Include Description. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008. Please appreciate that the site as a whole is, and probably always will be, subject to "Work In Progress", "Page Under Construction", "Page Under Revision", etc. Although our understanding of the service has been considerably deepened by subsequent scholarship, the book provides the broader context for thinking about the army after 1945. This involved prodigious use of ammunition, fuel and equipment, which in turn demanded a first-class military logistics system. [85] A semi-permanent class 40 bridge and a semi-permanent class 70 bridge were also built over the Ijssel at Zutphen. [30], A large force of engineer units was assembled for the operation: 37,000 British and Canadian engineers and pioneers, and 22,000 American engineers. As a result, vehicles owned by personnel ceased to have distinct registration plates, which had made them easily identifiable. It was estimated that six one-way class 40 and two one-way class 70 pile bridges would be needed. The second British Army on the Rhine was formed on 25 August 1945 from 21st Army Group. [86] At Rees steel-piled class 40 and class 70 jetty bridges 490 metres (1,600ft) long and known as "Tyne" and "Tees" were built by the 50th GHQ Troops Engineers, and were opened on 23 May. [42] The weight of shell employed would still be formidable; the fire plan still called for 6 tonnes (6 long tons) of shells to be delivered on designated targets, and some would receive up to 11 tonnes (11 long tons). A.G.B. The affectionate story of British servicemen and their families who had to make Germany a home from home in the decades after the Second World War. Alpine Training Centre (ATC) Hubertus-Haus this installation provides facilities and activities, including rock climbing, kayaking, paragliding, sailing, mountain biking, and winter sports, under the auspices of the Adventurous Training Foundation Delivery (AFTD), and is maintained by military and civil personnel. staff to a British Advanced Ordnance Depot. It has been an honour to command this fantastic organisation doing its very best to support our people here in Germany. Mar 1. [30] All movements were completed by the second week of April. The pipeline running from Cherbourg to Rouen was shut down on 9 January, which freed personnel to work on extending other pipelines. From 1922 the BAOR was organised into two brigades:[1], The second British Army of the Rhine was formed on 25 August 1945 from the British Liberation Army. [49] In the lead up to Operation Veritable, 446 special trains were run to the First Canadian Army railheads, delivering 349,356 tonnes (343,838 long tons) of supplies, of which around 227,000 tonnes (223,000 long tons) was for Operation Veritable. A broad look at the cultural attitudes of the British army and its relationship with wider society. [46] There were 350 different types of ammunition in all. Almost all BLA units were assigned to the 21st Army Group, which also included forces from other countries. Recourse was therefore made to Weasel tracked vehicles, and every available Weasel was rushed to the front. Another three-platoon company arrived from Italy with the Operation Goldflake units. [27], On 10 February, the 5th Canadian Armoured Division loaded its 450 tanks and 320 Bren gun carriers on flat wagons in Rimini and Riccione, from whence they moved by rail to Leghorn. [95][92] To take pressure off the roads, the 21st Army Group placed an air composite platoon capable of receiving and handling up to 510 tonnes (500 long tons) per day under the Second Army's control. This badge was adopted in 1940. The problem had been foreseen, and replacements were available on the ordnance depots. Free shipping for many products! XXX Corps reverted to the control of the British Second Army on 8 March, and by 10 March the last German units had retreated across the Rhine. Additional supplies of fuel were loaded on DUKWs, which ferried fuel across the river until bridges were opened. [44] Road maintenance was made especially difficult by the winter weather. [12] Petrol was brought in tankers and over the Operation Pluto pipeline. [78] The 21st Army Group headquarters also allocated three additional general transport companies to the British Second Army. What military bases are left in Germany? [75][66] The road network was also developed, and by 23 March eleven routes were open across the Maas, of which six were in the First Canadian Army area, including the sole class 70 route (ie one capable of carrying loads of up to 70 tonnes (69 long tons)) and five in the British Second Army area. By mid-May the 21st Army Group's reserves had been reduced by a quarter. In due course it was relieved by a vehicle park from Italy. Another petrol depot arrived from Italy in April. 