For a second there I thought I didn't know my barracks from my elbow! Wellington Barracks definitely still there and there was a soldier on duty at the barrier when I walked past. Apparently there was a plan to sell off Hyde Park Barracks but that threat seems to have gone away.
Apologies Mr Tredigraph, I was talking barracks. I mixed up Chelsea Barracks on Chelsea Bridge Rd, which is now a huuuuuuge building site bought by the Qataris (luxury everything...) with Wellington Barracks. I used to see regular Puma, Lynx and Gazelle landing there, or parked back in the day when that was my stomping ground.
Thank you Big Eric, as usual, your information is impeccable. Any idea as to why US Army aircraft were here and headed to the ExCel ? My friend who saw them must have seen them retreating from their position and it looked like they were landing near Charing Cross heading East down the river.