The second class 40 Bailey pontoon bridge, "Sparrow", was built by the 4th GHQ Troops Engineers on 27 March. 15 Army Roadhead. [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. 15 Army Roadhead opened in the Almelo area on 18 April and was stocked by road from No. 14 Army Roadhead. Part of Ministry of Defence. A traffic jam broke the bridge during the night, but it was reopened thirteen hours later. 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 Operation Pluto Dumbo pipeline was now in operation. By mid-March POL was arriving at a rate of 15,000 tonnes (15,000 long tons) per day, of which 3,000 tonnes (3,000 long tons) was coming over the Dumbo pipeline. [3], The 21st Army Group's campaign in North West Europe had commenced with Operation Overlord, the Allied landings in Normandy on D-Day, 6 June 1944. These provided health care and bathing and delousing with DDT to prevent the spread of disease. The second British Army of the Rhine was formed on 25 August 1945 from the British Liberation Army. There have been two formations named British Army of the Rhine ( BAOR ). They only operated until newly constructed bridges were able to take traffic, which occurred about 72 hours into the operation. Pipelines were now constructed from Calais to Ghent, and thence to the storage facilities around Antwerp. For more information or to contact an Oxford Sales Representative click here. [45], Stocks of ammunition were built up at No. 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 . [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). [4], The remaining presence in Germany is known as British Army Germany. London: Penguin, 1970. The 21st Army Group instead became the British Army of the Rhine in August 1945. . [32][33], A major user of fuel was the Fog Investigation and Dispersal Operation (FIDO) system at pinoy, which consumed 410,000 litres (90,000impgal) per night. Depots and stocks remaining in the RMA were transferred to the control of the War Office. After the successful Normandy landings, the units of 21st Army Group crossed the river Rhine near the Germany city of Wesel on 23 March 1945. Oxford Bibliographies Online is available by subscription and perpetual access to institutions. Between 1945 and 1957, West Germany made a dizzying pivot from Nazi bastion to Britain's Cold War ally against the Soviet Union. 12 and 14 Army Roadheads were being run down. For this the British Second Army deployed 1,520 field and medium guns, and the US Ninth Army . As of 1 April 1989, the following amounts of troops were deployed around the world: 71,000 in Great Britain, 56,000 (of which the Berlin brigade makes up 3,000), 10,200 in Northern Ireland (including 3,200 on roulement), 5,000 in Hong Kong, 4,000 in the Lines of Communications counties (Netherlands . British army inner german border.jpg 1,941 1,368 . Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1950s British Army Rhine Royal Artillery Soldiers sergeant officer etc 3.25*2.25 at the best online prices at eBay! [47][48] Some 50 miles (80km) of new roads were built, and over 400 miles (640km) of roads were repaired, which required 64,000 tonnes (63,000 long tons). Contents 1 History 1.1 1919-1929 [74], The South Beveland Canal was opened on 19 February to allow inland water transport to reach the Dutch canal system when the western Netherlands were liberated. [10] Antwerp had sufficient capacity to support both the British and American forces, but its use was hampered by German V-weapon attacks. These included 36-centimetre (14in) baulks and chesses that had originally been set aside for the construction of emergency bridges over the Thames. [60] Every available amphibious craft was collected. [19] He intended to make the main Allied effort in the north, in the 21st Army Group's sector. The army roadheads were mainly supplied by rail. Mainstream histories of the British army have focused overwhelmingly on the myriad counterinsurgency operations in which it became involved after 1945 at the expense of the vital role played by the British Army of the Rhine in the nations deterrent posture. Garrisons which closed at this time included Soest (home of the 6th Armoured Brigade),[8] Soltau (home of the 7th Armoured Brigade)[9] and Minden (home of the 11th Armoured Brigade).[10]. Its original function was to control the corps districts which were running the military government of the British zone of Allied-occupied Germany.After the assumption of government by civilians, it became the command formation for the troops in Germany only, rather than being responsible for . [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. 