Updated 3 September 2024

Ruhleben (Kriegsmarine) Kaserne renamed Churchill later Connaught Barracks

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HQ 6th Guards Armoured Brigade 1945 (1)
261 Forward Delivery Squadron RAC 1945 (2)
HQ Guards Division 1946-1947 (3)
HQ Schleswig-Holstein Sub Area 1947-1948 (4)

(1) from area Plön 12 May 45 – redesignated 6th Guards Brigade 17 Jun 45 – moved to Oelde west of Gütersloh enroute to Euskirchen south of Köln – relieved by 4th Armoured Brigade in Ascheberg 18 Jun 45
(2) from Güterbahnhof (Goods Railway Station) Plön – moved to Königsdorf west of Köln 15 Jun 45
(3) from Am Bootshafen Plön 6 May 46 – relieved by HQ Schleswig-Holstein Sub Area 31 Dec 46 – disbanded 10 Jan 47
(4) formed 31 Dec 46 – moved to Caterham Barracks Schleswig 1 Feb 48

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

Built in the late 1930s as a Basic Training Establishment for the Kriegsmarine. In the early 1940s became a U Boat Training School, in the later stages of the War became the main HQ of the German Navy under command of Grand Admiral Dönitz (Hitler’s deputy).

Captured by 6 Guards Brigade in May 1945 and briefly became HMS Royal Alfred (a Royal Naval shore establishment).

In May 1946 HQ Guards Division relocated there and site was renamed Connaught Barracks.

In Spring 1948 the site was adapted for use as a Secondary Boarding School for the children of Forces Personnel and entitled Civilians stationed in BAOR/RAF(G).

In May 1948 King Alfred School (KAS) Plön officially opened with some 500, later 600 pupils this was the second of two boarding schools in BAOR, Prince Rupert School Wilhemshaven (PRS) had opened earlier in the Autumn 1947 with some 250 pupils. Windsor School Hamm, the third, was not to open till 1953.

In July 1959 KAS officially closed but the site remained in use for a further term as Windsor Girls School whilst work in the former Newcastle Barracks, Hamm was completed.

The site was handed back to the German Bundesmarine and is still in use as their major Training Establishment (Marine Unteroffizier Schule (MUS)).

JPW

A link to the King Alfred School website is here.