Alanbrooke Bks are on the way out of Paderborn towards Schloss Neuhaus and Sennelager. Named after Field Marshal Alan Francis Brooke KG, GCB, OM, GCVO, DSO, Chief of the Imperial General Staff during the Second World War and promoted to Field Marshal in 1944.
Home to:
HQ 33 Armd Bde (1)
44 FP Sqn RE 1957 – 1970 (2)
3 R ANGLIAN (The Pompadours) 1970 – 1975
2 RRF mid 1975 – 1977
15/19 KRH Oct 1977 – Oct 1984
1 QLR 1984 – 1990
2 LI – 1997
2 RGJ 1997 – 2001
1 LI 2001 – Feb 2007 (3)
5 RIFLES Feb 2007 – pres
Officers’ Mess 3 Bn REME
(1) Following the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989, the 20th Armoured Brigade merged with the 33rd Armoured Brigade in December 1992 as part of ‘Options for Change’, moving to Barker Barracks, Paderborn, where it came under the command of the 1st (UK) Armoured Division.
(2) In 1969, 44 Fd Sp Sqn then became a sub-unit of 26 Engr Regt (formerly known as 4 Div Engr Regt before moving to Hameln in 1971. The Sqn then joined 35 Engr Regt 1971 to which it is HQ Sqn to this day. The construction of the divisional Winter Warfare Training Establishment at Silberhutte and the Faarburg Yacht Club can be credited to 44 Fd Pk Sqn. The Sqn also built Sennelager (British Army) Golf Club and remains heavily involved in its development to the present day.
(3) 1st Battalion, The Light Infantry went on to become The 5th Battalion The Rifles (5 RIFLES) in February 2007.
Above can the barracks be seen during the Nazi era with an extremely large eagle sited directly above the sentry box.
Courtesy of Mr Graham Chastell
I was at Alanbrooke Bks with 15th/19th Hussars late 70s mid 80s. We replaced an Infantry regiment that (so the story goes) who were relocated elsewhere due to friction with the locals. I think that we were the first armoured unit to be posted there. We were using Scorpion and Scimitar. B Sqn block was immediately on the left as you came in the main gate. The Courts Martial centre was also located there as well as a sneaky-beaky sigs unit. It was always known by the locals as the Infantriekaserne. When we took it over the block, the rooms seemed enormous compared with Aliwal Bks where we had recently come from. Lots of big conker trees dotted around the drill square.
PW
HQ and Guard Room 4th Divisional Engineers RE – circa 1961.
Courtesy of Ian Harvey
With due respect to the poster, who must have been a comrade in arms, for I too was there at the time (Command Troop 15/19H). There was nothing sneaky-beaky about the sigs unit. BAOR were experimenting with Task Forces at the time: brigades with radically-reduced administrative tail to increase the count of combat troops. There were two task forces per Armd Div, logically TF Alpha and Bravo in 1 Armd Div, Charlie and Delta in 2 Armd Div, Echo and Foxtrot in 3. This signals unit was Task Force Echo HQ and Signals Troop. As the Task Force concept became discredited, the signals troop was beefed back up to a squadron and if I remember correctly when I left in 1982 (15/19H left in 1984), it had become 33 Armd Bde HQ and Signals Squadron. But I am working entirely from memory and it was a long time ago.
NA
Parade Square, with the Corporals’ Mess to the rear.
Courtesy of Ian Harvey
I served in Alanbrooke Barracks between 1967 -1969/70. In point of fact, I was actually the last Sapper Guard Commander (a Corporal at the time), the day we handed the barracks over to the Royal Anglian Regt. I remember it clearly, as my boss Capt Nobby Hutchings, was also the last Sapper Orderly Officer in the barracks. I can’t remember the exact date 35 Engr Regt (rear party) quit the barracks for the last time, but it must have been the start date you have for the R/Anglians. I believe that 35 Engr Regt (formally 4 Div Engrs) had been in Alanbrooke Barracks for a good 15 or so years before that. During the 4 Div Engr period, the regiment consisted of 5 Field Squadron RE, 25 Field Squadron RE, 44 Field Park Squadron RE and a large Workshops REME which also provided satellite LAD’s to each Sqn. The Sqn I was in (44 Fd Pk Sqn RE), later reformed into 44 Field Support Squadron RE. At about the same time a new Headquarters Squadron was also formed and the regiment evolved into 35 Engineer Regiment, which it remains today. When the Sappers left Alanbrooke Bks, 5 and 25 Fd Sqns along with the HQ Sqn and REME Wk/Sp and a Forward Support Troop (Fwd Sp Tp) of 44 Fd Sp Sqn RE moved to Iserlohn (can’t remember the name of the barracks there), and 44 Fd Sp Sqn moved to Hameln into a compound at the rear of Bindon Bks, known as Bindon Annex. I hope the attached will be of use when updating Alanbrooke Barracks history. I had the opportunity to visit the barracks again last year. Apart from the removal of a small WW11 German Army war memorial, which stood between our block and HQ Sqn block and an apparent coat of paint here and there, the place has not changed one bit. The visit brought the memories flooding back! As an after thought, regarding it’s WW11 history, I remember learning in the 60’s that the locals always referred to our barracks as Infantrie Kasserne.
Les Rutherford (Maj RE Retd)
MT park for 44 Sqn, with the vehicles standing before the Sergeants’ Mess.
Courtesy of Ian Harvey
I was stationed in Alanbrooke barracks from 1960 until 1965 with 44 Field Park Squadron as a sapper until I left as a Sergeant, my job being MT driver, then OC’s Driver and finally as Signals Corporal /sergeant leaving for 36 Engineer Regt.
I remember the sports field being cleared of bomb rubbish with a few munitions and laid. The MT Yard was in front of the Sergeants’ Mess, Stores troop was based at the rear not far from the Officers’ Mess a long with the LAD.
The Local prison overlooked the rear of the barracks.
The Barracks had been a displaced persons camp just after the war. The locals at the time were cool and distant but the local villages very friendly.
Other units 1 Squadron, 5 Squadron and 25 Squadron, plus a Special Reconnaissance Squadron SAS.
23746306 Acting Staff Sergeant Ian Harvey
POL Point.
Courtesy of Ian Harvey
PW mentions conker trees. In July 1984 (4 July rings a bell), 15/19H were presented with a new guidon by HRH The Princess Margaret, Colonel-in-chief 15/19H. About 0500 on the morning of the guidon parade, there was a massive thunderstorm. Sufficent, it turned out when I rolled in from the pads in Elsenheide, to drop a conker tree near the Diving Club clubhouse across the access route for the entire parade and everybody who could be mustered was called in to help remove it. The heavens also opened during the parade. It was essentially my last act as a Hussar: a month later I returned to the UK to commence Transfer-In training for RAPC.
AlienFTM
15th/19th The King’s Royal Hussars Deployed with 3 Armd Div to BAOR and became active 1 January 1978. 3 Armd Div Recce Regt until Autumn 1984.
AlienFTM
MT offices.
Courtesy of Ian Harvey
Rear of the barracks and Stores Troop. To the left is bridging Stores and the REME LAD. Officers’ Mess to the far right.
Courtesy of Ian Harvey