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. [6] What followed was a far more rapid advance than anticipated. The Regiments Depart: A History of the British Army, 19451970. Contents 1 History [92] There was an additional allocation of 5,100 tonnes (5,000 long tons) of road transport for the drive to the Baltic Sea on 26 April, and another 2,700 tonnes (2,700 long tons) was received by the end of the month. The second British Army on the Rhine was formed on 25 August 1945 from 21st Army Group. Almost all BLA units were assigned to the 21st Army Group, which also included forces from other countries. 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. Petrol, oil and lubricants (POL) was brought by ships and the Operation Pluto pipeline from the UK at a rate of 15,000 tonnes (15,000 long tons) per day, of which 3,000 tonnes (3,000 long tons) was over the pipelines, and delivered by barge and pipeline to the army roadheads. This was after British forces personnel were scaled down over several years, with 19,100 in April 2010, and 2,850 in April 2019. The expansion of the rail network allowed the 21st Army Group to give the Second Army another 11,460 tonnes (11,280 long tons) of road transport capacity. The United States and the Middle East, 1945-2001, World War II in the Mediterranean and Middle East. 167 FMC, established by the XXX Corps which held only petrol, compo ration packs and ammunition. The 6th Line of Communications Sub Area was earmarked to take over the administration of the port of Rotterdam when it was captured. 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. 14 Army Roadhead in the Sulingen area from No. The 21st Army Group asked for four base supply depots (BSDs), six field bakeries, three field butcheries, a cold storage depot and two detail issue depots (DIDs). kat graham and ian somerhalder relationship; wet stone polisher harbor freight; how to transfer nft from coinbase wallet to metamask; colorado state university pueblo volleyball; platinum jubilee medal 2022 eligibility police; jay weatherill penny wong; this page. To coordinate troop movements between the First Canadian Army and the British Second Army, a joint office known as "Grouping Control" was established. Until the railway bridges could be brought into operation, maintenance depended entirely on road transport. [60], The engineer units in the XII Corps assault area were under 11th Army Group, Royal Engineers (AGRE), commanded by Colonel R. B. 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. A request for an increase in the theatre reserves from 28 to 51 days was approved by the War Office, but it was not possible to increase the stockpile of ammunition, as this was already being shipped at the maximum rate. A 229-metre (751ft) class 40 Bailey pontoon bridge was erected by the 7th Army Troops Engineers at Well and a 270-metre (880ft) one by the 6th Army Troops Engineers at Lottum was opened for traffic on 10 March. In addition to the storm boats, DUKWs, Buffaloes and Weasels,[62] there were also amphibious DD tanks. These two photos were taken in late 1956 by Lab Tech Cpl Peter Elgar: 13 Army Roadhead at Nijmegen. [39][40], The artillery fire plan for Operation Veritable called for the widespread use of "pepperpot tactics". This operation to cross the northern Rhine River launched in the night of 23 Mar 1945. Some of the ammunition that had earlier been dumped was to be made inaccessible by flood waters. Both were originally occupation forces in Germany, one after the First World War and the other after the Second World War. In addition to the road transport, the 21st Army Group also had barges capable of carrying 10,000 tonnes (10,000 long tons) of bulk POL. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2020. During the first three weeks of April 1945, the 21st Army Group advanced about 320 kilometres (200mi) across northern Germany to reach the Elbe on 19 April and then the Baltic Sea. [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. [10], HQ British Forces Germany was formed in January 2012, replacing the UKSC(G) and the Germany Support Group (GSG). Not all general accounts of the postwar army have overlooked the services experiences in developing ground forces for nuclear war, however. The BAOR was formerly armed with tactical nuclear weapons. The transfer involved 102,415 troops. In a European context the first step in this process was the 1947 Anglo-French Treaty of Dunkirk. Britain and Her Army, 15091970: A Military, Political, and Social Survey. USA & International; 100 13 Army Roadhead. 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. 1 Artillery Brigade Cold War.png 888 544; 45 KB. The second British Army on the Rhine was formed on 25 August 1945 from 21st Army Group. Corps Water Polo Championships, BAOR (British Army of the Rhine)Team Winners, Aldershot. To improve its combat effectiveness BAOR was equipped since the early 1960s with tactical nuclear weapons, and in so doing, became the first formation of the British army trained to fight and prevail on a nuclear battlefield. British Army Royal Engineers enaged in the building of The Freeman Bridge, The River Rhine, Dusseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. [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. Foster. Since the end of the Second World War, major reorganisation has resulted in the Coast Artillery being disbanded, the Anti Tank role being discontinued and the Anti . 