Covered accommodation was eventually provided for between 300,000 and 400,000 troops. [32][34], To free up administrative units to support the advance into Germany, it was decided to shorten the line of communications by closing down the RMA in Normandy, where some 300,000 long tons (300,000t) of supplies were still held. Two pipelines were laid across the Rhine at Emmerich and were in operation by the end of April. Happily, we were posted to the British Army of the Rhine, in my case, to 282 (Welsh) Field Company, RE, in the 63rd (Welsh) Division. A smoke screen concealed preparations on the west bank of the Rhine. Only the class 70 bridges would take a loaded tank transporter. [51] Rations were moved forward however, and 2,318,222 rations were stockpiled for Operation Veritable. GYM. After the assumption of government by civilians, it became the command formation for the troops in Germany only, rather than being responsible for administration as well. [44] For security reasons, troop movements had to be conducted at night. [19] He intended to make the main Allied effort in the north, in the 21st Army Group's sector. Strachan, Hew, ed. The British Second Army also had access to the American class 70 timber pile bridge at Venlo and the Canadian First Army class 70 bridge at Grave. 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. 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. Large numbers of displaced persons were also encountered, and they were accommodated in special camps. 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. British Army Germany was formed in 2020 to administer the remaining service personnel, UK Civil Servants, and dependents (family members), based in Germany.[2]. Between 1945 and 1957, West Germany made a dizzying pivot from Nazi bastion to Britain's Cold War ally against the Soviet Union. Contents 1 History 1.1 1919-1929 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. Both formations had areas of responsibility located around the German section of the River Rhine. This airborne operation was the largest of its kind during the entire war, utilizing 1,625 transports, 1,348 gliders, and 889 escort fighters to deliver over 22,000 airborne infantry into the contested territory. 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 . [77] A 370-metre (1,220ft) class 40 Bailey pontoon bridge was built at Venlo by the 15th GHQ Troops Engineers. Moody, Simon J. Imagining Nuclear War in the British Army, 19451989. The tracks of Sherman tanks were equipped with "duck bill" connectors to facilitate advancing across snow and soft ground. [25] This was codenamed Operation Goldflake, and it involved the redeployment of the I Canadian Corps and British 5th Division from Italy to North West Europe. [30], A rail halt was established at Gevrey-Chambertin and bivouac areas at Montbard and Chalon-sur-Sane. [88][92][96], Meanwhile, the First Canadian Army established two lines of communications. The Meuse-Escaut Canal was also opened that month, and by the end of March the Zuid-Willemsvaart and the MaasWaal Canal were also open, allowing barge traffic from Antwerp to reach the Waal. 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. staff to a British Advanced Ordnance Depot. [60] Every available amphibious craft was collected. Instead, 18th GHQ Troops Engineers erected it the following day at a downstream site near the town of Honnopel. The former held 200 rounds per gun of medium and 250 rounds per gun of heavy artillery ammunition, while the latter held 200 rounds per gun of medium and 150 rounds per gun of heavy artillery ammunition. [101] The vast resources brought to bear was in stark contrast with scarcities of the early war years. British Armed Forces Special Vouchers B.A.O.R. 15 Army Roadhead opened in the Almelo area on 18 April and was stocked by road from No. The remaining RAF forces in Germany ceased to be a separate command, and instead became No 2 Group RAF, part of RAF Strike Command. [41] Some 600 field and 300 medium guns would support the operation. Its commander was the British commander of the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR). The 18th Line of Communications Sub Area was formed on 25 April and assigned to the First Canadian Army; the 19th joined the 15th; and the 20th relieved the 4th around Brussels, allowing it to take over the region to the north east of Nijmegen. For nearly 70 years, generations would grow up on bases with special schools, shops, housing and even their own radio station, as parts of the Rhineland became little bubbles of Britishness. Chandler, David, and Ian Beckett, eds. An emergency repair effort was conducted, and many were shipped direct from the workshops to the front lines. Overseas military bases of the United Kingdom enable the British Armed Forces to conduct expeditionary warfare and maintain a forward presence.Bases tend to be located in or near areas of strategic or diplomatic importance, often used for the build-up or resupply of military forces, as was seen during the 1982 Falklands War and the use of RAF Ascension Island as a staging post. [18], Eisenhower ordered Montgomery to resume his preparations for Operation Veritable, the objective of which was to defeat the German forces west of the Rhine. 