German drawdown plans announced (From Salisbury Journal)

German drawdown plans announced

7:40am Thursday 29th December 2011 in Forces focus By David Falcke

ABOUT 1,800 soldiers are to return to the UK from January as the withdrawal of British military personnel stationed in Germany gets under way as part of the MoD plan to relocate 20,000 soldiers by 2020 to save £250million per year.

None of these troops will come to Salisbury Plain as the army will take over RAF Kinloss in Scotland to maintain troop levels there, a purely political move I am sure and not one that the soldiers involved will appreciate. RAF Cottesmore in Rutland will also be transferred to the army.

About 930 soldiers from 39 Engineer Regiment (Air Support) move from Waterbeach, near Cambridge, to Kinloss in the summer of 2012.

The large logistic base at Abdingdon will expand with the arrival of 120 soldiers from 43 Close Support Squadron RLC which moves from Gütersloh, Germany.

The RAF is vacating its base at Cottesmore in 2012 and it will receive 2nd Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment from Cyprus in July 2012, affecting 620 soldiers. 7 Regiment Royal Logistic Corps from Bielefeld in Germany will arrive there by summer 2013.

In July 2013, 2nd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment moves from Cyprus to Elizabeth Barracks, Pirbright, recently vacated by 1 Royal Anglian who have moved to Bulford. This will affect 620 soldiers The relocations mean Waterbeach Barracks will be sold while Trenchard Barracks at Celle and Munster station will be handed back to the German authorities and the Rheindahlen Military Complex will close – the end of an era in Germany.

Next year, its regional headquarters in Edinburgh and Shrewsbury will be replaced by a central HQ in Aldershot.