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. This led to a scaling down of the British military presence, and a restructuring of command and support structures. Your current browser may not support copying via this button. Expands. RAF Germany was disbanded as a separate command in 1993 as part of the reduction of British Armed Forces presence in Europe at the cessation of the Cold War. [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. Only the class 70 bridges would take a loaded tank transporter. [81] The XII Corps plan called for the construction of a class 9 Folding Boat Equipment (FBE) bridge, a class 12 Bailey pontoon bridge and two class 40 Bailey pontoon bridges. 1st/4th and 9th battalions of the Seaforths were with the Rhine Army in 1919. It did not remove the need from road transport entirely though, and XXX Corps found that the First Canadian Army was unable to provide any additional resources. En 1961, il est affect au Royal Corps of Signals, et fair partie de la British Army of the Rhine. The following 12 files are in this category, out of 12 total. Dorsten Ammunition Depot munitions storage facility. [65], The buildup of stocks for Operation Plunder commenced on 8 March. [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. While it was under construction, the engineers came under attack by the Luftwaffe, and 8 men were killed and 22 wounded. [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. . [51] Rations were moved forward however, and 2,318,222 rations were stockpiled for Operation Veritable. 26 In a European context the first step in this process was the 1947 Anglo-French Treaty of . 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. [11] Rhine Garrison, which principally comprised HQ British Forces Germany in the Rheindahlen Military Complex and Elmpt Station (formerly RAF Bruggen), also reduced in size; the HQ moved to Bielefeld in July 2013 and other units returned to the UK. [26][27], Finding the additional service and supply units proved difficult, as the Mediterranean theatre had long been short of them. The extensive use of the German archives is commendable."--Ian F. W. Beckett, editor of Citizen Soldiers and the British Empire, 1837-1902 "Speiser provides a well-researched, lively account of how, not always successfully, after 1945 the British attempted to use their Rhine Army to win German hearts and minds. Blaxland 1971 and Mallinson 2009, for example, have produced histories of the army which are not entirely dominated by narratives of counterinsurgency campaigns. By this time a thaw had set in, and the ground was now soft and muddy, restricting off-road vehicle movement. As a result, vehicles owned by personnel ceased to have distinct registration plates, which had made them easily identifiable. 10 Army Roadhead commenced on 13 April, and the first train arrived at No. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Due to changing operational requirements, it was ultimately decided to build only three semi-permanent class 40 bridges, at Xanten, Rees and Arnhem, and two class 70 bridges, at Rees and Arnhem. After an advance which was thoroughly resisted, the British formations, along with the Canadians and Americans advanced into the German counties of Nordrhein-Westfalen, Niedersachsen and Schleswig-Holstein . That day trains also began arriving at No. bases and force levels," the political response focused on the creation of defensive alliances. The British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) was formed at the conclusion of World War II from various units of the British 21st Army Group. It was the largest concentration of British armed forces permanently stationed outside the United Kingdom. [63][72] The seaborne tail of the 6th Airborne Division established a DUKW replenishment area west of the Rhine from whence supplies were moved until it could cross the river. The class 40 timber pile bridge at Zanten, known as "Dempsey" was built by the 18th GHQ Troops Engineers and was opened on 26 May. 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. Garrison/HQ JHQ Rheindahlen, Germany. Photo courtesy of RAMC Lab Tech Cpl Peter Elgar 1958. [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. Army Group Royal Artillery . Moody, Simon J. Imagining Nuclear War in the British Army, 19451989. Check 'British Army of the Rhine' translations into Italian. [63] The final troop movements for Operation Plunder involved 662 tanks, over 4,000 tank transporters and 32,000 other vehicles. 