Brigade Rest Camp Holland 1945

[Brewins girl]

Is anyone able to tell me anything about a Brigade Rest Camp in Holland where a soldier stationed in Haren, near the German/Dutch border in June 1945 might have gone?


Also, he was in REME which I know is a Unit rather than a Brigade - any idea what ‘Brigade’ that might have been please?

[Andy J2022]

Technically speaking the REME is not a unit but a Corps. REME soldiers could be employed at several levels. They could be serving within a Light Aid Detachment (LAD) within an armoured or mechanised regiment, say the Royal Armoured Corps or Gunners. The next level up is the Field Workshop usually commanded by a Major with around 100 or so specialist tradesmen. The Field Workshop would serve all the units in a Brigade and virtually every Brigade would have its own Field Workshop. The next level up would be a base workshop, located a little way back, probably located in a (fairly) static site like a requisitioned factory. They would deal with such tasks as repairing battle-damaged tanks.

Do you know what trade your man was? That might give a clue as to which type of REME unit he might have been serving in. However if that was a Field Workshop, it won't narrow things down, because virtually all Brigades had one (the exceptions are formation such as the Parachute Brigades).     

[Brewins girl]

Im feeling somewhat embarrassed. I knew REME was a Corps - I think I'd got 'Unit' on my mind because I'd just read something my soldier had written (in a letter) about the Unit. I've only just returned to writing after a break of several months, so I don't think I was properly tuned in when I wrote my query.

I'm doubly embarrassed because if I'd stopped to think I knew that he was with 109 HAA Workshop - he was a Clerk Technical.

My apologies, especially as you've been so generous and full in your explanation and questions Andy.

So my question, had I thought it through properly, should have been "Was 109 HAA the 'Brigade' he referred to?" (as a non-military person I struggle to understand the difference between Regiment and Brigade etc) and then asked the question about the Brigade Rest Centre.

[Andy J2022]

Hi Brewins Girl,
No need to apologise, I'm glad to help.
109 Heavy Antiaircraft was a regiment in the Royal Artillery You can read a bit more about them here (that one lists the brigades the Regiment was attached to) and here (the second one has some discussion about the unit in April 1945, which may or may not be relevant to your query).
If you want to see the unit's war diaries, (either for the whole period of hostilities or just the period you know your man was with them) they are at TNA: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/browse/r/h/C96797 Unfortunately they aren't yet digitised so it would need an in-person visit.

[Brewins girl]

Thank you again Andy J2022. Those links were interesting.
Pre-Covid I made several visits to TNA where I looked at the REME war diaries and the last time came across an entry in my soldier’s handwriting where he reported his return to his Unit after a period of hospitalisation. That was really exciting and rewarding. I’d love to go back to do more research but am unlikely to be able to do so, not last of all because of the costs involved (travel from Shropshire & accommodation ) I will, however, check their catalogue to see if there’s anything about the Brigade Rest Centre though.

Just to clarify, am I right in thinking that the’Brigade’ was the Royal Artillery?

[Andy J2022]

In this case, yes the brigade that 109 HAA Regt formed part of was an artillery brigade of mixed anti-aircraft capabilities. However, exactly what the Brigade Rest Camp was and who sponsored it is unclear. Troops were taken out of the order of battle when the operational pace eased off, for a chance to get some rest and recreation (R&R). By the spring of 1945, the Luftwaffe was virtually out of action on the Western Front so there would have been less need for Allied anti-aircraft defences.

[Brewins girl]

Many thanks