Updated 26 June 2024

Original name – Richtofen Fliegerhorst (Airfield) Kaserne

Home to:
1st Battalion Border Regiment 1946 (1)
HQ 157th Infantry Brigade 1946-1947 (2)
HQ 5th Infantry Brigade 1947 (2)
Company of 2nd Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers 1946-1948 (3)
2nd Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers 1747-1948 (4)
Company to Berlin 4 Feb 48 returns 1 Jun 48
1st Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers 1948-1949 (4)

(1) arrived from Moore Barracks 1 Aug 46 – moved to Italy 1 Oct 46
(2) arrived from Suffolk Barracks by Sep 46 – redesignated 5th Infantry Brigade 1 Feb 47 – moved to Aldershot Barracks Iserlohn 29 Aug 47
(3) arrived from Erle south-west of Recklinghausen 1 Oct 46
(4) arrived from Munsterlager 17 Jul 47 – redesignated 1st Battalion 29 Oct 48 – moved to Bielefeld 1 Feb 49

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

Part II

23rd Field Regiment RE 1950-1958 (1)
47th Guided Weapons Regiment RA 1959-1966 (2)
27th Missile Regiment RA 1961-1966
12th Air Defence Regiment RA 1968-1971
36th Heavy Air Defence Regiment RA 1971-1977
22nd Air Defence Regiment RA 1977-1992
16th Air Defence Regiment RA 1992-1995

Closed 31 October 1995

(1) This Engineer unit built the Globe cinema out of a Nissen hut. Formed in 1948, the Squadrons were divided up between other Engineer Regiments on disbandment in 1958. The title “23” reappeared and disappeared a further twice before reappearing for a third time. See here for details.
(2) 47 GW Regt RA formed up in Crookham Camp in late 1957 and moved into Napier Barracks in January 1959. It was later joined by 27 GW Regt RA and both regiments shared the US Army Nuclear Warhead storage facility built at the end of the old runway. The Corporal Missile system became obsolete in 1966.

These barracks were named after General Sir William Francis Patrick Napier KCB, of the Royal Irish Artillery.

Left – The Main Gate of Napier Barracks (47 GW Regt RA). Right – The main road in the direction of the swimming pool. The first building on the left, is the accommodation block WOs and Sgts Mess. The second building, the Mess.

Left – Officers’ Mess. Right – WOs and Sgts Mess?

Left – Napier Barracks in February 1959. Right – Fire Station

Left – Part of one of the railway platforms and buildings, later made into a NCOs Club? The railway line itself, had been torn up and sold as scrap, long before my time 1959. This had been on the orders of a major in the R.E. The profits going to a very small circle of people. The Major himself was later Court Marshalled. Right – Napier Barracks.

Left – The swimming pool emptied out. Right – Original airfield Control Tower.

Left – Part of the original runway, taken from the east. Right – The Luftwaffe long distance aircraft firing range (full of spent rusty cannon shells). Another one of these type ranges can be found on the Fallingbostel Various pages.

Left – Exit door through the side bank of the Medium firing range, and down steps to the target pit. Right – The Long distance firing range. This shows the wheel depressions, set in the concrete at various distances from the target area (target pit), for the aircraft being tested. The wheel depressions possibly placed for a FW 190 aircraft.

Left – The original steel gas and fire proof door (33 persons). Right – An air raid shelter under one of the barrack blocks.

Photos above courtesy of Mr John O’Meara

The following photographs are kind courtesy of The Association of 36 Heavy Air Defence Regiment RA. Thank you to them.

Click on this link to see a very interesting website

Photographs courtesy of Morris Felton

The above three photographs show Thunderbirds of 10 Battery, 36 Heavy Air Defence Regiment RA deployed on exercise in BAOR in mid-1976. 10 Battery went on to join 45 Field Regiment when 36 was disbanded.