11 Army Roadhead, it was dependent on the daily arrival of ammunition trains. They were augmented by 1,891 and 1,446 anti-aircraft guns and anti-tank guns. British Forces Germany (BFG) was the generic name for the three services of the British Armed Forces, made up of service personnel, UK Civil Servants, and dependents (family members), based in Germany. Your current browser may not support copying via this button. After the successful Normandy landings, the units of 21st Army Group crossed the river Rhine near the Germany city of Wesel on 23 March 1945. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2020. The aim was to re-establish patrols in these areas and flush out paramilitaries from urban bases. The history of BAOR, then, is not simply a history of an army formation. British Army Of the Rhine Welcome Welcome to BAOR Locations. Damaged vehicles on the east bank of the Rhine were collected at points near the river and transported back on rafts. The War Office found that it could provide another two field bakeries from the United Kingdom, along with three field butcheries that were already scheduled to be sent. Most of these units were progressively dissolved, so that by February 1920 there were only regular battalions: In August 1920 Winston Churchill told the British Parliament that the BAOR comprised approximately 13,360 troops, consisting of staff, cavalry, Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers, infantry, machine gun corps, tanks, and the usual ancillary services. zThis page represents the structure of the British Army in 1989, the last year of the Cold War. Contents 1 History 1.1 1919-1929 26 In a European context the first step in this process was the 1947 Anglo-French Treaty of . [28] Advance parties from each formation involved travelled by air from Florence, but most Operation Goldflake units moved by sea. B.A.R. The two corps stocked their FMCs by road, but the completion of repairs to the 1,222-metre (4,008ft) bridge over the Maas at Gennep by the 7th Army Troops Engineers on 20 March relieved the pressure on the one at Grave, and it became possible to move the railhead to within the No. 13 Army Roadhead while II Canadian Corps advanced on Oldenburg supported from No. The object sank after being cut loose during an attempt to recover it, and the swimmer was captured. Foster. Includes a chapter on the activation of BAOR and its composition throughout the Cold War against the background of government defense reviews. 1945British Army Royal Engineers enaged in the building of The Freeman Bridge, The River Rhine, Dusseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Post war First Corps District administered Rhine Province and Westphalia. [79], Vehicles crossing the Rhine did so with full fuel tanks and a reserve of filled jerricans. The airborne troops landed with two 24-hour ration packs, and the 6th Airborne Division's seaborne tail held two days of compo rations in second line transport. Preparations were made to move it to a new site, but this was not required. + $18.23 shipping. The high use of road transport meant that the British Second Army burned 7,600 tonnes (7,500 long tons) of petrol a day, but pipelines were laid across the Rhine at Emmerich and were in operation by the end of April. As of 1 April 1989, the following amounts of troops were deployed around the world: 71,000 in Great Britain, 56,000 (of which the Berlin brigade makes up 3,000), 10,200 in Northern Ireland (including 3,200 on roulement), 5,000 in Hong Kong, 4,000 in the Lines of Communications counties (Netherlands . To improve its combat effectiveness BAOR was equipped since the early 1960s with tactical nuclear weapons, and in so doing, became the first formation of the British army trained to fight and prevail on a nuclear battlefield. [37] Operation Veritable was scheduled to commence on 8 February, but the date for Operation Grenade could not be set, as it depended on the capture of dams on the Roer further south by the US First Army. Country United Kingdom. Expand or collapse the "in this article" section, Expand or collapse the "related articles" section, Expand or collapse the "forthcoming articles" section, Africa, Gunpowder and Colonial Campaigns in, All-Volunteer Army, Post-Vietnam Through 2016, Armed Forces of the Ottoman Empire, 16831918, Australia from the Colonial Era to the Present. [99], On 4 May 1945, Montgomery accepted the German surrender at Lneburg Heath, which covered German forces in the Netherlands, Dunkirk, North West Germany and Denmark. Chieftain: The British Army of the Rhine, provides a complete array of British equipment and maneuver units, from Chieftain and Challenger tanks through MCV-80 and Saxon APCs. The attacks resulted in the deaths of nine people, including three civilians, and many wounded. Petrol, oil and lubricants (POL) was brought by ships and the Operation Pluto pipeline from the UK at a rate of 15,000 tonnes (15,000 long tons) per day, of which 3,000 tonnes (3,000 long tons) was over the pipelines, and delivered by barge and pipeline to the army roadheads. By this time the system consisted of 1,811 kilometres (1,125mi) of pipelines and storage tanks with a capacity of 104,770 tonnes (103,120 long tons). british army of the rhine