DRAGONER I TYSKLAND 1947 - 1958.

Den danske brigade i Tyskland.

 I juni 1947 indtog fortroppen af den nyoprettede enhed "Den danske Brigade i Tyskland" dens standpladser i Jever- og Varelland samt på Aurichhalvøen i det østlige Frisland, der var blevet tildelt styrken som besættelsesområde i Tyskland. Senere blev en afdeling placeret i Oldenburg. Området lå i den britiske besættelseszone. 

Dermed havde befrielsesregeringen honoreret den "veksel", som danske kredse i London havde udstedt under krigen at Danmark ville påtage sig forpligtelser i forbindelse med besættelsen af Tyskland. Styrkens opgave var en besættelsesstyrke eller som det er blevet udtrykt "at være her". Det betød, at den sammen med de øvrige allierede styrker var den magtfaktor, som sikrede at de civile myndigheder kunne arbejde i efterkrigstidens Tyskland. 

Styrken bestod af værnepligtige mandskab og var i tidsrummet fra juni 1947 til foråret 1949 på omk. 4000 mand. 

Efter forhandlinger med Storbritannien i 1948-49 blev aftalen forlænget til 1951. Styrken blev dog reduceret til 2000 mand fra og med april 49. I efteråret samme år blev den yderligere skåret ned til ca. 1000 mand og desuden forlagt til det vestlige Holstein. Dens navn blev samtidig ændret til "Det danske kommando i Tyskland".

 

The Danish Brigade in Germany.  

 In June 1947, the confederation of the newly established unit "The Danish Brigade in Germany" took its stands in Jever and Varelland and on the Aurich Peninsula in eastern Frisia, which had been awarded the strength of occupation in Germany. Later a department was located in Oldenburg. The area was in the British occupation zone. 

Thus, the liberation government had honored the "exchange" that Danish circles in London had issued during the war that Denmark would assume obligations in connection with the occupation of Germany. The task of the strength was a occupation force or as it has been expressed "to be here". This meant that, along with the other Allied forces, it was the power factor that ensured that the civilian authorities could work in post-war Germany. 

The force consisted of military personnel and was in the period from June 1947 to the spring of 1949, in approximately 4000 men. 

After negotiations with Britain in 1948-49, the agreement was extended until 1951. However, the strength was reduced to 2,000 men from April 49. In the autumn of the same year, it was further reduced to about 1000 male and in addition sent to western Holstein. Its name was simultaneously changed to "The Danish Command in Germany".

 

 

Det danske kommando i Tyskland 

Den 7. okt. 1949 overtog oberst Bjerregaard ved en parade i Jever den enhed, han i den kommende tid skulle have kommandoen over. Enheden, "Det danske kommando i Tyskland", afløste "Den danske brigade i Tyskland", og var på ca. 1.000 mand. Den var forsat stationeret i Jever i det tidl. brigadeområde. l nov. 49 afgik et forkommando til den gamle danske garnisonsby, Itzehoe i Holstein, for at overtage kasernen der efter den norske Tysklandsbrigade. De øvrige afdelinger overførtes hertil i løbet af december og januar. Den 24. januar 1950 var kommandoet endeligt etableret i Itzehoe, som blev deres garnisonsby indtil det blev opløst i 1958. I 1951 blev styrken forstærket med et ingeniørkompagni. Senere fulgte et stabs-kompagni. Brigaden og kommandoet var oprindeligt sendt til Tyskland som besættelsesstyrker, men opgaven ændredes med årene, i januar 1951 indgik enheden i den stående Nato-styrke i det nordtyske område, Allied Land Forces Schleswig-Holstein, (ALF S-H), der var underlagt general Eisenhowers kommando. Chefen for den norske Tysklandsbrigade fik kommandoen over ALF S-H. Efter den norske brigades tilbagetrækning i 1953 overgik denne kommandopost til chefen for "Det danske kommando". ALF S-H havde hovedkvarter i Rendsburg, hvor et mindre detachement af kommandoet blev stationeret. I 1952 blev Vesttyskland en suveræn stat og kort tid efter tilsluttet NATO. Dermed var kommandoets besættelsesopgaver definitivt bortfaldet.

Med udgangen af marts 1958 returnerede Det danske Kommando fra Itzehoe til Danmark. En historisk epoke var afsluttet.

 

 

The Danish command in Germany

 October 7th. In 1949, Colonel Bjerregaard took over at a parade in Jever the unity he had to command over the next few years. The unit, "The Danish Command in Germany", replaced "The Danish Brigade in Germany", and was about 1,000 male. It was still stationed in Jever in the former Brigade area. l Nov. 49 sent a pre command to the old Danish garnish city, Itzehoe in Holstein, to take over the barracks there after the Norwegian German brigade. The other departments were transferred during December and January. On January 24, 1950, the command was finally established in Itzehoe, which became their garrison city until dissolved in 1958. In 1951, the strength was strengthened with an engineering company. Later a staff company followed. The brigade and command were originally sent to Germany as occupying forces, but the task changed over the years, in January 1951, the unity of the standing NATO force in the northern German territory, Allied Land Forces Schleswig-Holstein (ALF SH), was subject to General Eisenhowers command. The head of the Norwegian German brigade was given command of ALF S-H. Following the withdrawal of the Norwegian brigade in 1953, this command post passed to the head of "The Danish Command". ALF S-H had its headquarters in Rendsburg, where a minor detachement of the command was stationed. In 1952, West Germany became a sovereign state and soon after joining NATO. Thus, the occupation tasks of the command were definitively canceled.

By the end of March 1958, the Danish Command from Itzehoe returned to Denmark. A historical epoch was completed.

 

Hvor er Kasernen på Langer Peter Strasse i Itzehoe i dag? Where can I find the Langer Peter Barracks today?

 Se dragonernes egne foto fra tiden ved Den Danske Brigade (Oldenburg) og Det Danske Kommando (Itzehoe) her: 

See the Dragons own photo from the time at The Danish Brigade (Oldenburg) and the Danish Command (Itzehoe) here:

1947-58 TYSKLAND 2