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

[Brewins girl]

Having asked this question back at the end of May I should have waited until I’d read my soldier Ron’s later letter when he was actually at the Rest Camp at the end of June 1945. I now know it was in Zuidlaren in Holland. Although he was still with 109HAA I think they were also attached to the Canadians who liberated Zuidlaren on 13 April 1945. I’m wondering if the ‘Brigade’ was Canadian then? Any thoughts? Or suggestions where I might look

[Andy J2022]

You probably need to check the REME Workshop war diaries at TNA (or ask some kind soul to do so on your behalf) but as far as I am aware 109 HAA Regiment (and its attached REME) were part of 107 Anti Aircraft Brigade which was under command of 2nd 1 Canadian Corps from December 1944 through to VE day. I think the Anti Aircraft Brigade would have been under direct command of the Divisional or Corps Headquarters. This forum article indicates that 109 HAA Regiment were part of the 2nd Canadian Corps in April 1944, but doesn't mention the name of the intervening brigade they were part of at that time: https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=114&t=233555&p=2122793#p2122793
As your original question was about the unit in June 1945, that is to say, after VE day, I would be fairly surprised if the unit (109 HAA Regiment) hadn't reverted to their national chain of command by then, so the Canadian Corps may well have dropped out of the picture.

The definitive history of the Anti Aircraft Regiments in WW2 is:   
Brig N.W. Routledge, History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: Anti-Aircraft Artillery 1914–55, London: Royal Artillery Institution/Brassey's, 1994, ISBN 1-85753-099-3.
Sadly I don't have a copy but you might be able to get it on an inter-library loan. Alternatively the RA Museum at Larkhill may be able to provide more details.