[28], On 15 February, the region south of the Seine under British administration by 5th Line of Communications Sub Area and the 101st Beach Sub Area were reduced to the ports of Caen and Ouistreham and the depots around them, while that administered by the 9th Line of Communications Sub Area was handed over to the US Communications Zone, as was the region between the Somme and the Seine administered by the 6th Line of Communications Sub Area, except for the city of Amiens. Nearly 50 engineer companies, together with three road construction companies and 29 pioneer companies, were engaged in road maintenance. [87], Stocking of No. With some assistance from pioneers or civilians, each section could operate a petrol station issuing up to 45,000 litres (10,000impgal) per day. [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. [61] Up to seven trains per day were required to move the ammunition from the advance base to the ammunition railheads at No. XXX Corps opened a new No. The 17th and 19th Line of Communications Sub Area assumed responsibility for the region around Lille, allowing the 15th Line of Communications Sub Area to move to the area between the Maas and the Rhine. It took part in the Overlord invasion of Europe in 1944 and through to the end of war in Germany. It was the largest concentration of British armed forces permanently stationed outside the United Kingdom. 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). Mallinson, Allan. Free shipping for many products! By mid-May the 21st Army Group's reserves had been reduced by a quarter. Home; About. During this advance it suffered 7,665 casualties and captured 78,108 prisoners. No. It was also anticipated that as the Allied advance proceeded into Germany, there would be increased demand to feed and accommodate prisoners of war, liberated Allied prisoners and displaced persons. Successive London governments, though often faced with bitter public and military opposition, tasked the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) to serve as a protecting force while strengthening West German integration into the Western defense structure. On 4 May Montgomery took the surrender of the German forces in front of the 21st Army Group. 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. 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. [12] Petrol was brought in tankers and over the Operation Pluto pipeline. [60] In the three days preceding the assault, the three hundred and thirty six 25-pounders assigned to the XII Corps fired 225,061 rounds, the sixteen 4.5-inch guns fired 7,002 rounds, the one hundred and sixty 5.5-inch guns fired 69,607 rounds, the fifty two 155 mm howitzers fired 4,335 rounds, the sixteen 7.2-inch howitzer fired 3,964 rounds, and the two 8-inch howitzers 176 rounds. Covered accommodation was eventually provided for between 300,000 and 400,000 troops. It became the primary formation controlling the British contribution to NATO after the formation of the alliance in 1949. The XXX Corps FMC series started at 151 while the II Canadian Corps one started at 201, and the stark difference in maintenance practices between the two corps was illustrated by the fact that XXX Corps had opened three times as many FMCs in the campaign up to this point. 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. On 16 April XXX Corps sent its road transport back to the Rhine roadhead to collect the ammunition it needed to capture Bremen. 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. To coordinate troop movements between the First Canadian Army and the British Second Army, a joint office known as "Grouping Control" was established. 26 In a European context the first step in this process was the 1947 Anglo-French Treaty of . Strachan, Hew, ed. 1945British Army Royal Engineers enaged in the building of The Freeman Bridge, The River Rhine, Dusseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The other units could not be found, and the 21st Army Group was informed that it would have to make do without them. The base workshops built a prototype trailer that provided more clearance, and the Navy ordered 25 of them. Media in category "British Army of the Rhine". The first British Army of the Rhine was set up in March 1919 to implement the occupation of the Rhineland. Military Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. Since the First Canadian Army did not hold large stocks at No. The corps sometimes had to send their transport back to the army roadheads to assist when major operations were required. The army roadheads were mainly supplied by rail. REME Technical Services BAOR (British Army of the Rhine) 5 Infantry Workshop, Nijmegan Marchers 5 Infantry Workshop, Nijmegan Marchers Another 640 tonnes (630 long tons) was reallocated from the First Canadian Army, and .mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}7+12 platoons were made available taking the transport from an anti-aircraft brigade. [82][84], It was recognised in the planning of Operation Plunder that the maintenance of the floating bridges over the Rhine would require more engineers than could be spared from the campaign ahead. To provide them, beech trees were felled in the Fort de Soignes near Brussels. No 13 Army Roadhead was opened at Nijmegen on 2 March, and was stocked by rail. [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. [51] Extremely cold conditions persisted into February, and the divisions were issued with Arctic clothing and equipment that had been stockpiled for operations in Norway. [14], In autumn 2019, British Forces Germany effectively closed,[15] with the last military base handed back to the German Bundeswehr in February 2020. [43] The ammunition dumping program was completed by 4 February, by which time 14,400 tonnes (14,200 long tons) of ammunition had been dumped at the gun positions, and 23,100 tonnes (22,700 long tons) at the XXX Corps and II Canadian Corps FMCs. 29th Division Entering Cologne 13 December 1918 Q 7220.jpg 641 800; 48 KB. Additional supplies of fuel were loaded on DUKWs, which ferried fuel across the river until bridges were opened. 