Osnabrück Garrison


Osnabrück Garrison was a major British garrison with facilities located at Osnabrück in Lower Saxony and Münster in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It was home to 4th Armoured Brigade and most of its subordinate units. It formed a major part of British Forces Germany.

History

The oldest part of Osnabrück Station was Caprivi Kaserne, dating back to 1899; this became Scarborough Barracks after the Second World War and is now being used as the University of Applied Sciences. Scharnhorst Kaserne was built in the 1930s; this went on after the War to be Belfast Barracks and is now being used as the Osnabrück Innovations Centre. Meanwhile, Winkelhausen Kaserne was also built in the 1930s; this went on after the War to become Roberts Barracks and is now being used as a freight hub.
Am Limberg Kaserne was built during the War in Osnabrück as an ammunition factory for the Wehrmacht; this was expanded in the early 1950s to become Imphal Barracks and Mercer Barracks and is now being redeveloped for housing. The site on Landwehrstraße which was occupied by the British Army as Quebec Barracks in the 1950s is now also being redeveloped for housing.
Loddenheide Kaserne was built in the 1930s; this expanded after the War and broken up into Buller Barracks, Swinton Barracks, Waterloo Barracks and York Barracks and its future use is now the subject of a local planning consultation. Meanwhile, Hermann Göring Kaserne evolved to become Oxford Barracks after the War.
The garrison became the largest British military base outside the UK. It was the target of the Osnabrück mortar attack on 28 June 1996 when Quebec Barracks were hit by three Mark 15 mortar devices. The barracks closed in 2009.

Locations

Locations within the garrison area included:
Osnabrück Station:
Münster Station: