[95][92] To take pressure off the roads, the 21st Army Group placed an air composite platoon capable of receiving and handling up to 510 tonnes (500 long tons) per day under the Second Army's control. Initially, bulk POL was brought across the Rhine in tanker trucks at the rate of 1,000 tonnes (1,000 long tons) per day. Road transport accounted for another 29,865 personnel and 23,360 trucks. 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. 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. Demands for smoke generators exhausted the available stocks and generators were taken from the anti-aircraft gun positions around Antwerp. SALUTE South London Warlords. 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. History of the british army of the rhine 06 09 14. The affectionate story of British servicemen and their families who had to make Germany a home from home in the decades after the Second World War. [87][88] A 300-metre (980ft) Class 9 FBE bridge was built over the Elbe at Lauenburg by the VIII Corps engineers on 29 April. In a European context the first step in this process was the 1947 Anglo-French Treaty of Dunkirk. 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. The troops were located principally in the vicinity of Cologne at an approximate cost per month of 300,000. Technical Services BAOR (British Army of the Rhine), Shooting Team, 1969. LT COL Served from 1974 - 2011 Served in British Army of the Rhine. During this advance it suffered 7,665 casualties and captured 78,108 prisoners. As a result, vehicles owned by personnel ceased to have distinct registration plates, which had made them easily identifiable. British Army of the Rhine (post First World War) B.A.F.S.V. [78] The 21st Army Group headquarters also allocated three additional general transport companies to the British Second Army. Many had seen hard use in the Ardennes, where they had demonstrated their utility, and large numbers were in the REME workshops. [53], Once the battle commenced on 8 February, the main administrative task was replenishing the stocks of ammunition. The class 12 Bailey bridge, known as "Sussex", took the XII Corps Troops Engineers and the Royal Navy 43 hours to erect. 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. british army of the rhine bases. When the First World War ended British troops crossed the Rhine into Germany and entered a cou Two pipelines were laid across the Rhine at Emmerich and were in operation by the end of April. British Land Forces in Germany came under the command of the British Army of the Rhine. During February 300,000 long tons (300,000t) of supplies were delivered to the XXX Corps railheads. As was written earlier we are constantly searching for information, and adding or updating pages. That day trains also began arriving at No. By mid-May the 21st Army Group's reserves had been reduced by a quarter. Four days later orders came that disarmed troops would no longer have prisoner of war status, but would be classified as Surrendered Enemy Personnel, and that their own officers would be responsible for their administration. Overseas military bases of the United Kingdom enable the British Armed Forces to conduct expeditionary warfare and maintain a forward presence.Bases tend to be located in or near areas of strategic or diplomatic importance, often used for the build-up or resupply of military forces, as was seen during the 1982 Falklands War and the use of RAF Ascension Island as a staging post. These two photos were taken in late 1956 by Lab Tech Cpl Peter Elgar: A general study of the historical experiences that have shaped the British army. There have been two formations named British Army of the Rhine (BAOR). 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. The United States and the Middle East, 1945-2001, World War II in the Mediterranean and Middle East. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! 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. [27], On 10 February, the 5th Canadian Armoured Division loaded its 450 tanks and 320 Bren gun carriers on flat wagons in Rimini and Riccione, from whence they moved by rail to Leghorn. 616 Squadron RAF began operating Gloster Meteor jet fighters from Brussels, and they required kerosene. [18], The British Army Germany rugby union team regularly played games against emerging rugby nations like Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands, Germany and Luxembourg. Photo courtesy of RAMC Lab Tech Cpl Peter Elgar 1958. [31][32], The bulk petrol transport companies that distributed the fuel were reorganised, with each company now having four instead of three platoons, so eight companies were reduced to six. While most of its units were British or Canadian, there were also contingents from Belgium, the Netherlands, Czechoslovakia and Poland,[1] and the RAF Second Tactical Air Force operating in support also had Australian, French, New Zealand and Norwegian squadrons. Covered accommodation was eventually provided for between 300,000 and 400,000 troops. 