Original name – Scharnhorst Kaserne

Updated 18 July 2024

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107th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment RA with all batteries 1945-1946 (1)
334 Battery – 335 Battery – 337 Battery
42 Armoured Engineer Regiment RE 1946-1947 (2)
203 Armoured Engineer Park and Forward Delivery Squadron RE 1946 (3)
201 Armoured Engineer Squadron RE 1946 (4)
26 Armoured Engineer Squadron RE 1946-1948 (5)
32 Assault Engineer Regiment RE 1947-1948 (2)
B Squadron (1 Construction Squadron) RE – Depot Regiment RE Mar-Sep 48
3 Airborne Squadron RE – 1948 (6)
9 Independent Airborne Squadron RE 1948-1949 (6)

(1) arrived from Hannover-Wülfel 21 Oct 45 – 306 Infantry Brigade – former Prime Minister Ted Heath was Battery Commander of 334 Battery to Nov 45 – disbanded 1 Mar 46
(2) arrived from Wenzendorf south-west of Hamburg 4 Mar 46 – 5th Infantry Division for administration – CE 30 Corps District 23 Mar 46 – CE BAOR 31 Oct 46 – redesignated 32 Assault Engineer Regiment 1 Jan 47 – Hannover District for administration 15 Jan 48 – moved to UK 13 Mar 48
(3) arrived from Wenzendorf south-west of Hamburg 4 Mar 46 – redesignated 631 Armoured Engineer Park – redesignated 31 Assault Engineer Park Squadron 1 Jan 47
(4) arrived from Salzgitter south-west of Braunschweig 4 Mar 46 – disbanded 25 May 46
(5) arrived from Holsterhausen south-west of Münster 24 Mar 46 – redesignated 26 Assault Engineer Squadron 1 Jan 47
(6) arrived from Neumünster 30 Sep 45 – 16th Independent Parachute Brigade Group – merged with 9 Independent Airborne Squadron RE on arrival from UK 21 Nov 48 – moved to UK Dec 49

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

To be continued

26 REGT RCT.

Pictures kindly supplied by Mr David Wood

26 Regiment’s role was to carry Heavy Floating Bridges and Heavy Ferries for the Engineers and consisted of 35 and 40 Sqns, based at Bindon barracks. These were equipped with AEC Militant 6×6 trucks and had a RE mobile crane unit attached. 54 Sqn was also part of the regiment but were based in Minden. They had tipper trucks and carried the metal roadrolls. I think they had Bedford RLs. I don’t know which barracks they were in. The regiment was disbanded about 1971 when the engineers were equipped with M2 self propelled bridges. The barracks was eventually returned to the FRG and I have read somewhere that it is now a housing estate.

Mr David Wood

My regiment was the RASC. On completion of my National Service Basic Training at Blandford Camp in Dorset I was posted to Bindon Barracks, Hameln in August 1954. I was immediately promoted to Ration NCO and took charge of the Company Ration Stores until my demob in April 1956. During the time that I was stationed there it was 125 Coy RASC (Bridging) BAOR 5. And was the Support Transport Unit for the 26th Field Engineers Regiment stationed at Gordon Barracks on the outskirts of Hameln. Our Unit carried the bridge pontoons on trailers pulled by AEC Matadors, and the rest of the bridge parts were carried firstly on Austin K5s, then later on Bedfords. Also on site was a REME Workshop and a small detachment of Royal Engineers that carried out the loading and unloading of the bridge parts, using Mobile Coles Cranes. I must say seeing the doorway to the Cookhouse Kitchen, which was also the front door to the Ration Stores that was on the first floor at the back of the Cookhouse Block, it brought back memories of days gone bye.

Mr Peter Barker

The following pictures, courtesy of Mr Keith Dodds, show the former barracks as it is today (2007). Comparisons with the pictures above are obvious, with only minor changes taking place.