10 Army Roadhead, while the attached II Canadian Corps continued to draw its from the First Canadian Army's No. [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. 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. 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. [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. [17], The British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) radio services were widely available on FM across north-western Germany. 14 Army Roadhead. Some 10,000 tonnes (10,000 long tons) of wooden piles, baulks and chesses was assembled for the project. This had been scheduled to occur on 20 March 1945, but in early February it was brought forward to 20 February. There have been two formations named British Army of the Rhine (BAOR). 11 Army Roadhead, it was dependent on the daily arrival of ammunition trains. 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. It is a history of British European security commitments, of NATO military strategy, and of the changing character of land warfare after 1945. The problem had been foreseen, and replacements were available on the ordnance depots. Temperatures were as low as 15C (5F) on 26 January, resulting in firm, frozen ground, but a subsequent thaw caused widespread flooding, and by 5 February a section of the Turnhout-Eindhoven road had become impassable even to four-wheel-drive vehicles. Consequently, the daily pack trains that carried supplies were normally run straight through from the advanced base to the corps railheads, which were normally stocked on a commodity basis, and the roadheads supporting the First Canadian Army carried much less stock than its British Second Army counterparts. British Army Of the Rhine Welcome Welcome to BAOR Locations. The two corps stocked their FMCs by road, but the completion of repairs to the 1,222-metre (4,008ft) bridge over the Maas at Gennep by the 7th Army Troops Engineers on 20 March relieved the pressure on the one at Grave, and it became possible to move the railhead to within the No. + $18.23 shipping. 168 FMC near Goch. WO1 Served from 1971 - 1993 Served in British Army of the Rhine. Alpine Training Centre (ATC) Hubertus-Haus this installation provides facilities and activities, including rock climbing, kayaking, paragliding, sailing, mountain biking, and winter sports, under the auspices of the Adventurous Training Foundation Delivery (AFTD), and is maintained by military and civil personnel. This brought the amount of road transport capacity under Second Army's control to 31,580 tonnes (31,080 long tons), which was reckoned to be the equivalent of 76 general transport companies. 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] Most of these units were progressively dissolved, so that by February 1920 there were only regular battalions: In August 1920 Winston Churchill told the British Parliament that the BAOR comprised approximately 13,360 troops, consisting of staff, cavalry, Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers, infantry, machine gun corps, tanks, and the usual ancillary services. London and Portland, OR: Frank Cass, 2000. [24], The Combined Chiefs further decided to reinforce Eisenhower's armies in North West Europe at the expense of those in the Mediterranean. The class 12 Bailey bridge, known as "Sussex", took the XII Corps Troops Engineers and the Royal Navy 43 hours to erect. [14] With the German offensive defeated, the US First Army reverted to American command on 18 January 1945,[15] but the US Ninth Army remained part of the 21st Army Group until 4 April. Army of Occupation commanders.jpg 800 595; 155 KB. 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. [7] The British Second Army liberated Brussels on 3 September, and Antwerp was captured virtually intact on 4 September,[8] but it could not be used as a port until the Germans were cleared from the Scheldt approaches, through which ships had to pass to reach the port. 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. A Mail on Sunday . reminiscing, whether colonel or corporal. Read reviews from the world's largest community for readers. 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. . [82][83], In the XXX Corps area, the engineer units were grouped under the 13th AGRE, under the command of Colonel F. C. Large numbers of displaced persons were also encountered, and they were accommodated in special camps. 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. This page is a list of British Armies in WWII. After the assumption of government by civilians, it became the command formation for the troops in Germany only . The Mediterranean theatre was only able to provide two field bakeries. Nottingham. It would also free transport to support a rapid advance. Margaret Brown. 