Updated 20 November 2024

Requisitioned civilian accommodation – Stadtkreis Osnabrück

90th (Middlesex) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment RA 1945 (1)
272 Battery – 284 Battery – 285 Battery
108th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment RA 1945 (2)
338 Battery – 382 Battery – 421 Battery
HQRA 3rd Infantry Division (3)
33rd Field Regiment RA 1945 (4)
101 Battery – 109 Battery – 113/114 Battery
624th Infantry Regiment RA 1945 (5)
7th Belgium Fusilier Battalion 1945 (16)
75th Anti-Aircraft Brigade 1945-1946 (6)
HQRA 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division (7)

Requisitioned civilian accommodation – Landkreis Osnabrück

HQ 3rd Infantry Division 1945 (8)
3rd (8th Royal Northumberland Fusiliers) Reconnaissance Regiment RAC 1945 (9)
2nd Battalion Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge’s Own) (Machine Gun) 1945 (10)
76th (Highland) Field Regiment RA 1945 (11)
302 Battery – 303 Battery – 454 Battery
92nd (7th Battalion Loyals) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment RA 1945 (12)
317 Battery – 318 Battery – 319 Battery
305th Infantry Brigade 1945 (13)
622nd (7th Battalion Queens Royal West Surrey) Infantry Regiment RA 1945 (14)
624th Infantry Regiment RA 1945 (4)
12th Belgian Fusilier Brigade 1945 (15)
7th Belgium Fusilier Battalion 1945 (16)
9th Belgium Fusilier Battalion 1945 (17)
75th Anti-Aircraft Brigade 1945-1946 (5)
7th Survey Regiment Royal Artillery RA 1945 (18)
53 Battery – 54 Battery
60th (City of London) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment RA 1945-1946 (19)
168 Battery – 169 Battery – 206 Battery
86th (Honourable Artillery Company) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment RA 1945-1946 (20)
273 Battery – 274 Battery – 383 Battery
HQ 155th Infantry Brigade 1946 (21)
4th Battalion King’s Own Scottish Borders 1946 (22)
HQ 7th Armoured Division 1946-1948 (23)

(1) Osnabrück-Innenstadt – moved to Uelzen south-west of Lüneburg 9 May 45
(2) Osnabrück-Innenstadt – moved to Lauenburg south-east of Hamburg 8 May 45
(3) Frauen Oberschule (School) Schölerbergstraße – Osnabrück-Schölerberg
– moved to Delbruck north-west of Paderborn 29 May 45
(4) arrived from Delmenhorst-Stickgras 5 May 45 – Osnabrück-Eversheide – moved to Höxter east of Paderborn 29 May 45
(5) arrived from Neinburg 31 May 45 – Osnabrück-Eversheide – moved to Teutoburger-Wald-Schule (School) Bahnhofstraße 3, Dissen south-east of Osnabrück 13 Jun 45  – Bad Rothenfelde south-east of Osnabrück 14 Jul 45 – disbanded 28 Jul 45
(6) from Dissen south-east of Osnabrück – Frauenheim (Womens’ Home) Natruper Straße 14A, Osnabrück-Westerberg 15 Dec 45 – Melle south-east of Osnabrück 23 Mar 46 – relieved by HQRA 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division 25 Mar 46 – rear party Natruper Straße Osnabrück-Westerberg 27 Mar 46 – disbanded 19 Apr 46
(7) arrived from Celle 21 Mar 46 – Natruper Straße Osnabrück-Westerberg – relieved by 155th Infantry Brigade 15 May 46 – disbanded 28 May 46
(8) arrived from Delmenhorst-Stickgras 7 May 45 – Antoniusweg Lüstringen east of Osnabrück – moved to Warendorf east of Münster 13 Jun 45 – relieved by 305th Infantry Brigade
(9) arrived from Delmenhorst 5 May 45 – Schledehausen east of Osnabrück – moved to Freckenhorst south-west of Warendorf 30 May 45
(10) arrived from Delmenhorst 5 May 45 – Schloss Langelage north-east of Osnabrück – moved to Dorsten north-west of Recklinghausen 30 May 45
(11) arrived from Bremen 5 May 45 – Georgsmarienhütte south-east of Osnabrück – Reitburg north-west of Paderborn 29 May 45
(12) arrived from Delmenhorst 5 May 45 – Schloss Gesmold east of Osnabrück – moved to Melle east of Osnabrück 18 May 45
(13) arrived from Mellinghausen north-west of Neinburg 31 May 45 – Schloss Leye Atter north-west of Osnabrück – Teutoburger-Wald-Schule (School) Bahnhofstraße 3, Dissen south-east of Osnabrück 14 Jul 45 – disbanded 3 Nov 45 – relieved by 75th Anti-Aircraft Brigade
(14) arrived from Neustadt am Rübenberge south-east of Nienburg – Bersenbrück north of Osnabrück 31 May 45 – Bad Rothenfelde south-east of Osnabrück 13 Jun 45 – disbanded 28 Jul 45
(15) arrived from Netherlands 7 Jun 45 – Wallenhorst north of Osnabrück – Schloss Leye Atter north-west of Osnabrück 13 Jun 45 – Teutoburger-Wald-Schule (School) Bahnhofstraße 3, Dissen south-east of Osnabrück 14 Jul 45 – moved to Emden 31 Oct 45
(16) arrived from Netherlands 7 Jun 45 – Gut Leye Atter north-west of Osnabrück – Osnabruck-Eversheide 13 Jun 45 – Schloss Krebsburg Ostercappeln north-east of Osnabrück 24 Jun 45 – moved to Emden 31 Oct 45
(17) arrived from Netherlands 7 Jun 45 – Gut Leye Atter north-west of Osnabrück – Georgmarienshütte south of Osnabrück 13 Jun 45 – moved to Emden 31 Oct 45
(18) arrived from Abbenseth north of Bremervörde 14 Aug 45 – Iburg south of Onsabrück – disbanded 2 Nov 45
(19) arrived from Belgium 27 Oct 45 – Casino (Officers’ Mess) Georgsmarienhütte south of Osnabrück – suspended animation 16 Apr 46
(20) arrived from Belgium 29 Oct 45 – Schloss Krebsburg Ostercappeln north-east of Osnabrück – Dieburg Wittlage north-east of Onsabrück 4 Jan 46 – Osterkappeln north-east of Osnabrück 27 Mar 46 – suspended animation 22 Apr 46
(21) arrived from Detmold 15 May 46 – Dissen south-east of Osnabrück – relieved by 131st Lorried Infantry Brigade in Melle 15 Jun 46 – disbanded 1 Aug 46
(22) arrived from Halle north-west of Bielefeld 15 May 46 – Bad Rothenfelde south-east of Osnabrück 15 May 46 – moved to Versmold west of Halle 7 Jun 46
(23) arrived from Itzehoe 1 Jul 46 – Kurhaus Parkstraße 1, Bad Rothenfelde south-east of Osnabrück – Hannover District formed from 7th Armoured Division and 5th Infantry Division 15 Jan 48 – disbanded 13 Feb 48

Squadrons/Batteries/Companies were at various locations

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

Part II

A government sponsored website has been created to show the the conversion of Osnabrück from a garrison town to a military free zone. To view the site please click here.

A war damaged Osnabrück City Centre.

I was stationed in Osnabrück in 1956 for a year maybe, before moving to Münster. We lived in a large house backing onto a coal yard. RSM Hudson was my boss. We had staff: cook, maid, bar steward, 2 interpreters (ex German paras) and a mechanic. It was a great life, but being 19 I didn’t fully appreciate it. Five of us single men lived in the house. Coffee in bed in the morning. Took turns to tell the chef the food order for the next week. The house must have had a name but I don’t remember it. Maybe someone can tell me. It’s all a long time ago. Local CID were honorary members of our bar. Being the youngest Sgt, it was my duty to run them all back to their station when they had had enough.

Ian Hilton ex Sgt. 72 Section S.I.B.

The above picture shows the British 8th Corps advance to Osnabrück. The actual regiment shown is the King’s Scottish Light Infantry, clearing a street in the town of Brookterbeck. Date unknown.

Crown Copyright

These Tankies are supposedly in Osnabrück. Does anyone know of a panzer regiment being stationed here?

The Globe Cinema, Osnabück, 1952.

The Globe Cinema very close to the city centre. This is a problem I am trying to identify its location: We took the tram [are there still trams?] from end of An Der Netta Heide into the city and got off at a major tram intersection which from memory was still called Adolf Hitler Platz [on tram tickets?] walked south about 200-300 metres, turned left through a hole in a wall [war damage still] and cinema was just there. Photo taken a few yards in from hole in the wall if I remember.

Courtesy of Tony Burgess 22414720 RE

We are getting a bit nerdy now, but on leaving Osnabrück we noticed these houses (top and below). On closer inspection they couldn’t resemble Rochdale Barracks, Bielefeld, any more if they tried – by style that is. Methinks it was the same architect.

Stop press – The information below was supplied very kindly by email;

The houses on Wersener Str, Osnabrück, were built between 1928 – 29, the architect was Herr Wilhelm Nietmann. I need to do a bit of digging to see if he did any work on the camps.

The entrance to Rochdale (formerly Mossbank). Notice the three bricks (one for each Reich) under each windows and the ribbed wall corners. The cellar window openings were also very similar.

This aerial photo show the former married quarters which where situated just outside Osnabrück at a place named Belm. I recall that the ten rows of houses west of the main road were officers quarters, while the tower blocks and lower blocks on the other side of the road were lower ranks.

Other MQ areas around Osnabrück included:

Dodesheide
Kleine Moscow (close to Roberts Barracks)
Kleine London

Here are some photographs of Osnabruck taken in 1976:

Osnabruck – Bundeswehr Bks in the foreground and with Woolwich Barracks in the middle distance including the main NAAFI

Courtesy of John McIntyre

Aerial shot looking east towards Roberts Bks with the canal in foreground

Courtesy of John McIntyre

Quebec Bks in 1976

Courtesy of John McIntyre

Quebec Bks in 1976

Courtesy of John McIntyre

Quebec Bks – 659 Sqn AAC in 1976

Courtesy of John McIntyre

AFV439 and AFV432 vehicles, formerly of 12 Mech Bde HQ & Sig Sqn, depart from Quebec Bks for the last time in December 1976, on their way to form Task Force Delta Signal Troop (TFD Sig Tp) in York Bks, Munster. TRD Sig Tp joined TFC Sig Tp (formerly 4 Gds Armd Bde and Sig Sqn) and jointly became 4 Sqn, 2 Armd Div HQ & Sig Regt. In early 1978 TFD Sig Tp moved back to Osnabruck into Woolwich Bks next door to TFD HQ. The soldiers of this troop were accommodated in Scarborough Barracks due to the lack of domestic accommodation in Woolwich Bks.

Courtesy of John McIntyre