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. [88] Another 2,000 tonnes (2,000 long tons) was obtained from within the Second Army by grounding artillery and armoured units that were not immediately required for the advance. Military Identities: The Regimental System, the British Army and the British People c.18702000. When the First World War ended British troops crossed the Rhine into Germany and entered a cou 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. [62] XII Corps allocated sixty DUKWs each to the 6th Airborne Division, US 17th Airborne Division and the 15th Infantry Division; thirty were in corps reserve, nine were designated for casualty evacuation and six for the Royal Engineers. The second British Army on the Rhine was formed on 25 August 1945 from 21st Army Group. 29th Division Entering Cologne 13 December 1918 Q 7220.jpg 641 800; 48 KB. 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. [10], HQ British Forces Germany was formed in January 2012, replacing the UKSC(G) and the Germany Support Group (GSG). [13], During the German Ardennes Offensive in December 1944, the Supreme Allied Commander, General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower, transferred the US First and Ninth Armies to Montgomery's command. The armoured divisions also carried a day's worth of AFV ration packs. The link was not copied. The British Liberation Army (BLA) was the official name given to the British Army forces which fought on the Western Front of World War II between the Invasion of Normandy and the end of the war. [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). Similar Royal Air Force Germany, Royal Electrical and Mech, British Army, Royal Military Police, Army Air Corps. In addition to the storm boats, DUKWs, Buffaloes and Weasels,[62] there were also amphibious DD tanks. For this the British Second Army deployed 1,520 field and medium guns, and the US Ninth Army had 624 field and medium guns. 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. [11], A new base was developed around Brussels, and an advanced base area around Antwerp, but supplies were still being drawn from the Rear Maintenance Area (RMA) in Normandy. [13], With the departure of Major General John Henderson in March 2015, the Commanding Officer of British Forces Germany became a brigadier's post, with Brigadier Ian Bell assuming command. . british army of the rhine bases . Nottingham. [14], In autumn 2019, British Forces Germany effectively closed,[15] with the last military base handed back to the German Bundeswehr in February 2020. [51] Each of the assaulting infantry carried five days' supplies, and the armoured divisions carried six. Supplies and POL were stocked at Eindhoven; POL at Schijndel; ammunition at Veghel, Uden, Oss and Wijchen; road material at Mill; coal at Best; and bridging at 's-Hertogenbosch. [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. WO2 Served from 1974 - 1994 Served in British Army of the Rhine. Medium and heavy ammunition for units north of the Maas was stockpiled at Wijchen and that for those south of the Maas at Oss. There were tactical, operational and political reasons for this: the best sites for a crossing of the Rhine were there;[20] a crossing in the north gave access to the North German Plain, where the terrain was good for mobile warfare, for which his Allied forces were particularly suited;[21] it offered a means of cutting off the Ruhr,[22] a major industrial region of Germany;[23] and it had the political advantage of involving the British and Canadians. Special arrangements were made to supply the Royal Air Force's Fog Investigation and Dispersal Operation, which consumed 410,000 litres (90,000impgal) a night, and Gloster Meteor jet fighters, which consumed 14,000 litres (3,000impgal) of kerosene each day. The Operation Pluto Dumbo pipeline was now in operation. This badge was adopted in 1940. A broad look at the cultural attitudes of the British army and its relationship with wider society. Damaged vehicles on the east bank of the Rhine were collected at points near the river and transported back on rafts. Blaxland, Gregory. [103] In this campaign the British Army demonstrated its proficiency in logistics. During the two-hour rail halt, the troops were served a hot meal and provided with sandwiches for the next one. Whereas military considerations involved "questions of strategy, bases and force levels," the political response focused on the creation of defensive alliances. [45] No. At the rail stop there were messes and a kitchen that ran 24 hours a day. This page is a list of British Armies in WWII. They only operated until newly constructed bridges were able to take traffic, which occurred about 72 hours into the operation. Following the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review, the permanent deployment in Germany ended in 2020. [2] Although