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. Chinese surveillance cameras are being used at British Army bases despite Ministers banning them from Government buildings over fears they pose a major security risk. Not only was the 21st Army Group fighting alongside the much larger American armies, it had to deal with a severe shortage of manpower. 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. At this time the ration strength of the 21st Army Group was around 1.2 million, while that of the Mediterranean theatre was 1.4 million. It closed in March 1994. London: Bantam, 2009. [77] A 370-metre (1,220ft) class 40 Bailey pontoon bridge was built at Venlo by the 15th GHQ Troops Engineers. Bulk demands for artillery equipment, clothing and general stores were sent periodically by the formation's R.C.O.C. [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 XXX Corps Troops Engineers commenced work on the "Lambeth" class 15 Bailey pontoon bridge at 15:00 on 24 March, but work was frequently interrupted by German fire, and the bridge was not opened until 08:30 on 26 March. Divisions carried two days' compo rations in their first line (unit) transport and two days' in their second line (divisional) transport. [30], A rail halt was established at Gevrey-Chambertin and bivouac areas at Montbard and Chalon-sur-Sane. 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 . Following the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review, the permanent deployment in Germany ended in 2020. [28] Advance parties from each formation involved travelled by air from Florence, but most Operation Goldflake units moved by sea. An allocation of 300 tonnes (300 long tons) per day was made, but owing to competing American demands, the use of aircraft to repatriate liberated American, British and Commonwealth ex-prisoners of war (PWX), and a somewhat cumbersome procedure for requesting air deliveries, the tonnage of air freight never reached this level, averaging just 145 tonnes (143 long tons) per day for the month of April. [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. SALUTE South London Warlords. Deployed on the European Central Front with its NORTHAG sister formations, BAOR was a significant feature of NATOs forward shield of ground forces to deter or, if deterrence failed, to repel a major Warsaw Pact offensive on the Continent. This merely delayed work on the bridge, which was opened to traffic at 20:15. Over the next 24 hours, 7,415 vehicles crossed the bridge. [12] The two central garrisons - Gtersloh and Paderborn - combined to form a single 'super garrison' called Westfalen Garrison in April 2014. There have been two formations named British Army of the Rhine (BAOR). An emergency repair effort was conducted, and many were shipped direct from the workshops to the front lines. 12 Army Roadhead via the American rail bridge at Wesel three days later. British Army of the Rhine There have been two formations named British Army of the Rhine ( BAOR ). Both formations had areas of responsibility located around the German section of the River Rhine. Expand or collapse the "in this article" section, Expand or collapse the "related articles" section, Expand or collapse the "forthcoming articles" section, Africa, Gunpowder and Colonial Campaigns in, All-Volunteer Army, Post-Vietnam Through 2016, Armed Forces of the Ottoman Empire, 16831918, Australia from the Colonial Era to the Present. Work commenced at 09:30, and the bridge was opened for traffic at midnight. During this advance it suffered 7,665 casualties and captured 78,108 prisoners. 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 1949. [50], Because it was not anticipated that the advance would be rapid, it was not considered necessary to hold large stocks of petrol, oil and lubricants (POL) in the FMCs, but to ensure that vehicles moving to the assembly areas arrived with full tanks of fuel, a train loaded with petrol was sent to Nijmegen to allow them to be topped off. Its original function was to control the corps districts which were running the military government of the British zone of occupied Germany. Each man crossing the Rhine was issued with a 24-hour ration, an emergency ration, a tin of preserved meat, a tin of self-heating soup or cocoa, a packet of biscuits and a tommy cooker with six hexamine tablets. A broad look at the cultural attitudes of the British army and its relationship with wider society. The attacks resulted in the deaths of nine people, including three civilians, and many wounded. The object sank after being cut loose during an attempt to recover it, and the swimmer was captured. VIII Corps also used its own transport to haul ammunition for the crossing of the Elbe on 28 April. Demands for smoke generators exhausted the available stocks and generators were taken from the anti-aircraft gun positions around Antwerp.