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Hitler Youth Training Centre (Potential Officers) 1938-1945
British Army Training Centre and Field Marshal Montgomery’s HQ 1945-1958
Officers’ Mess, 2nd Armoured Division 1958-1983
British Army Conference and Training Centre 1983 – present
I cannot be certain to what this emblem signified, but I can be sure that there was a swastika Hakenkreuz displayed at one point.
Courtesy of Mrs Tracy Hall
From 1938 until 1945, Church House was used by the Hitler Youth. This Hitler Youth Centre was used for the training of potential officers. Between 1945 and 1958 the building was occupied by the Brtitish military with it being used as a training centre and also Montgomery’s HQ. From 1958 to 1983 it then became Officers’ Mess, 2nd Armoured Division. Since 1983 to present day it has been used as a conference centre and also for training.
This type of iron work was commonly found on the barracks of this area. On visiting Herford one can find many displays of this type. The date shown signifies the completion of construction, with the HJ placed centrally stating that it was built specifically for the Hitler Youth Hitler Jugend.
Courtesy of Mrs Tracy Hall
Initially situated in Wuppertal, Church House provided a facility for the various Christian denominations to hold courses on religious subjects or breaks for spiritual reflection (retreats), some of which were available to families. The Centre was run by a senior Anglican priest but other denominations sponsored courses. The Centre moved to Lübbecke in the early 1970s?
Mr Peter Watson
Courtesy of Mrs Tracy Hal
Church House in Lübbecke was built just before WWII and used as a Hitler Youth training centre.There is mention of a Gauleiter’s School or “training course castle” in German language documents. The documents go on to say the School later became a British officers Mess and I have researched that at the end of WWII the building now known as Church House was initially used by Monty as his HQ. In 1958 it became the Officers’ Mess of HQ 2nd Armoured Division and later was used by the Royal Army Chaplains’ Department.
The Gauleiter or Gau was the local representative of the Nazi Party and documents state that towards the end of WWII the Gau in Lübbecke was called Meyer and this is probably Alfred Meyer who was awarded 2 Iron Crosses in WWI and was later became a senior member of the Nazi Party with major influence and implicated in the murder of Jews and organising slave labour and drawing up the Final solution to deal with “The Jewish Question”. It is ironic that his HQ and Nazi Training School became Church House and the base for The Royal Army Chaplains’ Department. Meyer killed himself in April 1945 by the banks of The River Weser.
AllanJ