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 . Armata Britannica del Reno la traduzione di "British Army of the Rhine" in italiano. Their construction would require 3,000 wooden piles 30 centimetres (12in) in diameter and 18 to 23 metres (60 to 75ft) in length. While it was under construction, the engineers came under attack by the Luftwaffe, and 8 men were killed and 22 wounded. London and Portland, OR: Frank Cass, 2000. [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. In 1961, he received a commission into the Royal Corps of Signals, and served in the British Army of the Rhine . Whereas military considerations involved "questions of strategy, bases and force levels," the political response focused on the creation of defensive alliances. 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]. [63] Their initial drop of the 6th Airborne Division was conducted by 683 aircraft and 444 General Aircraft Hamilcar and Airspeed Horsa gliders, while that of the US 17th Airborne Division used 913 aircraft and 906 Hadrian gliders. In addition to the road transport, the 21st Army Group also had barges capable of carrying 10,000 tonnes (10,000 long tons) of bulk POL. Sirs, Ladies and Gentlemen,Welcome to the website dedicated to the British Army of the Rhine, its locations, and those areas whilst not strictly within BAOR, thatwere vital to the operation of the theatre. [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. Evolution of the organisation of the 21st Army Group line of communications, British logistics in the Western Allied invasion of Germany, Development of the line of communications, British logistics in the Western Allied Invasion of Germany, Fog Investigation and Dispersal Operation, British logistics in the Normandy campaign, British logistics in the Siegfried Line campaign, Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, Supply and Maintenance on the European Continent, Official History of the Canadian Army in the Second World War, XVIII Corps (Airborne), Operation the Elbe to the Baltic, 27 April 1945 to 3 May 1945, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=British_logistics_in_the_Western_Allied_invasion_of_Germany&oldid=1141771057, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 26 February 2023, at 18:30. [79], Vehicles crossing the Rhine did so with full fuel tanks and a reserve of filled jerricans. 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. 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. Army Group Royal Artillery . [63][72] The seaborne tail of the 6th Airborne Division established a DUKW replenishment area west of the Rhine from whence supplies were moved until it could cross the river. Both were originally occupation forces in Germany, one after the First World War and the other after the Second World War. [103] In this campaign the British Army demonstrated its proficiency in logistics. [43] Over 2.5 million rounds of 25-pounder ammunition was made available for Operation Veritable. Copy this link, or click below to email it to a friend. [4] German resistance was stubborn, and the British and Canadian advance much slower than planned until July,[5] when the American Operation Cobra broke through the German defences. 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. [32][33], A major user of fuel was the Fog Investigation and Dispersal Operation (FIDO) system at pinoy, which consumed 410,000 litres (90,000impgal) per night. The offensive was supported by 600 field and 300 medium guns. [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. [6] What followed was a far more rapid advance than anticipated. Pipelines were now constructed from Calais to Ghent, and thence to the storage facilities around Antwerp. [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. This led to a scaling down of the British military presence, and a restructuring of command and support structures. Almost all BLA units were assigned to the 21st Army Group, which also included forces from other countries. Although our understanding of the service has been considerably deepened by subsequent scholarship, the book provides the broader context for thinking about the army after 1945. [52], Special tracks were provided for the Bren gun carriers to prevent skidding on icy roads, but these had to be withdrawn when it was discovered that they caused excessive wear and tear on their suspensions. To simplify storage and handling, only ammunition for field, medium and heavy artillery was held at the Canadian FMCs, ammunition for all other weapons was stocked at No. [13], With the departure of Major General John Henderson in March 2015, the Commanding Officer of British Forces Germany became a brigadier's post, with Brigadier Ian Bell assuming command. The 6th Line of Communications Sub Area was earmarked to take over the administration of the port of Rotterdam when it was captured. They were respectively augmented by 1,891 and 1,446 anti-aircraft guns and anti-tank guns. [30], A rail halt was established at Gevrey-Chambertin and bivouac areas at Montbard and Chalon-sur-Sane. The 3rd Canadian Division made use of Buffalo tracked amphibious vehicles. [91] At Artlenburg, 7th Army Troops engineers constructing a 282-metre (925ft) class 40 Bailey pontoon bridge also came under air attack, and two of its mobile cranes were damaged by artillery fire, but the bridge was opened on schedule at 12:00 on 30 April. [45] No. [47] As it was thought that vehicle movement in the battle area would be restricted by the weather, terrain and battle damage, units were issued with "compo" ration packs for up to two-thirds of a formation's strength, and the divisions and independent brigades were also supplied with two-, three- and five-man "AFV" ration packs in case the distribution of compo packs proved to be too difficult. 