Sehr geehrter Forum Teilnehmer,
Entschuldigung für meine Sprachfehler (ich bin Belgier/Flame).
Dienstag, 17/10/2017 habe ich mich in das Forum "Schatzsucher.de" registriert, denn ich hatte unter das Themen "Schatzsucher.de>Militaria>U-anlagen>Kalter Krieg Raketen-Basis an der A44 - Wer weiss was ?" eine Konversation entdeckt bischen Dackelfreund, Firefighter, Puetz, Jonastalmike, Carpkiller und Jürgen Zapf (datiert Januar 2008 !!!!) über Raketenabschussbasise in Kaster und Umgebung ...
Da mein Deutsch nicht so gut ist, werde ich verfolgen in Englisch ... (meine Entschuldigung).
Zur information :
sie dürfen im Deutsch antworten/reagieren, denn ich verstehe die Deutsche Sprache ziemlich gut.
But let me first introduce myself : my name is Jan Willems, 66 years and retired (on pension).
After my professional bank career, I gave myself time to explore one of my hobbies and I became historian (researcher and author of some historical books).
At present, I am living in the city of Merchtem, a village +/- 15 km N.W. from Brussels).
On the 1st of October 1971 (46 years ago !!!) I was called to join the Belgian Army (Luftwaffe). After one month of 'military training' (in Belgium), I had to move to Kaster (Germany) where I have stayed and 'served' at the 9th Wing Missiles / 53th squadron from the 29th of November 1971 until the 27th of September 1972 (10 months) as 'airfield defender commando', at the NATO-Missile Camp in Kaster.
By accidentally reading the communications and discussions on this specific forum(thema), I have the impression that there was (and is still ?) under the (former) citizens in the region around Kaster a lot of uncertainty and vagueness about the mission of that military station in the Kaster' fields.
Therefore, because I have been there during 10 months (in 1971/1972), I probably can give, after all these years some clarity.
In the camp (die Kaserne) at Kaster were Belgian soldiers (+/- 200) as well as American soldiers (+/- 30). The communication between the 'ordinary' Belgian soldiers and the Americans was minimal (they also lived in separate buildings).
I was an (ordinary) 'Airfield Defender Commando. Life in the camp (in die Kaserne) consisted in the creation of (military) discipline, shooting practice, theory lessons for nuclear defending methods (how to behave during diverse kinds of nuclear conflicts) and the common camp tasks such as helping in the kitchen, cleaning, a.s.o.
Although, the main part of my 'commando mission' in Kaster was guarding/watching over the launching site of the missiles.
The launching site was permanently guarded 365 (366)/365(366) days a year, 24 hours a day. The whole site was blocked by a three metres high barbed fence, behind the barbed fence was a corridor of +/- 4 metres wide and a second barbed fence of 3 metres high. In the corridor were six guard huts (one of these was on a tower).
The missiles were located in the middle of the site (= behind the second inside fence) in great bunkers.
Sometimes during the day, the missiles were moved outside the bunkers and set up 'ready for launching' (for training and testing).
During the nights heavy/strong main head lights were shining over the site environment (which means that the six commando posts stood in the searchlights !!!).
The organisation of the guard mission was as follows : a group of 18 commandos went by a Bedford truck from the camp (Kaserne) to the launch site. At the launch site the group commandos were divided in three smaller groups of six commandos. Group A went to the six guard huts for two hours ... Group B could take a catnap in the sleeping room for two hours and Group C was 'stand-by' during two hours. After two hours, Group B took the shift of Group A and Group A took the shift of Group C ... and so on ... 24 hours a day.
The day after, the 18 commando were replaced by another group of (18) commandos ...
After a 'day & night' guarding, the commandos returned to the camp (in 'stand-by modus') ... Unfortunately, this did not mean that we could sleep whole day ... because some of the 'camp officers' (professional' soldiers/officers) often called totally unexpected for 'rassemblement' which means that every soldier in the camp should be present within 10' in battle dress on the camp square (bullying !!!)
The "military training" in and around the camp (Kaserne) was in the hands of Belgian professional soldiers. This group was made of professional soldiers who had been fighting very heavily in the years 1960 in former 'Belgian Congo' ... and being honest : most of them acted as virile macho's (also in the Kaster Camp).
The professional soldiers of the 'radar site' (the radar controllers) were a lot softer. They often operated in non-military clothes. Most of them were graduated engineers. The 'radar site' was separated from the 'launching site'.
And indeed ... there were nuclear warheads in Kaster ... These nuclear warheads were occasionally (not daily and for training and testing) occasionally installed on the missiles
A few times a year the professionals organized trainings under the flag of the NATO on the isle of Crete during which unloaded missiles were launched.
Actually, I could tell for many hours about my 'period of soldier' .... (deutlichkeitshalber : ich bin/wäre kein Anhänger des Militarismus !!!).
Dear Forum Teilnehmer, ... the reason(s) why I now try to contact you (and the others) regarding this forum topic anno Januar 2008 is twofold :
I would like to give some more information to the gegeben forum members and citizens of the city of Kaster about what happened in the camp (Kaserne) and on the launching site ... I think that my personal experiences in the years 1971/1972 will contribute to their questions and/or discussions ...
and secondly ... being now a historian (historical researcher and author), I am still looking for pictures and photos of the military buildings/sites in Kaster during the years 1970/1980, taken by citizens of Kaster and environment.
I am also looking for photos/pictures of the 'verfalling', the running-down of these military sites in Kaster after they have been (military) closed.
I have heard that the camp (Kaserne) is changed into a studfarm (Gestüt/Pferdestall) and that the 'launching site' is totally changed into one big/great ruin ... Is that true ???
And if you (Dackelfreund, Carpkiller, Puetz, Jürgen Zapf, Firefighter, jonastalmike : sehe Forumthema 2008) are interested, I can forward some photos of my 'soldier period' in Kaster, including photos I made of the launching side (which was forbidden to do) during my commando guard.
Hoping to get a positive reaction from you
by e-mail ... helping me how I can contact the people who have put postings on this ForumThema (in the year 2008) ... I send you my best and kind regards.
Please send your reply (in German) to :
janwillems@telenet.be
xxx
too much personal data for the world wide web ...
ghostwriter 23.10.17 - 20:15 h