Built – 1935/6
Type – Luftwaffe
Original name – Flak Kaserne Iserlohn

History – Flak Regiment 24 based here

Home to:
Headquarters
HQ 1st Corps District 1945-1947
HQ 5th Infantry Brigade Group 1947-1964 (1)
HQ 4th Guards Brigade Group 1964-1968 (2)

Updated 27 Jul 2024

Infantry
1 Corps District Defence Company later reduced to platoon to 1 Jul 47
1st Battalion Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) 1947-1949 (3)
1st Battalion Queen’s Royal (West Surrey) Regiment 1949-1953 (4)
1st Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers 1953-1956 (5)
1st Battalion Norfolk Regiment 1956-1959 (6)
1st Battalion 1st East Anglian Regiment (Royal Norfolk and Suffolk) 1959-1960 (6)
1st Battalion Royal Ulster Rifles 1960-1963 (7)
1st Battalion Royal Welch Fusiliers 1963-1964 (8)
1st Battalion Grenadier Guards 1964-1966 (9)
1st Battalion Coldstream Guards 1964-1967 (10)
2nd Battalion Grenadier Guards 1966-1968 (11)
2nd Battalion Scots Guards 1967-1968 (12)

Closed March 1968

Royal Engineers
5 Field Squadron 1947-1948 (13)
5 Field Squadron 1958-1960 (13)

Royal Signals
5 Infantry Brigade Group Signal Troop later Squadron 1947-1959
205 Signal Squadron (Infantry Brigade Group) 1959-1962
5 Infantry Brigade Group HQ & Signal Squadron aka 205 Signal Squadron 1962-1964
506 Signal Troop – 1 Royal Welch Fusiliers 1963
4 Guards Brigade HQ & Signal Squadron aka 204 Signal Squadron 1964-1968 – moved to York Barracks Münster with Brigade HQ
501 Signal Troop – 1st Coldstream Guards 1965
503 Signal Troop – unknown 1965

4 Guards Brigade Provost Company RMP

Help required with minor units

(1) 5th Infantry Brigade from Napier Barracks Dortmund 1 Sep 47 on 1 May 58 command to 4th Division – moved to Tidworth UK May 64
(2) 4th Guards Brigade from Llanelly Barracks Düsseldorf-Hubblerath May 64 – moved to York Barracks Münster Mar 68
(3) from Recklinghausen north-west of Dortmund 19 July 47 – moved to Brooke Barracks Berlin 1 Dec 49
(4) from British Troops Berlin Dec 49. Michael “I only told you to blow the doors off” Caine served in this regiment – moved to the Far East via UK in Nov 53
(5) from UK – moved to York UK in Nov 56
(6) from Cyprus and amalgamated with 1st Battalion Suffolk Regiment on 29 Aug 59 forming 1st Battalion 1st East Anglian Regiment (Royal Norfolk and Suffolk). What remained of the 1st Suffolk Regiment had moved from Folkestone to Iserlohn earlier – moved to Montgomery Barracks Berlin Jan 60
(7) from UK Feb 60 – moved to Bulford Apr 63 then Far East Jun 64
(8) from UK May 63 – moved to St. George’s Barracks Minden May 64
(9) from Gort Barracks Düsseldorf-Hubblerath May 64 – moved London Royal Duties Jan 66
(10) from UK Jul 64 from Aug 65 – exercise Libya to Sep 65 then Radfan Camp Aden Sep 65 to Apr 66 – moved to London Royal Duties Feb 67
(11) from UK Jan 66 – moved to Buller Barracks Münster Mar 68
(12) from UK Jan 67 the first time in a mechanised infantry role – moved to Waterloo Barracks Münster Mar 68
(13) moved from Mons Barracks Iserlohn Aug 47 – 2nd Infantry Division Engineers redesignated 23 Engineer Regiment RE Jun 48 – moved to Gordon Barracks Hameln Dec 48 returning May 58 – HQRE 4th Division – moved to Paderborn Mar 60

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

On 16 April 1945, Iserlohn capitulated to the Americans to prevent its destruction.

Flak Kaserne was renamed Aldershot Barracks in June 1945 on the arrival of the Headquarters of 1st Corps District on 14 Jun 45, firstly to temporary accommodation at the Evangelisches Krankenhaus (Hospital) Bethanien, they had some United States Army units under command until 26 Jun 45 when moving into the Flak Kaserne being finally cleared of PW/displaced persons.

When 1st Corps was formed in the early 1900s the headquarters were in Aldershot, hence the naming, needing more room for the supporting troops the Royal Corps of Signals were established in Winkelman (Artillerie) Kaserne later renamed Mons Barracks the same as the barracks named in Aldershot.

Aldershot Barracks was constructed between 1935/36 and was named and used as Flak Kaserne (Flieger Abwehr Kanone). After the Allied Forces left in March 1968, the Unteroffiziersschule der Luftwaffe relocated to Aldershot Barracks. On 1 October 1971 it became Bernard Hülsmann Kaserne, Iserlohn. Combining the Unteroffizierschule and the Truppenschule, it became the Truppendienstliche Fachschule der Luftwaffe in 1971. Then in 1974 the Fachschule für Wirtschaft was integrated into it. During 1986 the school was moved to Northern Germany.

Demolished between 1997 and 1999 except for the Officers’ Mess, MT garages, and the Gymnasium.

Flak Kaserne – Iserlohn

Back Gate

Officers’ Mess

Officers’ Mess

MT Garages

Married Quarters

The six photographs above are courtesy of Eric Freeman from the Lancashire Fusiliers website taken in 1994.