Updated 14 October 2024

Original Name – Damaligen Kaserne

Home to:
HQ 2 Group RAF 1945-1947 (1)
RAF Station Sundern 1947-1961 (1)
15th Air Formation Signals 1945-1946 (2)
15th Air Formation Signal Regiment 1946-1948 (2)
12th Air Formation Signals 1946 (3)
12th Air Formation Signal Regiment 1946 (3)
2 Company of 11th Air Formation Signal Regiment (4)

(1) arrived from Brussels 14 Sep 45 – redesignated RAF Station Sundern 1 May 47
(2) arrived from Belgium 14 Sep 45 – redesignated 15th Air Formation Signal Regiment 15 Jul 46 – merged with 11th Air Formation Signal Regiment 22 Mar 48 in Bückeburg south-east of Minden
(3) arrived from Steinbergen south-east of Bückeburg 16 Jun 46 – redesignated 12th Air Formation Signal Regiment 15 Jul 46 – merged with 15th Air Formation Signal Regiment 1 Sep 46
(4) arrived from Celle 1 Feb 48 – joining 15th Air Formation Signal Regiment

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

Part II

Home to:
German
Luftnachrichten Ersatz Abteilung 7. Kompanie

British
36 Guided Weapon Regt (Anti Aircraft) RA Sep 1961-Nov 1961 (1)
61 Ord Coy, 6 Ord Bn RAOC
1 OFP RAOC circa 1975
22 Lt Air Defence Regt Royal Artillery 1961-1964
5 Fd Regt RA 1964-1969
40 Fd Regt RA 1969-1981
47 Fd Regt RA 1981-1989
26 Regt RA 1989-pres

(1) After an extremely short stay of one calendar month, the Regiment moved to Glamorgan Barracks, Duisberg.

It is said that these barracks were named Damaligen Kaserne and that they housed the administration staff within the Luftwaffe. However, the postcards below point towards it being for the Luftwaffe’s version of the Royal Signals. In British hands it was named after the General Sir Eric Carden Robert Mansergh, Royal Field Artillery. After the war, 61 Ordnance Company, 6 Ordnance Battalion RAOC were station at Mansergh Barracks. They were a Field Force Ordnance Company whose stores were held on there large wheeled fleet of 10 Tonners, this was to enable the company to deploy into the field at short notice during the cold war era. 40 Field Regiment, Royal Artillery were here from the early part of the 1970s until Dec 1980. Now home to 26 Regiment RA.

Mansergh Barracks was also home to 22 Lt AD Regt RA from the end of 1961 to the middle of 1964, when it was redeployed to Hubblerath. Within the grounds was also King’s School and a BFES Secondary school.

Mansergh Barracks in 1941 showing the Luftwaffe on parade.

Courtesy of Radardiver

Mansergh Barracks in 1941 showing the Luftwaffe on parade.

Courtesy of Radardiver

III.L.g. Nachr. Reg.6, Gütersloh

Gütersloh. Luftwaffe Replacement Signals Section.

Accommodation for the Luftwaffe Signals Section.

40 Field Regiment Royal Artillery were based in Mansergh Barracks from the Early 1970s to December 1980. During that time the unit had around eight Op Banner tours of Ulster mixed with the round of BAOR exercises. At the same time the barracks was also home to C battery RHA, No 10 (?) Ordnance Company RAOC and a Luftwaffe Signals Unit. The Officers mess is mildly notorious as a location for entertainment (see entry on the arrsepedia). In 1980 the lavatories were practically equipped with Germanic vomitoria for the over indulged. The pond behind the mess was a repository for glasses, furniture, silver, dead subalterns etc. During the 1970s one of 40 Field Regiment officers had a celebrity girlfriend – a member of dance troupe Pan’s People. One of the Mansergh Barracks legends was that one Christmas Day the Guard was err “Mounted” not by the officer but by his girlfriend, dressed in Gunner officer Blues from the waist up; high heels stockings and suspenders.

Baldwin

I was stationed at Mansergh Barracks in Gütersloh twice. The first time was between January 1971 and August 1974, in 40 Field Regiment; it was my first posting as a Second Lieutenant, and I had a wonderful time. There were six single officers living in the Mess and forty single girls – the teachers at King’s and Haig Schools! I can confirm the story of the young lady mounting the guard – she wasn’t my girl friend, but she wore my blues! I had my 21st birthday in the Mess, but I’m afraid I daren’t commit that story to paper for fear of prosecution! If I remember correctly all but one of us eventually married one of the teachers.

