In the beginning

On 4 March 1935, the German Air Minister arranged building projects for the new formation of Anti Aircraft Gun Regiments and soon after new barrack buildings were constructed in Dortmund for Flak Regiment 4, consisting of 3 (Heavy) 8.8cm Anti Aircraft Gun Btys.

On 1 October 1935 a Regimental Headquarters plus 1 Light Bty (II/Abteilung Flak Regiment 4) was raised, consisting of a 3.7com Anti Aircraft Gun Bty. Three further batteries, a searchligth bty (with 110cm searchlights) and 2 x 2cm light flak batteries were raised at the same time.

On 16 May 1935, the Commander of the Air Control Point II at Berlin arranged the formation of the new regiments (autumn 1935) and, in addition, the Fahrabteilung Lankwitz (flak battalion) should enlist and train officers for the formation of cadres for 1st and 2nd Anti Aircraft Gun Btys of the Dortmund Fahrabteilung. On 24 September 1935, the advance party was formed.

Dortmund, the most important industrial city in Westphalia, famous for its coal and steel, also known as a beer town in the Ruhr district, received the official Garrison status. At the end of 1935, infantry, artillery and anti aircraft gun regiments moved into the barrack blocks along with the Westfalendamm. In the North District of Dortmund, an additional air base for a fighter squadron was constructed (Napier Barracks).

On 1 October 1935, the Lankwitzer Fahrabteilung, the cadre for 1st and 2nd Bty, moved into and occupied the barracks under the command of Major Schuchardt of Dresdener Fahrabteilung. They were accommodated in the newly completed barrack blocks along the Nussbaumweg, catered for and looked after (medically) by the Prussian Landespolitzei, until the end of October 1935. The advance parties from Berlin, reservists from the ‘Old Army’ (Reichswehr), civil servants from the Prussian Police Forces moved in, furnished the blocks and took over the armouries and equipment.

On 19 October 1935, the Area Commander and all heavy anti aircraft gun batteries assembled on the Hansaplatz in Dortmund and were introduced to the citizens and paraded on the Südwall in front of the Bürgermeister and Major General Kuhne (Standortältester – Area Commander).

Readers should note that all anti-airrcraft defences and personnel came under the direct control of the Luftwaffe and not the Wehrmacht.

Flakregiment 4 During the Second World War

After mobilisation on 26 October 1939, the flak barracks on the Nussbaumweg were overcrowded. Flakregiment 4 mobilised and increased its strength up to four heavy flak batteries.

RHQ (situated in Block 51) organised the air defence of the Dortmund area. Before this took place in the build up to hostilities in 1938, a new bty was formed from reservists and in 1938 a further 3 btys were raised. These new batteries were numbered 401 – 402, 408 – 409.

They deployed as follows:

I/4 – Westwall, near Saarbrücken.
401 – Palatinate near Bergzabern.
402 – remained in Dortmund to protect the Hoeschwerke and in Nov 39, moved to the Rhine bridges near Bad Godesberg.
III/4 – moved to Hamm/Westphalia to set up command posts in Schloss Heesen.
407, 408 & 409 (the reserve flak/searchlight btys) joined the Flakgruppe in the Western part of Westphalia and were integrated into the air defences of Luftgau VI.

Construction Of The Flak Kasernen Der Garnisonsstadt Dortmund (Moore/West Riding Barracks) 1 June – 29 November 1935:

1 June 1935 – The first sod turned.
19 October 1935 – Dortmund received the official Garrison status. The Senior Officer present at the parade auf dem Hansaplatz was the Standortältester (Area Commnader) Generalmajor Kühne.
1 October 1935 – first three blocks occupied.
29 October 1935 – first troops moved in.
First Unit – Abteilung I/Flakregiment 4.
4 November 1935 – first troops arrived.
7 November 1935 – the swearing in of recruits took place.
26 November 1935 – the topping out (Richtfest) ceremony took place in the presence of Reichskreigsminster (Minister of the War Office) Generaloberst von Blomberg and General der Luftwaffe Halm.

Engineer of construction of the complete building project was Herr Bassler.

i) 200,000 cbm of earth was removed
ii) 38,000 qm of roads and paths were built
iii) Over 100,000 tiles and bricks were used
iv) 14,000 cbm of gravel, 60,000 bags of cement, 22,000 cbm of wood were used in construction giving a total of 120,000 cbm building space.

Equipment Of The Newly Formed Flakregiment 4

Flakregiment 4 (Anti Aircraft Gun Regiment)
1 October 1935: Regimental Designation and Numbering wef 1 Nov 35
Comprising: Headquarters Bty plus 3 x Heavy Flak, 1 x Light Flak, 1 x Searchlight and 1 x Reserve Bty.
Heavy Flak Btys (1-3 Bty): equipped with 4 x 8.8cm flak guns, plus 4 x 2cm flak type 30 (light flak guns), plus Kdo-Hilfsger 35 (range finders).
Light Flak Bty (4 Bty): 12 x 2cm flak guns type 30 plus 8 x 3.7cm flak type 18, plus 4 searchlights 60 cm.
5 Bty: 9 searchlights 110cm.
E Bty: Reserve Bty from which other btys were raised 1938/39.

1 October 1936: Commanding Officers and Battery Commanders

Flakregiment 4: Regimental Commander (CO) Oberst Bertram, Dortmund.
I/ Flakregiment 4: Bty Commander: Major Schuchardt, Dortmund.
II/ Flakregiment 4: Bty Commander: Major Gerlach, Dortmund.
II/Flakregiment 4 became a Light Battery and reformed in Austria on 1 Aug 38, becoming 2nd Battery Light Flak Det ‘Linz’.

Barrack Names

In Dortmund, the Camps were numbered apart from Napier and Redesdale Bks, the latter being a bit further up the B1 from the old Flakkasernen and I think still stands, albeit redundant. It was home to REME Workshops and 4 Pioneer Support Unit

These camps were named after the territorial/geographical connections of the major units stationed there in 1945-46:

We used to refer to Camp 7 – Suffolk Bks – named after 55 (Suffolk & Norfolk Yeomanry) Anti-Tank Regt. RA & Camp 10 – West Riding Bks named after 69 (West Riding) Field regt. RA or possibly after 49 (West Riding) Division, which they came under? The following barracks came into being much later after the war:
Camp 8 – Ubique Bks and possibly named after part of artillery motto ‘Everywhere’
Camp 9 – Moore Bks named after connections with Light Infantry Regts that were stationed there in the latter part of the 1940s and into the 1950s.
Redesdale Bks named after 74 (Northumbrian) Field Regt. RA.

Why these camps were numbered so, I don’t know or why the others were not? Nor if there was camps 1 to 6 and beyond camp 10?