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. [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. [102] Lend Lease aid from the United States and a high degree of industrial mobilisation provided the equipment and materiel. 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. WO1 Served from 1971 - 1993 Served in British Army of the Rhine. bases and force levels," the political response focused on the creation of defensive alliances. Ammunition expenditure was prodigious, and a system of rationing had to be introduced. Until the railway bridges could be brought into operation, maintenance depended entirely on road transport. This involved prodigious use of ammunition, fuel and equipment, which in turn demanded a first-class military logistics system. Blaxland, Gregory. The Regiments Depart: A History of the British Army, 19451970. [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. 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. This gave them sufficient petrol to advance for 200 and 180 miles (320 and 290km) respectively, although no such rapid advance was contemplated, the supplies being to sustain the divisions in operations when the road network became congested with operational traffic. Disbandment of the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) and Royal Air Force Germany (RAFG) in 1994, following the end of the Cold War and the Options for Change defence review in the early 1990s, reduced the strength of the British Armed Forces in Germany by almost 30,000 with just one division (1st Armoured) remaining by the late 1990s, [7] Your current browser may not support copying via this button. In a broader context, Barnett 1970 and Chandler and Beckett 2003 provide an essential overview of the experiences that have shaped the British Army over its long history. 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. During February 300,000 long tons (300,000t) of supplies were delivered to the XXX Corps railheads. [55], Rising flood waters soon created difficulties. [52], Special tracks were provided for the Bren gun carriers to prevent skidding on icy roads, but these had to be withdrawn when it was discovered that they caused excessive wear and tear on their suspensions. BMH Munster was one of several BAOR (British Army On The Rhine) army hospitals in Germany. The longer shipping time meant that a working margin of 30 days' supplies was desirable instead of the one of 14 days for shipments from the United Kingdom. Only three could be provided by the 21st Army Group: the 5th Line of Communications Sub Area and the 101st Beach Sub Area when released from the RMA, and the 9th Line of Communications Sub Area, when it was no longer required for Operation Goldflake. 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. CONTENTS OF EMAILS MAY BE DISPLAYED ON THIS SITE (BUT IN AN ENCRYPTED FORMAT TO DETER SPAMMERS) TO BENEFIT HISTORY. 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. A sweeping review of four hundred years of British army history. The Kangaroo armoured personnel carriers and the Buffalo tracked amphibious vehicles of the 79th Armoured Division were overhauled between January and 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. USA & International; 100 Lorries then took them to the dispersal point at Renaix via Lyon and Dijon, guided by road markers that read "GF". Information and history about the British Military Hospital in Munster along with photos of BMH Muster and the QAs. Not only are the well-equipped forward elements presented, but the light security elements that form BAOR's vital reinforcements are included as well. The 11th Line of Communications Area took over the administration of the ports and the entire advanced base area, freeing the 12th Line of Communications Area headquarters to move forward. WW2 MAPS OF BRUSSELS/BRUXELLES 1944 D/DAY ORIGINAL RARE. For more information or to contact an Oxford Sales Representative click here. An Inter-Allied force of British, French and . In the post World War Two years Argonne Barracks became . 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, that were vital to the operation of the theatre The Site is now approaching three years of age and much has happened in that time. Initially, bulk POL was brought across the Rhine in tanker trucks at the rate of 1,000 tonnes (1,000 long tons) per day. Second Army's VIII, XII and XXX Corps drew their supplies from No. The bivouac areas were provided with temporary billets, latrines, emergency rations and fuel, and medical teams and vehicle maintenance crews were on hand. These two photos were taken in late 1956 by Lab Tech Cpl Peter Elgar: 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. VIII Corps also used its own transport to haul ammunition for the crossing of the Elbe on 28 April. A double issue of Expeditionary Force Institutes stores was made to all participating units. [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. London: Penguin, 1970. The Operation Pluto Dumbo pipeline was now in operation. French, David. 15 Army Roadhead. 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 . Preparations were made to move it to a new site, but this was not required. Ron. [88][93], Dumbo surpassed its target of 1million imperial gallons (4.5million litres) (about 3,620 tonnes (3,560 long tons)) per day on 15 March 1945, and by 3 April the Dumbo lines were delivering 4,500 long tons (4,600t) a day. A general study of the historical experiences that have shaped the British army. [2] Composition [ edit] The installations consist of: [3] Normandy Barracks, Paderborn Headquarters, British Army Germany: Germany Enabling Office (GEO); Germany Support Unit. BMH Iserlohn was housed in Argonne Barracks which was a German Calvary and Armoured Regiment building from the 1930s. 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. [30], A rail halt was established at Gevrey-Chambertin and bivouac areas at Montbard and Chalon-sur-Sane. This page was last edited on 27 February 2023, at 08:31. [45], Stocks of ammunition were built up at No. British Land Forces in Germany came under the command of the British Army of the Rhine.