I returned many years later as the crusty old Second in Command of 26 Field Regiment – another enjoyable tour, if a bit more restrained!

Ashton, Tim Maj (Retd)

Gütersloh, Luftnachrichten Ersatz Abteilung 7. Kompanie (Luftwaffe Replacement Signals Section, 7 Company).

I served with 47 Fd Regt (attached) back in the mid 1980s and the eagle was discovered then. That’s over 20 years ago. My memory may be fading after years of testing the local Pils, but I’m sure that it was discovered after a REME 434 lost its steering coming back off a road test, slowing down enough for the wall to stop it, but not enough to stop it uncovering the stone eagle.

Plant Pilot

I have to own up to you. I was the guilty vehicle commander in charge of the FV434 on REME road test that hit the gate. I was attached to C BTY RHA Jan 81 to Aug 83 in the REME LAD. Can’t for the life of me remember the driver’s name.

We had been out on the usual test route, and all the way round we were having problems with the steering box, having to right stick all the time. If we had followed standing orders the eagle would never have seen the light of day. As the vehicle commander, you were supposed to dismount and walk the vehicle through the gates. But you know what REME are like, so as usual we drove through. Just then the vehicle twitched again, and we caught the leading edge of the open gate with the silencer guard across the front of the silencer box. We bent some of the vertical gate bars, but the hinge pins must have gone 4 or 5 feet into the wall, so the wall twisted on its base, and moved 2 or 3 feet out of alignment. All we did to the vehicle was scrape some paint off. That is when the stuff hit the fan.

The CO 47 and the Garrison Commander wanted me done seriously. To take away the one stripe I had. But C BTY B.C. had a different idea. He was quite happy as C Bty were getting the “credit” for discovering the eagle. So first time on orders he admonished me. But the others were not happy, so I was marched in again. It was quite amusing as they were talking it over with me to see if we could come up with something that they could use as an excuse to let me off again. So they made the excuse that I could not see properly as there was a cage on top of the engine louvres (which a lot of vehicles had, but not this one). So he said, “Fined £5, march him out BSM”. So it is “MY” eagle. I paid a fiver for it. LCpl M J (Mitch) Milligan (at the time) C BTY RHA LAD REME, Control Equipment Tech C BTY. B.C. was Maj King-Harmon, my boss was W.O.2 (AQMS) Arthur Wiseman. After there I was posted to 4 ARMD WKSP in Wet Mould, sorry Detmold. (Everyone who has lived there knows what I mean).

Mitch Milligan

Figure holding a thunderbolt above the guardroom.

I believe that the barracks was occupied by the RAF until Sep 1961 when 36 Hy AD Regt RA arrived from Shoeburyness as a consequence of the building of the Berlin Wall. We stayed until about Nov 1961 when I think 22 Lt AD Regt RA moved in.

Also there was a Luftwaffe Training unit and a school for the children of British servicemen.
We were very impressed with the accommodation and with Gütersloh when compared with the Victorian slums of Horseshoe Barracks Shoeburyness.

Goldmohur

Zum Schutzraum – To the bunker, original Luftwaffe markings.

I was posted to Mansergh Barracks in Gütersloh in 1978 to 40 Fd Regt RA LAD REME (Abbots). At the time, the RAF were in the flughafen (now Princess Royal Barracks)with Phantoms and Harriers. In Mansergh there was C Bty RHA (independent 3 RHA) on Swingfire; 1 Ordnance Field Park; Kings School and a Bundeswher Signals unit. In 1982 47 Fd Regt took over from 40 Fd. I then went to Detmold in Hobart Barrcks with 4/7 RDG LAD REME on Chieftain and in the barracks was 4 Armd Wksp; 4 Regt AAC; RMP det; 4 Armd Wksp REME and a couple of other minor units. In Lothian Barracks, the Blues and Royals had just left and 15/19 KRH had just come in. Both were fantastic postings. A few years later (1997) I was posted back to Gütersloh but then into PRB with 2 CS regt RLC. There was also 1 GS Regt RLC; 6 Sup Regt RLC and tall the other minor units. All of these camps had cinemas (SKC then SSVC) and the accommodation was significantly improved over the years .

John R