bases. It was decanted at Bocholt and transported by rail to No. [1] It was established following the Second World War, the largest parts of it becoming known as the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) and RAF Germany (RAFG). At the beginning of March 1945, the 21st Army Group had bulk petrol transport capacity of about 2,700 tonnes (2,700 long tons) per day, assuming 80 per cent of the vehicles were running. The British Army of 19441945 was highly mechanised, which conferred great tactical and strategic manoeuvrability. Canadian units indented for warlike stores direct to their division's Ordnance Field Park, which carried stocks of spare parts for mechanical transport, small arms, armament, signal stores, and engineering equipment, as well as complete wireless sets and small arms. British army inner german border.jpg 1,941 1,368 . [20], Commanders have included:[21]General Officer Commanding United Kingdom Support Command (Germany), General Officer Commanding British Forces Germany, Last edited on 10 December 2022, at 22:46, 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review, "UK to maintain military presence in Germany", "So, it is time to say Aufwiedersehen. The best introduction to the regimental system of the British army. . [55], When the II Canadian Corps assumed control of the left sector on 15 February, No. It was the largest concentration of British armed forces permanently stationed outside the United Kingdom. Stores still required by the 21st Army Group were moved forward to the new advanced base, and the rest returned to the War Office for disposal. [11] Rhine Garrison, which principally comprised HQ British Forces Germany in the Rheindahlen Military Complex and Elmpt Station (formerly RAF Bruggen), also reduced in size; the HQ moved to Bielefeld in July 2013 and other units returned to the UK. But back in the 1950s, a posting in Germ. That day trains also began arriving at No. To secure the required transportation resources, eleven general transport companies, seven artillery transport platoons, a tank transporter company, a bulk petrol transport company, a petrol depot, a bridge company and an ambulance car company were transferred from Italy. Download Citation | The British Army of the Rhine | The British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) began life in 1945 as a postwar administrative headquarters deployed in support of the civilian authority . London: Bantam, 2009. Four days later orders came that disarmed troops would no longer have prisoner of war status, but would be classified as Surrendered Enemy Personnel, and that their own officers would be responsible for their administration. Blaxland 1971 and Mallinson 2009, for example, have produced histories of the army which are not entirely dominated by narratives of counterinsurgency campaigns. ORIGINAL 1943 RAF WILHELMSHAVEN GERMANY MAP WAR BRITISH ARMY MILITARY WWII WW2. Since prompt clearance of the trains was essential to allow turnaround of the locomotives and rolling stock, vehicles had to be used to clear less urgently required supplies such as POL, coal and engineer stores. It was therefore agreed that from 1 March onwards, 81,000 tonnes (80,000 long tons) of fuel held in British storage would be transferred to the Americans so that both armies could have thirty days' reserves. There were doubts as to whether this need could be met, but the situation was eased by the fortuitous arrival of 4,700 tonnes (4,600 long tons) of ammunition that had been pre-loaded on some of the transport that had been allocated by the 21st Army Group. Army Bases [5], First established following the Second World War, the forces grew during the Cold War, and consisted, by the early 1980s, of I (BR) Corps made up of four divisions; 1st Armoured Division, 2nd Armoured Division, 3rd Armoured Division and the 4th Armoured Division. Nottingham. In addition to the road transport, the 21st Army Group also had barges capable of carrying 10,000 tonnes (10,000 long tons) of bulk POL. There have been two formations named British Army of the Rhine ( BAOR ). Check 'British Army of the Rhine' translations into Italian. [55], Rising flood waters soon created difficulties. [36] Operation Veritable would be spearheaded by the five British divisions of Lieutenant General Sir Brian Horrocks's XXX Corps, and would form part of a giant pincer movement with Operation Grenade, which would be conducted by Lieutenant General William H. Simpson's US Ninth Army. 13 Army Roadhead. [87][88] A 300-metre (980ft) Class 9 FBE bridge was built over the Elbe at Lauenburg by the VIII Corps engineers on 29 April. The British Army of the Rhine was born in 1945 out of the British Liberation Army at the close of the war as the military government of the British zone of occupied Germany. as (hopefully) more information is found or supplied. [44] The 25-pounders were each provided with an additional 1,471 rounds in addition to the 206 rounds per gun each regiment normally carried. WW2 MAPS OF BRUSSELS/BRUXELLES 1944 D/DAY ORIGINAL RARE. Bulk demands for artillery equipment, clothing and general stores were sent periodically by the formation's R.C.O.C. These provided health care and bathing and delousing with DDT to prevent the spread of disease. Copy this link, or click below to email it to a friend. TR. [16] However, some training will still be undertaken in Germany with regard to NATO capability. After an advance which was thoroughly resisted, the British formations, along with the Canadians and Americans advanced into the German counties of Nordrhein-Westfalen, Niedersachsen and Schleswig-Holstein . 