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225 Signal Squadron (1)
1 Squadron, 14 Signal Regiment (EW) 1977-1992 (2)

(1) Later becoming 1 Squadron on the formation of 14 Signals Regiment (EW) on 1 July 1977. Note – RHQ was based during this time at Tofrek Barracks, Hildesheim.
(2) The Squadron was compelled to join the Regiment at Taunton Barracks, Celle, in early 1985. This left a much reduced unit named Field Station Langeleben here until ‘Options for Change’ forced the camp to close on 20 November 1992.

Langeleben – In the Beginning – 1951

An extract from John Richardson’s Story of Langeleben

On the far side of the world the Korean War was still raging, while in the United Kingdom the Festival of Britain was about to open its gates to thousands of visitors. On the mainland of Europe NATO Forces faced the Soviet Union ‘s massive army across the inter-zonal border in a desolate and divided Germany. As part of the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR), Number 1 Wireless Regiment, based at Münster, Westphalia, kept an electronic watch on the group of Soviet Occupation Forces Germany, which was poised to cross the border from its garrisons in the Soviet Zone of Occupation.

Opposing BAOR on the North German Plain was the crack 3 Shock Army, with its Headquarters in Magdeburg, while to the north of Magdeburg was located one of the largest training areas in Eastern Germany, the Letzlinger Heide, which before 1945 had linked up with the Lüneburg Heide to form Germany’s largest troop training area. As its nearest point lay within fifteen miles of the border, the fear was of a surprise attack which could be launched against the West following on from large-scale Soviet manoeuvres in the Heide.

1 Wireless Regiment’s nearest asset was 101 Wireless Troop, stationed in Hildesheim south of Hannover, but it was felt that this was too distant to keep a close watch on activities across the inter zonal border. From their base at Hildesheim 101 Wireless Troop carried out a recce to find a more forward location.

Welcome to Langeleben

Langeleben is a hamlet situated around nine hundred feet up on the Elm feature, midway between Braunschweig and Helmstedt, some ten miles from the inter-zone border. The site had been occupied by the RAF during the Berlin Airlift (1948-9), and Taff W… remembers that they had left a steel shed with a power source at the top left hand corner. This was not the highest point on the feature, the highest point had been occupied by an American unit (today the site of the British Forces Broadcasting Service Drachenberg radio transmitter).

The honour of possessing the first semi-permanent accommodation went to the gentlemen of the guardroom, who were built a wooden hut. A word about these characters, who belonged to the Mixed Service Organization (MSO), and were mainly Yugoslav, speaking little German and even less English. Syd G……. thought that they were saving up to go to the USA . Those who got to know them from sharing guard duties can confirm that they were real eccentrics. Occasionally they would turn up for duty in a somewhat ‘tired and emotional’ state which on one occasion required the assistance of the local police to escort one of them home.

By and large, they were grand chaps, the like of whom we will not see again. Syd G……. remembered that as an experiment, the MSOs were replaced by a county Regiment . This however only lasted a few weeks, and was abandoned after ‘disturbances’ in Königslutter. The last of this happy band, Stefan W……….. retired in 1984.

In 1955 the first wooden huts were erected for living accommodation, cookhouse, etc. Operations were carried out from a complex formed from wagons backed together; later a semi-permanent covering of corrugated iron was added. Accommodation was very basic. Washing facilities came in the form of brown tin bowls, and the single bath stood on a concrete floor. As drains were non-existent, the plug was pulled and the water simply ran over the floor to find its own level. The tin bowls were also emptied onto the floor. An alternative was to get into Königslutter and take a bath for 50pf.

In 2009 a commemorative stone was laid near the old (now demolished) camp. The ceremony of dedication and a moving service of remembrance took place and was well attended by branch members and locals. Fortunately the weather held good and we had the excellent services of the Heavy Cavalry and Cambrai Band. The local press gave us a good write up (translations on the web site). An exhibition telling the history of the camp was mounted in the Town Hall, which was also well visited. Masses of photos of the weekend and the stone are on the website and we also issued a special edition of our newsletter The Listening Post. A souvenir film has also been produced.

To find out more please click here.