it contained personnel nations, the logistical support was British. British and Commonwealth PWX were flown directly to the UK, while American PWX were flown to collecting camps around Le Havre. [94] New lines continued to be laid, the last one being laid to Bocholt on 24 May. It has been an honour to command this fantastic organisation doing its very best to support our people here in Germany. French, David. Includes two chapters on National Service and professional recruitment after 1945, both of which were issues that influenced force generation in BAOR throughout its existence. The purpose of this site is to give people, still serving or not, the opportunity to look back at the places in Germany where they may have served over the years and also a view of the regiments and units which shaped them. On 4 May Montgomery took the surrender of the German forces in front of the 21st Army Group. Twenty-five special vehicles were built in Army workshops to carry them. An Inter-Allied force of British, French and . As the Soviet threat increased, so BAOR became less of an occupational army and assumed the role of defender of Western Europe, and as a major contributor to NATO after . [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. In turn this demanded a high degree of organisation and professionalism required to utilise the available machines and firepower to best effect. [66] The British rail line of communications now ran from Antwerp to Nijmegen via Roosendaal and Tilburg,[67] where the railway bridge that had opened on 22 December was duplicated by 3 January 1945. All this week on Forces TV we are focusing on 'Rebasing' from Germany, as the countdown to drawdown steps up a gear. It was estimated that each could carry 7,000 vehicles per day under frozen conditions and 4,000 per day during a thaw. Blaxland 1971 and Mallinson 2009, for example, have produced histories of the army which are not entirely dominated by narratives of counterinsurgency campaigns. 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. [28][29] The first vehicles to arrive came with only fifty drivers, so a detachment from 141 Vehicle Park was sent to Marseilles from the RMA. Preparations were made to move it to a new site, but this was not required. Post war First Corps District administered Rhine Province and Westphalia. Expands. British Army of the Rhine (post First World War) B.A.F.S.V. 168 FMC near Goch. 167 FMC was handed over to it, and became No. The army roadheads were mainly supplied by rail. 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. [44] Road maintenance was made especially difficult by the winter weather. [72][97], As the German forces crumbled before the Allied onslaught, the numbers of German prisoners of war grew to the point where orders were issued on 1 May that no more prisoners should be sent west of the Rhine. BRITISH ALLIES ARMY RAF. Both were originally occupation forces in Germany, one after the First World War and the other after the Second World War. No. There have been two formations named British Army of the Rhine (BAOR). bases and force levels," the political response focused on the creation of defensive alliances. 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. In 1961, he received a commission into the Royal Corps of Signals, and served in the British Army of the Rhine . 166 FMC. Their construction would require 3,000 wooden piles 30 centimetres (12in) in diameter and 18 to 23 metres (60 to 75ft) in length. Country United Kingdom. Sirs, Ladies and Gentlemen,Welcome to the website dedicated to the British Army of the Rhine, its locations, and those areas whilst not strictly within BAOR, thatwere vital to the operation of the theatre. To provide them, beech trees were felled in the Fort de Soignes near Brussels. The Kangaroo armoured personnel carriers and the Buffalo tracked amphibious vehicles of the 79th Armoured Division were overhauled between January and March. Despite the weather, all movements were completed as planned by 8 February. The attacks resulted in the deaths of nine people, including three civilians, and many wounded. Please subscribe or login. Three bridges were constructed there, but by the time they opened II Canadian Corps already had its three Canadian divisions across the Rhine. [12] Civilian labour was utilised at the bases in a variety of tasks to enable military personnel to be released for service in forward areas. Operation Plunder included an airborne operation, Operation Varsity, in which two airborne divisions were landed with a day's supply of food, fuel and petrol. Free shipping for many products! The transfer involved 102,415 troops. Every available amphibious craft was collected, and they were joined by a Royal Navy contingent of 36 Landing Craft Medium (LCM) and 36 Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel (LCVP) that were transported by road across Holland and Belgium to participate. German railway personnel were used to man two trains a day from Celle to Bienenbuttel. A new type was flown out direct from the UK factory by priority air freight and fitted to the tanks. A double issue of Expeditionary Force Institutes stores was made to all participating units. USA & International; 100 This involved prodigious use of ammunition, fuel and equipment, which in turn demanded a first-class military logistics system. New search features Acronym Blog Free tools . The BAOR was formerly armed with tactical nuclear weapons. It was estimated that six one-way class 40 and two one-way class 70 pile bridges would be needed. [26], The headquarters of the 9th Line of Communications Area was transferred to Paris to assist the American Communications Zone with the move. Garrison/HQ JHQ Rheindahlen, Germany. [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. 