army Germany, Col Tim Hill. The next major operation was Operation Plunderthe assault crossing of the Rhine. British Armed Forces Special Vouchers B.A.O.R. [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. 166 Field Maintenance Centre (FMC) at Veghel and the two Canadian FMCs at Wijchen and Oss. It would also free transport to support a rapid advance. [7] The British Second Army liberated Brussels on 3 September, and Antwerp was captured virtually intact on 4 September,[8] but it could not be used as a port until the Germans were cleared from the Scheldt approaches, through which ships had to pass to reach the port. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003. [17], The British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) radio services were widely available on FM across north-western Germany. The first troops sailed from Naples on the troop ship SS Esperance Bay on 22 February, and arrived at Marseilles two days later. [63] The final troop movements for Operation Plunder involved 662 tanks, over 4,000 tank transporters and 32,000 other vehicles. [89][90], Despite this, stocks at the Nos. 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. Peter Walker. [9], Under the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review, it was decided that British military units would cease to be permanent deployed in Germany by the end of 2019. The British Liberation Army (BLA) was the official name given to the British Army forces which fought on the Western Front of World War II between the Invasion of Normandy and the end of the war. British Army of the Rhine There have been two formations named British Army of the Rhine ( BAOR ). The 18th Line of Communications Sub Area was formed on 25 April and assigned to the First Canadian Army; the 19th joined the 15th; and the 20th relieved the 4th around Brussels, allowing it to take over the region to the north east of Nijmegen. Chieftain: The British Army of the Rhine, provides a complete array of British equipment and maneuver units, from Chieftain and Challenger tanks through MCV-80 and Saxon APCs. Captured German dumps held sufficient quantities of food for them, but they were not always easily accessible or distributable, so some had to be fed from 21st Army Group stocks, on a temporary ration scale of 1,100 calories (4,600J) per man per day. We are pleased to announce that Eureka Miniatures UK will once again be attending the hugely popular SALUTE at ExCeL, London on Saturday 22nd April 2023. [70] Of the 610 tonnes (600 long tons) of supplies and equipment dropped, 80 per cent was recovered. 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. Post war First Corps District administered Rhine Province and Westphalia. 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. . Its primary combat formation was British I Corps. The second British Army on the Rhine was formed on 25 August 1945 from 21st Army Group. Your current browser may not support copying via this button. At the rail stop there were messes and a kitchen that ran 24 hours a day. Army Bases Find British Army Of The Rhine stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images.