Updated 17 October 2024

Original Name – Oerbke Kaserne – Built 1935

SS Panzer/NCO Panzer Training School – renamed Wyvern Barracks then later Wessex Barracks

Home to:
111th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment 1945 (1)
347 Battery – 356 Battery
633rd (Queen’s Own Royal West Kent) Infantry Regiment RA 1945 (2)
220 Battery of 112th (Wessex) Field Regiment RA 1945 (3)
172 Battery of 179th Field Regiment RA 1945 (4)
2nd Armoured Replacement Group RAC 1945 (5)
236 Battery of 59th (Duke of Connaught’s Hampshire) Anti-Tank Regiment RA 1945 (6)
179th (Worcestershire) Field Regiment RA 1946 (7)
171 Battery – 172 Battery – 173 Battery
Inns of Court Regiment (Devil’s Own) RAC 1946 (8)
4th Battalion Wiltshire Regiment (Duke of Edinburgh’s) 1946 (9)
52nd (6th London) Anti-Tank Regiment RA 1946 (10)
206 Battery – 207 Battery – 208 Battery – 303 Battery
2nd Battalion Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort’s Own) 1946 (11)

(1) arrived from Goch north-west of Duisburg 6 May 45 – moved to Bergen-Lohheide 23 May 45
(2) 355 Battery – Hotel zur Böhmetal Fischendorfer Straße Fallingbostel – regiment moved to Ibbenbüren west of Osnabrück 2 Jun 45
(3) arrived from Evendorf north-east of Soltau 5 Jun 45 – moved to Walsrode west of Fallingbostel 1 Aug 45
(4) arrived from Brietlingen south-west of Celle 1 Aug 45 – moved to Wettmar south-west of Celle 1 Oct 45
(5) arrived from Böstlingen (Bergen Training Area) south of Oerbke Kaserne 21 Sep 45 – moved to Bad Salzuflen south of Bad Oeynhausen 8 Oct 45
(6) arrived from Ramlingen south-west of Celle 1 Oct 45 – also 3 Civilian Internment Camp – moved to Brelingen south-west of Celle 1 Dec 45
(7) arrived from Grossburgwedel south-west of Celle 22 Jan 46 – disbanded 16 Feb 46
(8) arrived from Tönning south-west of Husum 16 Feb 46 – moved to Wolfenbüttel 17 Apr 46
(9) arrived from Bergen-Hohne 17 Apr 46 – disbanded 5 Jun 46
(10) arrived from Braunlage south-east of Goslar 5 Jun 46 – St Barbara Barracks 1 Aug 46
(11) arrived from Burgsteinfurt north-west of Münster 1 Sep 46 – C Coy arrived 1 Jul 46 – moved to Buxtehude west of Hamburg 30 Sep 46

More to follow
Source: 21st Army Group later British Army of the Rhine to 1 Mar 49

Part II

Home to:
7th Royal Tank Regiment 1957-59 (1)
8th Royal Tank Regiment 1959-60 (2)
5th Royal Tank Regiment 1960-63
The Royal Scots Grey (2nd Dragoons) 1963-1969
15th/19th The King’s Royal Hussars Nov 1969-1974
17th/21st Lancers Oct 1974-Oct 1977
1st Battalion The Coldstream Guards 1977-1980 (3)
2nd Battalion The Coldstream Guards 1980-1984 (3)
2nd Royal Tank Regiment 1984-1990 (4)
The Queen’s Royal Irish Hussars 1990-1993 (5)
The Queen’s Royal Hussars (The Queen’s Own and Royal Irish) 1993-1995
The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers and Greys) 1995-pres

(1) 7 RTR was absorbed/amalgamated with 4 RTR in 1959
(2) 8 RTR was absorbed/amalgamated with 5 RTR in 1960
(3) 1st Bn Coldsteam Guards left for Caterham Surrey, with the 2nd Bn departing from the aforementioned place. Because this was a “swap” exchange of Station, a number of ranks changed Battalions to stay in same location for 3 more years, 1st Bn went back to Münster from 1991-1998 this may be the last time a Coldstream Bn is stationed in Germany.
(4) The Regiment arrived from Wolfenbüttel where it had been in the corps reconnaissance role. 1985 saw the Regiment convert back to heavy armour, being fitted out with Challenger I.They then moved to Catterick in 1990 in the role of the RAC Training Regiment.
(5) Deployed on Op Granby as part of 7 Armoured Brigade. Amalgamated with the Queen’s Own Hussars in 1993 to form The Queen’s Royal Hussars. Moved to Catterick in June 1995

BAOR infantry Battalions would also move to Ulster for six months during BAOR service. 1984 Wessex Barracks reverted back to its original status as an armoured “tank” location, infantry stores and vehicles went with the 1st Bn Welsh Guards at Hohne. We give all our “bucksee” kit to 2 RTR.

Above images and text courtesy of Robert Huggins