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. WW2 MAPS OF BRUSSELS/BRUXELLES 1944 D/DAY ORIGINAL RARE. Ted's Bio; Fact Sheet; Hoja Informativa Del Ted Fund; Ted Fund Board 2021-22; 2021 Ted Fund Donors; Ted Fund Donors Over the Years. On the other hand, the 21st Army Group held sufficient stocks of POL to accede to a request from SHAEF to allocate 73,000 long tons (74,000t) of petrol for US use. A sweeping review of four hundred years of British army history. Both stocked 200 rounds per gun of field artillery ammunition for the entire XXX Corps. The aim was to re-establish patrols in these areas and flush out paramilitaries from urban bases. A. [26][27], Finding the additional service and supply units proved difficult, as the Mediterranean theatre had long been short of them. [78] These bridges carried maintenance traffic by day and operational traffic by night. Motorman began on 31st July 1972 with the rapid deployment of troops from the rest of the UK and the British Army of the Rhine to the ports of Belfast and Derry. 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. The best introduction to the regimental system of the British army. Both formations had areas of responsibility located around the German section of the River Rhine . As a result of this fire it was decided to remove camouflage from the oil storage tanks, because it was not effective against the V-2, and hampered fire fighting efforts. $35.86. [44] Crerar noted that if the ammunition for Operation Veritable was stacked side-by-side and 1.5 metres (5ft) high, it would have extend for 48 kilometres (30mi). Please continue & follow him.pic.twitter.com/TU3GKnZFPU", "British Orders of Battle & TO&Es 1980-1989", "From occupiers and protectors to guests", "Osnabrck picks up the pieces after British withdrawal", "All British army bases in Germany to close by 2019 with 20,000 troops returning to UK", "Farewell to the 1st Westfalen Garrison Commander", "A Queen's birthday reception was held in Germany", "British army hands back last headquarters in Germany", "Defence review ends Iraq-sized ventures", In West Germany: Military Networks Spreading Pop, Secret squad sent in to track down IRA killers, BBC News: Army to scale down Germany troops, BBC News: From occupiers and protectors to guests, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=British_Forces_Germany&oldid=1126727293, This page was last edited on 10 December 2022, at 22:46. To compensate for this, to minimise casualties, and to maximise the combat effectiveness of what manpower they had, the British forces relied on machines, materiel and firepower. [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. They had had better relations with the British than with the French, and they would have brought a measure of stability and prosperity in the difficult economic conditions of 1920s Germany. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2020. [47], The opening of a railway bridge over the Maas at Ravenstein on 4 February enabled the FMCs to be served by rail. No. 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. Battle of Route Coloniale 4, 1950: Frances first devastat British Armed Forces, from the Glorious Revolution to Pres Communications, French Revolution to Present, Hippolyte, Comte de Guibert, Jacques Antoine, Hungary, Warfare in Medieval and Early Modern, India 'Mutiny' and 'Revolution,' 1857-1858, Japanese Army in the World War II Era, The Imperial, Justice, Military, the Anglo-American Tradition. [7], The 1993 Options for Change defence cuts resulted in BAOR being replaced by forces roughly 25,000 strong, divided between Headquarters Allied Command Europe Rapid Reaction Corps, 1st Armoured Division, other combat support and combat service support forces, and administrative elements headed by United Kingdom Support Command (Germany). The Canadian historian, Charles Stacey noted that:.mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 40px}.mw-parser-output .templatequote .