1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards, known as 'The Welsh Cavalry', will be base in Sennelager - 10 years after they last served in Paderborn Garrison.

The Regiment, who provide the ‘Formation Reconnaissance’ role for 20th Armoured Brigade, last left the area in 1998 after spending 6 years based in Athlone Barracks – although the cavalrymen can trace their links back to the Paderborn area to over 250 years ago.

The unit move from Osnabrück is part of the wider Future Army Structure (FAS) programme which saw the departure of 12th Regiment Royal Artillery from Paderborn Garrison to Thorney Island, West Sussex last week.

QDG Regimental Sergent Major, WO1 Jerome Tyson explained: "It's great news, We've been looking forward to coming down to Dempsey for some time now and now we can now make it the home of 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards.

"We've been out in Osnabrück as part of the 20th Armoured Brigade for some time now and to back in the Paderborn area again will be good for us.  It's going to make a big difference being based in Sennelager as a lot of our traing is carried out here on the training area.

"It's been a logistical challenge to get all our technical kit down here from Osnabrück to Dempsey, but generally speaking we're very pleased to be down here."

Trooper Phillip Williams was a member of the Advance Party, arriving in Sennelager a month ahead of his colleagues.  He added: "We've been looking forward to coming down here for a while.  The main difference is the accommodation in the camp, but we are also closer to an airport so it'll be easier to get home."

The Regiment can trace its links with the area much further back in time, its forebears, The Kings Dragoon Guards and the Queen's Bays spent several winters in Paderborn during campaigns against the French in the late 1750s and early 1760s, and The King's Dragoon Guards also fought alongside soldiers from the area at the Battle of Waterloo.

WO1 Tyson concluded: "Many of the troopers who served in Sennelager in the 1990s are looking forward to rebuilding the strong ties that once existed between the Regiment and the people of Paderborn."

27 November 2007 - Going Going... Gun

A simple flag-lowering ceremony marked the departure of 12th Regiment Royal Artillery (12 Regt RA) from Paderborn this week. The unit, known as 'The Lancashire and Cumbrian Gunners', are leaving Dempsey Barracks in Sennelager to make a new home for themselves in the UK at Thorney Island in Chchester Harbour, West Sussex. The move is part of the wider Future Army Stracture (FAS) programme and will see the camp on Husaren Strasse reoccupied by 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards who are heading south from Osnabrück at the start of December. Commanding Officer of 12 Regt RA, Lieutenant Colonel Robert Pizii, said: "It's been an absolute pleasure serving in Paderborn and although we're not Brigade troops, the Garrison have really looked after us well over the years and it will be a sad, sad day when we leave.

"We're going to a two Regiment station rather than a Garrison and I know that a lot of the soldiers will miss being at the heart of the community in Germany and everything that goes with living in Paderborn.

Last week the last remaining Gunners in Dempsey Barracks held a special church service at St Christopher's Church which was followed by a rugby match against 28 Engr Regt.

12 Regt RA has been involved in operations across the globe since it's formation in 1941, most recently deploying to Iraq on Op TELIC 8 in 2006 in support of the 20th Armoured Brigade.

The Regiment will continue to provide support to the units in Germany - despite being based in the south of England. According to Lt Col Pizii: "We provide Close Air Defence to each of the brigades in 1st (UK) Armoured Division and so each of my Batteries will retain a close affliliation [with BFG] both for training and, where appropriate, on operations."

Gunner Daniel Bell says the Regiment have really pulled together in preparation for the move. "We had to service all the vehicles and ensure that they were serviceable to go back. To Pack up the Regiment everything needs to be packed and boxed and shifted away. Everyone's benn chipping in for every part of it and just helping out with each other."

Captain Andrew McMahon, BK of 58 (Eyre's) Battery, says although he will miss life in BFG he's feeling positive about the move to the UK. "I've had a great time here in Germany, both as a 'singly' and as a 'pad' - it's been wonderful. However I'm looking forward to moving back to the UK with the sights and sounds of London being just there.

"I think most of our guys now have come to terms with the fact that they're moving and they're well up for it. Doubtless there'll be many things they'll miss about Germany but I think they're looking forward to the many new opportunities that they're going to have in England."

The unit move has been more challenging for other members of the Regiments who have served their entire military career in BFG. 30-year-old Sgt Michael Emmerson has only ever served in Germany since he completed his initial training in1987. He now lives in his own house in the suburbs of Paderborn with his German wife and 10-year-old son, Tobias, who attends a German school and even toured Rome last month as a member of the Paderborn Dom cathedral choir where he performed for the Pope.

To remain in Sennelager, the Gunner qualified for the 'Information Systems' career stream and now works as an Application Specialist within Headquarters 20th Armoured Brigade.

He said: "We would have managed if I'd moved back to the UK, but it would have cut into my savings.  But the transfer has worked out really well.

"Paderborn is a nice, clean city and everyone I've met is friendly-they're not your stereotypical German. I'm still British and I support England rather than Germany in football, if only for the friendly banter with neighbours."

But the Commanding Officer spoke on behalf of those who returns to the UK, concluding: "I would like to say goodbye to Paderborn Garrison and thank you very much for everything that you've done for us and I hope you miss us."