167 FMC was handed over to it, and became No. Both formations had areas of responsibility located around the German section of the River Rhine. It would also free transport to support a rapid advance. 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. 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! 15 Army Roadhead opened in the Almelo area on 18 April and was stocked by road from No. 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. The following 12 files are in this category, out of 12 total. [61] Up to seven trains per day were required to move the ammunition from the advance base to the ammunition railheads at No. There have been two formations named British Army of the Rhine ( BAOR ). Likewise, French 2008 and Strachan 2000 have produced histories of the cultural attitudes of the British Army and how the institution relates to wider society. Users without a subscription are not able to see the full content on At the rail stop there were messes and a kitchen that ran 24 hours a day. Check 'British Army of the Rhine' translations into Italian. 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. This operation to cross the northern Rhine River launched in the night of 23 Mar 1945. 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. 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. Consequently, the daily pack trains that carried supplies were normally run straight through from the advanced base to the corps railheads, which were normally stocked on a commodity basis, and the roadheads supporting the First Canadian Army carried much less stock than its British Second Army counterparts. The following day a German swimmer was seen affixing a suspicious cylindrical object to the bridge. Only the class 70 bridges would take a loaded tank transporter. [77] A 370-metre (1,220ft) class 40 Bailey pontoon bridge was built at Venlo by the 15th GHQ Troops Engineers. [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. With some assistance from pioneers or civilians, each section could operate a petrol station issuing up to 45,000 litres (10,000impgal) per day. British logistics in the Western Allied invasion of Germany was the support of Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery's Anglo-Canadian 21st Army Group and the RAF Second Tactical Air Force operations in the Second World War from 8 January 1945 until the end of the war in Europe on 8 May 1945. 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. British Army Germany was formed in 2020 to administer the remaining service personnel, UK Civil Servants, and dependents (family members), based in Germany. They were also utilised for duties such as manning level crossings. [80] Although working in the British Second Army area, they remained under the command of the US Ninth Army. This page is a list of British Armies in WWII. In due course it was relieved by a vehicle park from Italy. Between 1945 and 1957, West Germany made a dizzying pivot from Nazi bastion to Britain's Cold War ally against the Soviet Union. 10 Army Roadhead. It was originally composed of five corps, composed of two divisions each, plus a cavalry division:[1], IV Corps: Commanded by Sir Alexander Godley, VI Corps: Commanded by Sir Aylmer Haldane, IX Corps: Commanded by Sir Walter Braithwaite and later by Ivor Maxse, Cavalry Division (formed from 1st Cavalry Division). 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). Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2020. Until the railway bridges could be brought into operation, maintenance depended entirely on road transport. Part of Ministry of Defence. [7] Following a further spending review, one brigade was withdrawn and Osnabrck Garrison closed in 2009. Printer friendly. Alpine Training Centre (ATC) Hubertus-Haus this installation provides facilities and activities, including rock climbing, kayaking, paragliding, sailing, mountain biking, and winter sports, under the auspices of the Adventurous Training Foundation Delivery (AFTD), and is maintained by military and civil personnel. The next major operation was Operation Plunderthe assault crossing of the Rhine on 23 March. It was the largest concentration of British armed forces permanently stationed outside the United Kingdom. [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. Only three could be provided by the 21st Army Group: the 5th Line of Communications Sub Area and the 101st Beach Sub Area when released from the RMA, and the 9th Line of Communications Sub Area, when it was no longer required for Operation Goldflake. To coordinate troop movements between the First Canadian Army and the British Second Army, a joint office known as "Grouping Control" was established. BMH Iserlohn was one of several BAOR (British Army Of The Rhine) army hospitals in Germany. [3] However, around 185 British Army personnel and 60 Ministry of Defence civilians will stay in Germany beyond 2020. Blaxland, Gregory. 13 Army Roadhead at Nijmegen. [60] Every available amphibious craft was collected. The Royal Navy formed Force U, consisting of three squadrons, each with a flotilla of twelve Landing Craft Medium (LCM), and a flotilla of twelve Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel (LCVP), which were transported by road across Holland and Belgium to participate. Both were originally occupation forces in Germany, one after the First World War, and the other after the Second World War. It was decanted at Bocholt and transported by rail to No. 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. No 13 Army Roadhead was opened at Nijmegen on 2 March, and was stocked by rail. List of battleships of the United States Navy, Headquarters Allied Command Europe Rapid Reaction Corps, http://www.orbat.info/history/volume5/518/Original%20BAOR.pdf, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article187497575, http://baor-locations.org/historybaor.aspx.html, http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1963/jan/30/baor-tactical-nuclear-weapons, http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1967/mar/06/defence-army-estimates-1967-68-vote-a#S5CV0742P0_19670306_HOC_566, http://baor-locations.org/salamancabks.aspx.html, http://baor-locations.org/bournmouthbks.aspx.html, http://baor-locations.org/kingslybks.aspx.html, "British Army of the Rhine Order of Battle July 1989", https://www.orbat85.nl/documents/BAOR-July-1989.pdf, Articles incorporating text from Wikipedia, Military units and formations established in 1945, Military units and formations disestablished in 1994, Field armies of the United Kingdom in World War I, Field armies of the United Kingdom in World War II, Military units and formations of the British Empire in World War II. The Regiments Depart: A History of the British Army, 19451970. [35] It would be carried out by General Harry Crerar's First Canadian Army, which was built up to a strength of 449,865 personnel through the addition of large numbers of British troops; counting civilians and prisoners of war, the army had a ration strength of 476,193. I Canadian Corps advanced on Utrecht, supported by No. British Forces Germany (BFG) was the generic name for the three services of the British Armed Forces, made up of service personnel, UK Civil Servants, and dependents (family members), based in Germany. [12] The two central garrisons - Gtersloh and Paderborn - combined to form a single 'super garrison' called Westfalen Garrison in April 2014. 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. 14 Army Roadhead. 15 Army Roadhead. The attacks resulted in the deaths of nine people, including three civilians, and many wounded. [16] The US XVIII Airborne Corps was assigned to the 21st Army Group for the crossing of the Rhine,[17] and again on 25 April for operations between the Elbe and the Baltic Sea. This merely delayed work on the bridge, which was opened to traffic at 20:15. 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. 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. 166 FMC. [4] Its original function was to control the corps districts which were running the military government of the British zone of occupied Germany. En 1961, il est affect au Royal Corps of Signals, et fair partie de la British Army of the Rhine. The British Second Army also had access to the American class 70 timber pile bridge at Venlo and the Canadian First Army class 70 bridge at Grave. Motorman began on 31st July 1972 with the rapid deployment of troops from the rest of the UK and the British Army of the Rhine to the ports of Belfast and Derry. [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]. The other units could not be found, and the 21st Army Group was informed that it would have to make do without them. British Army Of the Rhine Welcome Welcome to BAOR Locations. 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. Corps Water Polo Championships, BAOR (British Army of the Rhine)Team Winners, Aldershot. It became the primary formation controlling the British contribution to NATO after the formation of the alliance in 1949. Menu Search. Three bridges were constructed there, but by the time they opened II Canadian Corps already had its three Canadian divisions across the Rhine. The 11th Line of Communications Area took over the administration of the ports and the entire advanced base area, freeing the 12th Line of Communications Area headquarters to move forward. 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 . Country United Kingdom. This page was last edited on 27 February 2023, at 08:31. British Army Royal Engineers enaged in the building of The Freeman Bridge, The River Rhine, Dusseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. 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. 12 Army Roadhead in the Rheine area commenced on 3 April, and the corps started drawing from it on 9 April. 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. [6], 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] concentrated in North Rhine-Westphalia.
british army of the rhine bases