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;padding-left:1.6em;margin-top:0}, Thus, throughout the campaign in North-West Europe, there was virtually no separate Canadian supply organization other than what existed within First Canadian Army itself. [41] Pepperpot tactics involved supplementing the artillery fire with that of anti-tank guns, anti-aircraft guns, mortars and machine guns. They were augmented by 1,891 and 1,446 anti-aircraft guns and anti-tank guns. This had been scheduled to occur on 20 March 1945, but in early February it was brought forward to 20 February. This operation to cross the northern Rhine River launched in the night of 23 Mar 1945. [89][88] The high use of road transport meant that the Second Army was burning 7,600 tonnes (7,500 long tons) of petrol a day, but the supply of fuel caused no problems. [80] Although working in the British Second Army area, they remained under the command of the US Ninth Army. . Part of Ministry of Defence. To coordinate troop movements between the First Canadian Army and the British Second Army, a joint office known as "Grouping Control" was established. In February, a French fuel installation was opened at Douai, and this was used to supply the Royal Air Force (RAF) airfields in the vicinity. The 6th Line of Communications Sub Area was earmarked to take over the administration of the port of Rotterdam when it was captured. 616 Squadron RAF began operating Gloster Meteor jet fighters from Brussels, and they required kerosene. Over the next 24 hours, 7,415 vehicles crossed the bridge. Three trains a day were run over this route under an arrangement with SHAEF and the American Military Railway Service. [9] This required major operations, and the port was not opened for shipping until 26 November. The "Waterloo" class 9 FBE could not be built at the intended site at Rees on 24 March because the town had not been captured. [63] Their initial drop of the 6th Airborne Division was conducted by 683 aircraft and 444 General Aircraft Hamilcar and Airspeed Horsa gliders, while that of the US 17th Airborne Division used 913 aircraft and 906 Hadrian gliders. zThis page represents the structure of the British Army in 1989, the last year of the Cold War. [1] The General Officer Commanding UKSC(G) also functioned as head of the British Forces Liaison Organisation (Germany), which was responsible for liaising and maintaining relations with German civil authorities. 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. [59][60] Ammunition for the 25-pounders was based on 1,500 rounds per gun. When the flood waters subsided, it was found that the Nijmegen-Cleve road surface had been too badly damaged to use, so the II Canadian Corps and XXX Corps were forced to share the road running south of the Reichswald. The best introduction to the regimental system of the British army. The second British Army of the Rhine was formed on 25 August 1945 from the British Liberation Army. The Making of the British Army: From the English Civil War to the War on Terror. They were then loaded into landing ships, tank (LSTs) that took them to Marseilles, and onto flat wagons again for the five-day railway journey to Dixmude. After the assumption of government by civilians, it became the command formation for the troops in Germany only . Work commenced at 09:30, and the bridge was opened for traffic at midnight. There have been two formations named British Army of the Rhine ( BAOR ). 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. The British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) began life in 1945 as a postwar administrative headquarters deployed in support of the civilian authority of the British zone of occupation, northern Germany. Not only are the well-equipped forward elements presented, but the light security elements that form BAOR's vital reinforcements are included as well. Captured German dumps held sufficient quantities of food for them, but they were not always easily accessible or distributable, so some had to be fed from 21st Army Group stocks, on a temporary ration scale of 1,100 calories (4,600J) per man per day. This involved a large expenditure of ammunition, including some that was in short supply like ML 4.2-inch mortar rounds and the Mark VIIIz ammunition used by the Vickers machine gun. [9], Under the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review, it was decided that British military units would cease to be permanent deployed in Germany by the end of 2019. [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. [28], The 25th Garrison assumed control of the RMA on 2 April, allowing the 5th Line of Communications Sub Area to take over the western part of North Brabant, and the 101st Beach Sub Area, which became the 21st Line of Communications Sub Area, took over the territory west of the Maas. No. [17], The British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) radio services were widely available on FM across north-western Germany. The deployment of BAOR on the European Central Front was symbolic of British political intent vis--vis European security and was the military means by which Britain sought to deter a conventional or nuclear Warsaw Pact attack. [51] There was also demand for covered accommodation in the 3,300 bivouacs, and 21st Army Group headquarters released 343 huts and 1,600 100-pound (45kg) tents from its stocks, which were delivered to the railheads around Mill and 's-Hertogenbosch.