Updated 10 August 2024
Churchill Barracks formerly Flak Kaserne
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4 Training Brigade RASC formed 3 Oct 45 – BAOR Training Centre to 15 Sep 48 – redesignated 7 Training Battalion RASC by 24 Sep 48 – less detachment
Companies – see main page for BHQs
2nd Battalion South Wales Borders 14 Jun 45 to 31 Mar 46
1st/7th Battalion Middlesex Regiment 1 Apr 46 to 2 Jun 46
4th Battalion Welch Regiment 3 Jun 46 to 3 Jul 46
11th Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers 3 Jul 46 to 23 Sep 46
More to follow
Source: 21st Army Group later British Army of the Rhine to Mar 49
Part II
53 AA Regt RA Dec 1950 – Dec 1957 (2)
15 Med Regt RA 1951 – 1955 (3)
58 Med Regt RA 1955 – 1958 (4)
12 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment RA Oct 1957 – Jan 1959?? (5)
22 Signal Regiment Dec 1959 – Sep 1992 (6)
41 Fd Regt RA 1958 – 1961 (7)
49 Anti-Tank Regt RA 1961 – 1964 (8)
Army Catering Corps School ? – 1952 (9)
42 Med Regt RA Apr 1964 – Jan/Feb 1969
27 Med Regt RA 1969-1986 (10)
49 Fd Regt RA 1986-1992 (11)
Closed 17 December 1992
(2) Reformed at Churchill Barracks Lippstadt December 1950, comprising 58, 106, and 110 LAA Batteries. 58 Bty from 22 LAA Regiment. 2 December 1957 – RHQ disbanded, all Batteries into suspended animation, 58 Bty later to 34 LAA Regiment in 1958, then to 12 LAA Regiment December 1969.
(3) From Campbell Barracks, Hohne. Moved to Shorncliffe temporarily before posting to Hong Kong.
(4) Leaving for Northumberland Barracks, Menden.
(5) The exact date of leaving Lippstadt for Delmenhorst is open to debate at the moment.
(6) From Stornoway Barracks, Lemgo with Air Formation role changed to 1 (BR) Corps Rear Signal Regiment in Nov 61 absorbing 218 Signal Squadron, Freedom of Lippstadt granted Oct 73, disbanded Sep 92 role to 7 Signal Regiment
(7) Disbanded at Lippstadt 1961. Another source gives 41 Fd Regt as being in Lippstadt from 1954 to 1956. Awaiting confirmation of this.
(8) From Hong Kong. Absorbed RHQ personnel from 41 Fd Regt. Moved to Piddlehinton in may 1964 before returning to Hong Kong in August 1964.
(9) Departing for Glamorgan barracks, Duisburg.
(10) Arriving in January to support 4 Armd Div. The regiment was equipped with the American M109 Self propelled Howitzer. April 1986 saw the Regiment arms plotted to Topcliffe.
(11) 49 Anti Tank Regt RA returns to Churchill Barracks, having been a Light Regt (1965 -1968) and a Fd Regt (1968 – 1992). Placed in suspended animation 1992, with 55 and 127 Btys to 26 Regiment and 143 Bty to 19 Regiment.
These barracks were named after our glorious war-time leader, Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC (Can).
Courtesy of BA
I was in Lippstadt from Jan 1990 – Dec 1992 and worked in the QM(T) dept. It was my first posting and the best one I had. Amazing town and great posting. The bar with the mortuary slab in it was 4 Sqn`s bar if I remember correctly. I was in HQ sqn but was accommodated in that block for about 4 months as there was no room in HQ sqn block.I was allowed to use their bar as i was using their block, so had a few good nights in the bar. Favourite bar was the Playpoint, went there before going down to the KU-till about 5am. Great times.
Leytherjay
Churchill Barracks, as could be seen from the air
Courtesy of BA
In early/mid 50s home to Gunner Regiments 15 Medium Regiment RA and 53 AA Regiment RA. CO 15 Medium gained a fair amount of publicity at the time by competing in the 1955? Grand National as an amateur rider. In the same period there was also a REME Workshop (2 Armoured ?) in the Garrison probably located in the Westfalische Landeseisenbahn (local railway company) repair facilities to the north east of the town”.
PW
Courtesy of BA
The old guard room.
Courtesy of Mr Graham Booth, Royal Signals.
This picture was taken at the far end of the camp looking down the centre of the 4 accommodation blocks. In the far distance you can see the old RHQ building which served 49 Field Regt RA as well as 22 Signal Regt.
Left – view of the old cookhouse and NAAFI bar.
Right – view from block 3 which was where my (Mr Graham Booth) old squadron was housed.
It was accommodation and squadron offices.
A view of the officers’ quarters can be seen on the lower part of this image.
Courtesy of BA
An image showing the completed conversion from barracks to residential accommodation
Courtesy of BA
I was stationed at Churchill Barracks, Lippstadt from the formation of 53 LAA Regt RA in early 1951 to being posted out in 1953.
Originally with 22 LAA Regt in Menden, I moved with the whole of 58 Battery to form the new Regiment, which was to be the LAA Regt of 11 Armoured Division – itself being reformed in response to the Soviet threat. 58 Bty was reinforced by drafts of 50 or so all ranks from all the other Royal Artillery regiments in BAOR.
