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Manteuffel Kaserne: the immediate post war years - Part
III
Bad Kissingen had no heavy industry
and escaped damage during the war. The town, well
suited with its Kur Hotels and medical clinics, was a
rest and convalescence center for German war wounded.
Although there were some sharp fights by the surrounding
towns, there was no fighting in Bad Kissingen as the war
ended. On 8 April, 1945, the city surrendered to
elements of the 3/15th Infantry of the 3rd Infantry
Division. Lt. Emil T Byke led the initial patrol into
the city, the surrender was negotiated by LTC Chris
Chaney.
The unit history reports that 2825
German soldiers / medical patients passed into US hands
... almost all of them wounded or medical attending
personnel. In an interesting twist of history, at this
same time, to the north, near Fulda, the remains of the
2nd Panzer Division also surrendered to US forces. The
division was commanded by General Stollbrock; six years
earlier, he had been the first combat commander of
Manteuffel's own Kradschutzen Battalion #2.
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Manteuffel Kaserne as
seen from the air in 1950 during a survey to determine troop basing
areas. Note that this is prior to any construction in the " lower
Kaserne " area. US Government Archives --Geoff Walden |
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The immediate post war period finds
fleeting references to Manteuffel Kaserne and the US
presence. At Bad Kissingen, a POW camp
existed temporarily as well as a repair hub for US
vehicles. Both activities were located in the park
area. During this same period, the US forces that had
also swept through Meiningen pulled back as occupation
lines were formalized to accommodate the Russian Army
that had pushed into Germany from the East.
Starting in November, 1945, the XII
US Army Air Force Tactical Air Command was located in
Bad Kissingen, most probably at Manteuffel. They
departed in 1948. The Kaserne then was used as the
European Headquarters for the International Refugee
Organization. This humanitarian group helped feed,
house and relocated the hundreds of thousands of
refugees and displaced persons found throughout Germany
in the post war period. One of their major camps was
located at the former Kaserne at Wildflecken. Both the
Army Air Force and IRO probably chose Bad Kissingen because
it was one of the very few intact cites left in
Bavaria. Unfortunately, I have been unable to find any
meaningful photographs to help tell this part of the
story.
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Daley Barracks gate as
of 1954. 14th ACR Yearbook --Stefanowicz |
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Newly remodeled NCO
club (top) and Frontier Theater. 14th ACR Yearbook --Stefanowicz |
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The Cavalry Comes to Bad Kissingen
As the US military in Germany
evolved from the army of occupation to the
constabulary force to the first days of the Cold War
and a standing army designed to safeguard West
Germany and western Europe, basing considerations
and unit assignments were under careful
consideration. As early as 1949, Manteuffel was
marked at a future Army barracks and 30 acres of
land by the former main gate were requisitioned to
accommodate the building of the " lower Kaserne ".
We remember this area as home of the chapel, PX,
commissary, Serviceman 's Center, gym, Frontier
Movie Theater and MP station.
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2nd Battalion / 14th
ACR Headquarters at Daley Barracks. 1955 Yearbook --Walter Elkins |
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Tank company M47 ammo
inspection at Daley, 1954. Yearbook --Stefanowcz |
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The former German training area
by Reiterswiesen also was included in the master
plan and design and construction of the first
Ammo Supply Point began. The building that would
become the Bachelor Officer Quarters was
requisitioned.
In 1951 the barracks and mess
hall buildings of Manteuffel were remodeled and as
construction of the new troop support buildings
neared completion, the 2nd battalion of the 14th
Armored Cavalry Regiment moved from Schweinfurt to
their new home in Bad Kissingen. In 1952,
additional land was requisitioned and construction
began on the Military Housing Area. The following
year, the barracks was officially designated as
Daley Barracks; named in honor of Tech 5 William T.
Daley, a highly decorated soldier killed in fighting
by the German town of Greussen during the war.
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The red arrow indicates
Daley Barracks, the yellow arrow indicates the Housing Area under
construction. Yearbook --Walter Elkins |
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Men of ' E ' Company
outside of barracks. 1954 Yearbook --Stefanowicz |
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The Cavalry, Daley Barracks and the 1950's /
60's
The traditions of the
Eaglehorse Squadron go deep into the 1950's.
The yearbook records of the 2nd battalion / 14th
ACR indicate that they trained hard and played
hard. While there is sparse coverage of the
border mission, many pages are devoted to
training at Wildflecken and Grafenwoehr, the
visits of dignitaries, FTX's in the German
countryside and winning sports and marksmanship
teams. Also during this period, the long
affiliation between the unit and various German
orphanages in the area began. This continued at
least through the early 1980's.
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The winning 2/14
football team, 1952 |
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An M 24
Chaffee light tank of Recon Company ' E ' trains at Wildflecken. |
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The squadron was also involved with two large
German public works projects; the construction
of the Ring Strasse, just outside the main gate,
to keep military traffic away from the city
center and assisting in the construction of the
new city swimming pool in Bad Kissingen.
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RCO, COL
Graham (( right )) and Lord Mayor of Bad Kissingen, Dr. Hans Weiss,
begin construction of the Ring Strasse bypass, 1960 |
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In jeeps
and trucks, they fanned out into the border area to reach the
children of the smallest villages with presents, candy and fresh
fruit. 1960 |
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Return to History |
History Part I |
History Part II | History Part III
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