Horrocks Barracks


Horrocks Barracks was a military installation in Schloss Neuhaus, Germany.

Description

Horrocks Barracks was located in the grounds of Schloss Neuhaus, about four kilometres from the Paderborn city centre, and covered approximately 30 acres of land. The barracks was bordered by the rivers Pader, Lippe and Alme and the Residenzstrasse.

History

1257 – 1802: Beginnings and Palace of the Prince Bishops of Paderborn

Construction of the castle began in 1257 under bishop Simon I. zur Lippe.
Around 1370 and after numerous attacks bishop Heinrich von Spiegel built the still existing part of the castle and made it the constant palace of the prince bishops of Paderborn. Extensions are:
  • "Haus Braunschweig"
  • "Haus Köln" which connected the first two buildings.
  • "Haus Kerssenbrock"
  • "Haus Fürstenberg" and the four towers
In 1736 the garden next to the castle was completed. It is now part of the .
Additional historic buildings around the castle from that period are:
  • "Marstall"
  • "Schlosswache"

    1802 – 1945: French and Prussian Use (Schloss-Kaserne)

The Kingdom of Prussia officially annexed the whole site 3 August 1802. In 1804 the Prince Bishop finally left the castle and moved to Hildesheim.
Before being used as a military installation the different buildings served as a cloth factory with 120 to 130 employees, a Royal Prussian Field Hospital and a prison.
The "Schloss-Kaserne" was then home to
The following buildings date back to the Prussian use of the site:
  • "Kleine Reithalle"
  • "Lange Stall"
  • "Kompaniegebäude"
  • "Reithalle mit Stallungen"
  • "Waschhaus"/"Alte Kommandantur"
  • "Block 20"
  • various buildings used as quarters, stables, stores and garages

    1945 – 1992: British Use (Horrocks Barracks)

The site was captured by troops of the U.S. 9th Army 3 April 1945, at 18.00, during the battle of the Ruhr Pocket.
The Battle of the Ruhr Pocket involved the British Second Army, part of the 21st Army Group.
These two formations took over command at Neuhaus 5 May 1945, and became British Army of the Rhine 25 August 1945.
For use by the British Army, the barracks was named after Lieutenant-General Sir Brian Horrocks. The allocated British Forces Post Office number was 16. Over the years it was home to several units. Among them are:
  • 368 Works Gp RE
  • 1st Battalion Royal Norfolk Regiment, 1946-1947
  • 211 MCAG RE
  • 420 MCLG RPC
  • 2 PCLU RPC B DETACHMENT, 1959-1983, redesignated in 1983 as:
  • 12 PLSU RPC with CWG Wing, 1983-1992
  • NAAFI Shop and NAAFI Bulk Issue Store
  • Garrison Stables used by various units of Paderborn Garrison. Among them:
  • 17th/21st Lancers
1957 marked the 700th anniversary of the castle and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II gifted the community a pair of Thames swans, handed over by Major J L Jordan, OC 211 MCAG RE BAOR, in June 1957.
In 1959 the British Forces handed back the Schloss itself to the Federal Republic of Germany. It was then purchased by the City of Paderborn 25 June 1964. and it was officially handed over to the community 19 July 1964.
The NAAFI shop at Schloss Neuhaus was in the spotlight 28 November 1981, when a 2-year-old child, Katrice Lee, went missing during a shopping expedition with her family.
The NAAFI shop building as well as the NAAFI Bulk Issue Store buildings were handed back to the German authorities in November 1985. Before, the NAAFI shop moved to its present location at Sennelager and was officially opened 16 April 1985 by Brigadier Eric M Westropp, Commander 33 Armoured Brigade.
Horrocks Barracks closed, after 47 years, 20 July 1992, when Brigadier Arthur G Denaro, Commander 33 Armoured Brigade, handed over the keys to the Mayor of Paderborn.

1992 – present: Landesgartenschau 1994

The whole Schloss-area was handed back to the German authorities in 1992 to create what was the "Landesgartenschau 1994". 211 MCAG RE undertook the construction of six twin city partnership gardens as a Military Aid to the Civil Community task.
The former NAAFI-shop-building was first known as the "Bürgerhaus" and nowadays as the "Schlosshalle".