Updated 20 August 2024
Wyvern Barracks formerly Schlieffen (Kavallerie) Kaserne
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52nd (Bedfordshire Yeomanry) Heavy Regiment RA 1945 (1)
417 Battery – 418 Battery – 419 Battery – 420 Battery
5th Battalion Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry 1945 (2)
633rd (Queen’s Own Royal West Kent) Infantry Regiment RA 1945 (3)
16th Belgium Fusilier Brigade 1945-1946 (4)
29th Belgium Fusilier Battalion 1945-1946 (4)
14th/20th King’s Own Hussars RAC 1946 (5)
98th (Surrey & Sussex Yeomanry Queen Mary’s) Field Regiment (6)
7th Battalion Hampshire Regiment 1946 (7)
3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters) RAC 1946 (8)
Royal Scots Greys (2nd Dragoons) RAC 1946-1952 (9)
2nd Royal Tank Regiment RAC 1946-1948 (10)
7th Queen’s Royal Hussars RAC 1949-1951(11)
(1) arrived from Breitlingen north of Lüneburg 26 Jul 45 – moved to Hitzacker south-east of Lüneburg 18 Oct 45 – 417 Battery area Auf der Hude 23 Jul 45 – 420 Battery area Sültenweg 23 Jul 45
(2) arrived from Dannenberg south-east of Lüneburg 17 Sep 45 – Munsterlager 2 Apr 46 – returns 30 Sep 46 – disbanded – Companies arrived 8 Sep 45 less HQ 17 Sep 45
(3) arrived from Hitzacker south-east of Lüneburg 18 Oct 45 – disbanded 3 Nov 45
(4) arrived from Belgium 8 Nov 45 – returned 4 May 46
(5) arrived from Italy 15 Feb 46 – moved to Wuppertal 7 Jun 46
(6) arrived from Neustadt in Holstein north-east of Lübeck 28 Feb 46 – Bleckede east of Lüneburg – Bristol Barracks 1 Apr 46
(7) arrived from Berlin 15 Jun 46 – suspended animation 30 Jun 46
(8) arrived from Hamm north-east of Dortmund 6 Jul 46 – suspended animation 30 Sep 46
(9) arrived from Münster 17 Jul 46 – C Squadron arrived 5 Jun 46 – moved to UK Mar 52
(10) arrived from Italy 30 Sep 46 – moved to UK 26 Apr 48
(11) arrived from UK 23 Oct 49 – moved to Fallingbostel Oct 51
More to follow
Source: 21st Army Group later British Army of the Rhine to Mar 49
Part II
8th Kings Royal Irish Hussars 1952 – Oct 1958 (1)
24 Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery 1956 – 1957 (2)
Handed over to German Army and renamed Schliefen Kaserne 1958
(1) Amalgamated with the 4th Queen’s Own Hussars, to form the The Queen’s Royal Irish Hussars in 1958.
(2) In Dec 1955, 24 Missile Regiment, Royal Artillery, moved from Carlisle to St Barbara’s Barracks, Lüneberg. They were equipped with towed 5.5 inch Howitzers. In September 1957 they moved to Assaye Bks, Nienberg as part of 1 Army Group Royal Artillery (1 AGRA). On 15 September 1960 it re-roled as a Missile Regiment and was composed of 51 (Kabul 1842) Msl Bty, 34 (Seringapatam)Heavy Bty, 2 (Hinds) Heavy Bty and 76 (Maude’s) Msl Bty. 24 Missile Regiment moved to Barker Bks, Paderborn in 1962.
I was posted to Lüneburg in early 1958 to the 8th Kings Royal Irish Hussars LAD. At that time we occupied three barracks in Lüneburg:
WYVERN BKS
This was located to the east of the town centre on Bleckeder Landstraße and accommodated two major units – 8 KRIH equiped with Centurion MBTs and 24 Medium Regt RA with I believe towed 5.5 inch guns. The Barracks were typical Wehrmacht bks probably built between the wars, they are currently used partly by the Bundeswehr and by stadt. The 8 KRIH moved to Hohne in autumn 58 amalgamating with the 4th Hussars to form the Queen Royal Irish Hussars, as a result I was posted to 112 Coy RASC LAD in Verden. 24 Med Regt moved later to Nienburg in 1957 to eventually become 24 Missile Regt RA.
ALMA BKS
This was located further east adjacent to the airfield, I believe they were ex Luftwaffe bks. In 1958 the HLI were based there as lorried infantry, unfortunately I do not have any further information on them apart from the fact that when in town we always sat a table near the Gastätte door as you could guarantee a punch up when the jocks were in the same place. I do not think they were replaced and the bks reverted to the German forces.
WORCESTER BKS
These bks which were located to the south of the town centre and were occupied by the South Staffs, again as lorried infantry. These barracks were the same as Wyvern in that they were typical Wehrmacht bks built between the wars. I am not sure but I believe the South Staffs were also the last British occupants. The bks are now the University of Luneburg. By about 1960 there was no longer any British Forces in Lüneburg. I have looked through my old photos but do not have any of the bks
Bob Gregory