We shared the barracks with 15 Medium Regiment RA and for a year at least, until new buildings were constructed, the Officers & Sergeants messes were also shared. The buildings shown on the website were all on the 15 Med Regt side of the barracks.
I have also revisited Lippstadt recently and was amazed how the former barracks have been expertly adapted to civilian use. The original Officers’ Mess, outside the walled barracks, is now the town’s Banqueting Hall and in the Mess garden, a very smart Kindergarten has been built!
Colin Brook – one-time Troop Commander in 53 Regt.
I served in 42 Med Regt RA 1962 to 1966, joining them in Pembroke dock. We flew from Cardiff Airport direct to RAF Gutersloh and were bussed from there to Lippstadt. One of my friends was very happy about the move as he was to look after the Regiment’s pigs. However, his hopes were dashed as the pig styes and all the pigs were burned in a fire the night we arrrived.
Originally we were housed in a flat above Joseph Ortwein’s Gastatte which was very fortunate for us as many of the families were housed in caravans on the Regimental Square. Whilst we were in Lippstadt we had one son born in BMH Iserlohn and one daughter born in the Evangelische Krankenhaus in Lippstadt. The reason for this was that it was an exceptionally hard winter and the ambulance could not get to Iserlohn.
I also served in BAOR with the following:-
Moenchengladbach – CPO BAOR 1966 to 1968
Lippstadt – 22 Sig Regt 1981 to 1984
Hannover – 24 Tpt & Mov Regt RCT 1984 to 1986
Herford – 4 Amd Div Sig Regt 1986 to 1988
Minden – 4 Amd Div Fd Amb 1988 to 1989
Bielefeld – HQ 1 BR Corps 1989 to 1990
Hannover – 24 Tpt & Mov Regt RCT 1990 – 1991
Osnabruck – 1 Bn REME 1991 to 1994
I recently visited Lippstadt where the Barracks have been taken over by the Stadt for housing. The whole project is mind blowing. The Camp has completely retained its character even though the Gun and vehicle Parks are built on with modern houses and the blocks have been used for accommodation. The RA HQ is a music school and the RA Officers Mess is a Casino. The old SKC cinema is a church.
David Lane ex-R.A/R.A.P.C.
The RA Officers Mess as it is today. I believe it is now a casino. A casino in Germany can be a private dining facility. When I worked at Hannover Airport we were allowed to be users of the staff canteen known as The Casino. So it could be either, as there was a gambling casino down by the Bahnhof.
Royal Artillery Headquarters Block which used to have the MI Room on the ground floor left in the days of 42 Medium Regiment.
The Guard Room as it is today. At one time the RSM had a flat above the guardroom.
Left – Accommodation Block possible RA. Right – Accommodation Block 22 Signal Regt (I think 1 Squadron)
Left – 22 Signal Regiment – Regimental HQ Block – It was under reconstruction at the time and I have no idea what it was going to become.
Right – Road leading up towards top end of Camp with, I think, R Signals blocks on left. I think 3 Squadron and then HQ Squadron accommodation blocks.
Ground between RA and R Signals accommodation blocks. With back to cookhouse R Signals on left and RA on right.
Guardroom from the camp side. Photo taken from outside RA Regimental HQ looking over to Guardroom with R Signals Regimental HQ to left.
Standing next to guardroom looking over to side elevation of R Signals RHQ Block.
This shows the houses built on the vehicle and gun parks and how they blend in. This picture is of 1 Sqn accommodation block on the left and 1 Sqn vehicle park on the right.
Captions and the above 11 photographs, taken in 2005, courtesy of David Lane ex-R.A./R.A.P.C.
Below are some images of Churchill Bks from 1952:
Cookhouse and Sgt’s Mess opposite 106 Bty barrack block
Courtesy of Ex Gunner Harris, 22434968
Swimming pool with 58 Bty barrack block in the background
Courtesy of Ex Gunner Harris, 22434968
40mm Light Anti-Aircraft gun with 106 Bty barrack block on the left and 110 barrack block on the right
Courtesy of Ex Gunner Harris, 22434968
Guard mounting outside 106 Barrack block
Courtesy of Ex Gunner Harris, 22434968
Here are some photos of Churchill Barracks, Lippstadt. I served there in the LAD REME from 1968 to 1971 as a VM, first with 42 Medium Regt then 27 Medium Regt RA. They had M109 155mm SP Guns.
Regards
24100725 Cfn G. Taylor REME
Left – One of the battery gun parks with M109’s parked up
Right – After repairing this 432 I took it for a test drive round camp. Note the windsock on the building, we had Scout helis which the RA used as spotters.
Left – The road outside my barrack block, slightly more attractive than English barracks.
Right – Another view of the gun park from my bedroom window, showing an assortment of vehicles. Ferrets, 4 Tonners and 432’s
Left – Me cooling off in the camps emergency water supply which we used as swimming pool.
Right – My mate Smudge Smith, a HGV driver in the RAOC showing off his football skills next to the pool.