HQ
HQ 6 Airmobile Bde 1986 – 88 (1)
206 Sig Sqn, R Signals

RA
16 Lt Air Defence Regt RA 1971 – ?

RE
13 PC Sqn RE

AAC
3 AAC (653 and 663 Sqn)

RAOC
3 Armd Div Ord Coy 19?? – September 1983 (2)

REME

5 Fd Wksp 1971 – ?
5 Armd Wksp
B Coy, 6 Armd Wksp (3)
Soest Det, 6 Armd Wksp (3)
11 Armd Wksp (3)

BAOR Rehabilitation Centre (4)

Closed 1 September 1993

(1) Which went onto become 6 Armd Bde in 1988.
(2) Moved to St George’s Bks, Minden, as part of the divisional re-organisations and was retitled 42 Ord Company.
(3) Succeeded in name.
(4) Situated in the gymnasium.

Named to commemorate Wellington’s victory at Salamanca, the barracks had originally been part of the Canadian Infantry/Mechanised Brigade Group which was situated in NW Germany from 1953 until 1970. The first British units to occupy were 16 Light Air Defence Regiment RA and 5 Field Workshops REME who advance parties arrived in 1971. The later were initially stationed at Napier Barracks, Dortmund along side 36th Heavy Air Defence Regiment RA.

May 1985.

Quite a line up of what would be today, quite collectable vehicles.

Anyone spot the K60?

If God and the Queen were to deliberate on the perfect combination of colour, these three would be chosen every time.

Replacement assemblies line up on the back of Bedford TM Medium Mobility 8-tonne trucks. These wagons would have been new around this time, each fitter which a crane as can be seen on the photograph.

All photos above courtesy of Andy Dace

The following pictures are courtesy of Konversionsflächen in NRW.

I was posted to 5 Field’s advance party from basic training at SEME Borden as a Recovery Mechanic in 1971. The Workshop’s advance party was first stationed in Dortmund, with living accommodation in Napier Barracks with 36th Heavy Air Defence Regiment RA and the working area for the Workshops at Redesdale Barracks alongside the Civi Workshops there. I still remember the Civvy canteen, the German rolls were great.

We then moved to Soest and occupied Salamanca Barracks. The tale about the furniture being smashed up is true, but the best thing was a lot of the married pads thought they could get their hands on some cheap goods from the Canadians who were moving out of the quarters in Soest; i.e. TV’s, fridge freezers and furniture, but they where wrong. The Canadians just throw them off the quarters balcony’s and let them smash to the ground.

ex 24170604 Sgt C ZEIL