10 Army Roadhead. It closed in 1991 when the refurbished BMH Iserlohn re-opened. von | Jun 17, 2022 | tornadoes of 1965 | | Jun 17, 2022 | tornadoes of 1965 | A Mail on Sunday . Its commander was the British commander of the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR). A sweeping review of four hundred years of British army history. The first British Army of the Rhine was set up in March 1919 to implement the occupation of the Rhineland. Start reading The British Army of the Rhine for free online and get access to an unlimited library of academic and non-fiction books on Perlego. [63][64] When mounted on the proposed trailer, the 15-metre (50ft) LCM was 4.6 metres (15ft) high, which left only 7.6 centimetres (3in) of clearance under some of the bridges they had to pass under between Antwerp and the staging area around Nijmegen. Some of the ammunition that had earlier been dumped was to be made inaccessible by flood waters. The first British bridge across the river was the class 9 FBE bridge, known as "Twist", in the XII Corps area, which was erected by the VIII Corps Troops Engineers in ten hours on 24 March. Includes a chapter on the creation of the postmodern regimental system between 1945 and 1970 against the backdrop of postwar austerity and the consequent reorganization and amalgamation of many regiments. Contains informative chapters on the precarious position of BAOR during the austerity years of 19461953 and of the contribution made by BAOR to conventional deterrence throughout the Cold War. Both were originally occupation forces in Germany, one after World War I, and the other after World War II. [41] Some 600 field and 300 medium guns would support the operation. The extensive use of the German archives is commendable."--Ian F. W. Beckett, editor of Citizen Soldiers and the British Empire, 1837-1902 "Speiser provides a well-researched, lively account of how, not always successfully, after 1945 the British attempted to use their Rhine Army to win German hearts and minds. The great majority of Canadian requirements, including ordnance stores, ammunition, petroleum products, most engineer, medical and dental stores, rations, office machinery and other supplies, were provided through British channels. REME Technical Services BAOR (British Army of the Rhine) 5 Infantry Workshop, Nijmegan Marchers 5 Infantry Workshop, Nijmegan Marchers The class 12 Bailey bridge, known as "Sussex", took the XII Corps Troops Engineers and the Royal Navy 43 hours to erect. [68] By the time the amphibious phase of Operation Plunder commenced at 09:00 on 23 March,[69] 61,000 tonnes (60,000 long tons) of ammunition, 18,000 tonnes (18,000 long tons) of POL, 5,100 tonnes (5,000 long tons) of supplies, 30,000 tonnes (30,000 long tons) of engineer stores and 5,500 tonnes (5,400 long tons) of other stores had been dumped at No. Contents 1 History Road transport accounted for another 29,865 personnel and 23,360 trucks. LT COL Served from 1974 - 2011 Served in British Army of the Rhine. All this week on Forces TV we are focusing on 'Rebasing' from Germany, as the countdown to drawdown steps up a gear. This was after British forces personnel were scaled down over several years, with 19,100 in April 2010, and 2,850 in April 2019. The United States and the Middle East, 1945-2001, World War II in the Mediterranean and Middle East. On 16 April XXX Corps sent its road transport back to the Rhine roadhead to collect the ammunition it needed to capture Bremen. Menu Search. A smoke screen concealed preparations on the west bank of the Rhine. The remaining RAF forces in Germany ceased to be a separate command, and instead became No 2 Group RAF, part of RAF Strike Command. 166 Field Maintenance Centre (FMC) at Veghel and the two Canadian FMCs at Wijchen and Oss. General histories of the postwar British army have tended to overlook the services preparations to fight a tactical nuclear war against the Soviet Union in Europe, despite this being its primary mission throughout the Cold War. Mallinson, Allan. [77] A 370-metre (1,220ft) class 40 Bailey pontoon bridge was built at Venlo by the 15th GHQ Troops Engineers. Three bridges were constructed there, but by the time they opened II Canadian Corps already had its three Canadian divisions across the Rhine. [7] Following a further spending review, one brigade was withdrawn and Osnabrck Garrison closed in 2009. Exercising troops technical accommodation.