Rheindahlen explored
 

Sigh, spent many a day there, 52 hour disco's lol.

Abandoned Rheindahlen town leaves explorer gobsmacked | Watch

What a surprise! I did my last 7 years there, including the transfer from HQ RAFG to HQ 2 Group. I left in 1996 and hadn't appreciated that the site had been subsequently abandoned to nature, as seems to have happened, with the local German authorities apparently unable to find a use for it. And what about the Hospital at Wegberg? I'd imagine some use has been found for that?

I stopped there a year ago, and parked at the British Cemetery. There is a gap in the fence that allows you to enter via the back garden of 21 Canberra Crescent! We made our way around and eventually to Bodmin Walk, where I live from 1980-83 (was at Queens School until 'O' Levels). It was an extraordinary experience, with some grey, windy and drizzly conditions to enhance it! A plain clothes police van stopped us on Robertson Road and we discussed what we were doing. They said that in the week the police use it for live firing urban tactics training! They said they were ok with us doing what we were doing, but to be wary of the civilian security guards, who would not be so relaxed! It was real shame we could not have spent longer and seen the various attractions and memories.

Visitors are quite a common thing I think - I'm in a FB group, or two, which regularly has photos posted. The roads had spay painted arrows to guide you back to the house with the hole in the fence!

Great site here too: https://jhq-rheindahlen.de/jhq-maps

Very loosely related. We were at Brüggen 95-98 and last year on our EU holiday we dropped in to see if we could see what's recognisable. Nothing bar the main gate. We spoke with the security people, and it was a flat no as it was a working building site. So my wife & I had our photo taken at the gate and that was it. Even Elmpt was only vaguely recognisable.

Went to Rhein D in 2012 for the closure of the RAFGGA ...should have been at Bruggen, but, changed at the last minute....seemingly the Army couldn't cope with the expected influx of former (alleged ! ) hooligans.

The place was still active, families in quarters etc, but, the amusing bit came when we went to the NAAFI shop and tried to buy...coffee ! BIG NO ! as it was, unbelievably, still on ration !

Went to Elmpt the next day and stopped at the schnell imbiss just past the Esso station...now a modern outlet !....am pleased to say I contributed to its development.

Thence to Bruggen....admitted no problem (the Army were still in residence) and had a good look around....MT yard looked like something out of a Western movie,,,tumble weed everywhere....wandered around various HAS's, had a look at " Q". and the still standing gliding club hangar (don't ask about where some of the roof sheeting came from)...and went down the road by the swimming pool noting, after how many years, ??!! fire escapes had finally been added to the blocks ! ...looked at what remained of 431...thence to Roermond and the train home.

I had two Rheindahlen tours totalling nine years. I will add a few lines soon.