Bergen-Hohne Garrison

History

The oldest part of the garrison was Heide Kaserne (named after the Lüneburger Heide heath area) at Celle, a huge red-brick edifice which dates back to 1869 and which became Taunton Barracks after the Second World War. Also at Celle Station, Seeckt Kaserne (named after General Hans von Seeckt) was built in 1935 and became Trenchard Barracks after the War. Meanwhile, just to the north of Celle, Freiherr von Fritsch Kaserne (named after General Werner von Fritsch) was built as a Luftwaffe supply base in the 1930s and became Ironside Barracks after the War. Much of the rest of the garrison was created by the British Army, shortly after the War, by refurbishing two training and transit camps (Lager Hohne and Lager Oerbke near Fallingbostel) which had been established by the Wehrmacht just before the War.
During the Cold War, two separate brigades occupied the bases that later became Bergen-Hohne Garrison: Fallingbostel, Wolfenbüttel and Celle housed elements of 7th Armoured Brigade, whilst its headquarters, signal squadron (207 Signal Squadron) and ordnance company were based in Soltau. Hohne was home to the 22nd Armoured Brigade. Both brigades were part of the 1st Armoured Division, which also included 12th Armoured Brigade (headquartered at Osnabrück) and had its divisional headquarters and signal regiment in Verden on the River Aller.
Some 4,000–5,000 British soldiers occupied the garrison until it closed in 2015. Facilities under the garrison's control included the Bergen-Hohne Training Area. Together with families and civilians, the garrison population varied between about 10,000 and 12,000.

Locations

Locations within the garrison area included: