Daley Barracks History

Manteuffel Kaserne: the immediate post war years.

Bad Kissingen had no heavy industry and escaped damage during the war. The town, well suited with its Kur Hotels and medical clinics, was a rest and convalescence center for German war wounded. Although there were some sharp fights by the surrounding towns, there was no fighting in Bad Kissingen as the war ended. On 8 April, 1945, the city surrendered to elements of the 3/15th Infantry of the 3rd Infantry Division. Lt. Emil T Byke led the initial patrol into the city, the surrender was negotiated by LTC Chris Chaney.

The unit history reports that 2825 German soldiers / medical patients passed into US hands ... almost all of them wounded or medical attending personnel. In an interesting twist of history, at this same time, to the north, near Fulda, the remains of the 2nd Panzer Division also surrendered to US forces. The division was commanded by General Stollbrock; six years earlier, he had been the first combat commander of Manteuffel's own Kradschutzen Battalion #2.

The immediate post war period finds fleeting references to Manteuffel Kaserne and the US presence. At Bad Kissingen, a POW camp existed temporarily as well as a repair hub for US vehicles. Both activities were located in the park area. During this same period, the US forces that had also swept through Meiningen pulled back as occupation lines were formalized to accommodate the Russian Army that had pushed into Germany from the East.

Starting in November, 1945, the XII US Army Air Force Tactical Air Command was located in Bad Kissingen, most probably at Manteuffel. They departed in 1948. The Kaserne then was used as the European Headquarters for the International Refugee Organization. This humanitarian group helped feed, house and relocated the hundreds of thousands of refugees and displaced persons found throughout Germany in the post war period. One of their major camps was located at the former Kaserne at Wildflecken. Both the Army Air Force and IRO probably chose Bad Kissingen because it was one of the very few intact cites left in Bavaria. Unfortunately, I have been unable to find any meaningful photographs to help tell this part of the story.

The Cavalry Comes to Bad Kissingen

As the US military in Germany evolved from the army of occupation to the constabulary force to the first days of the Cold War and a standing army designed to safeguard West Germany and western Europe, basing considerations and unit assignments were under careful consideration. As early as 1949, Manteuffel was marked at a future Army barracks and 30 acres of land by the former main gate were requisitioned to accommodate the building of the " lower Kaserne ". We remember this area as home of the chapel, PX, commissary, Serviceman 's Center, gym, Frontier Movie Theater and MP station.

The former German training area by Reiterswiesen also was included in the master plan and design and construction of the first Ammo Supply Point began. The building that would become the Bachelor Officer Quarters was requisitioned.

In 1951 the barracks and mess hall buildings of Manteuffel were remodeled and as construction of the new troop support buildings neared completion, the 2nd battalion of the 14th Armored Cavalry Regiment moved from Schweinfurt to their new home in Bad Kissingen. In 1952, additional land was requisitioned and construction began on the Military Housing Area. The following year, the barracks was officially designated as Daley Barracks; named in honor of Tech 5 William T. Daley, a highly decorated soldier killed in fighting by the German town of Greussen during the war.

The Cavalry, Daley Barracks and the 1950's / 60's

The traditions of the Eaglehorse Squadron go deep into the 1950's. The yearbook records of the 2nd battalion / 14th ACR indicate that they trained hard and played hard. While there is sparse coverage of the border mission, many pages are devoted to training at Wildflecken and Grafenwoehr, the visits of dignitaries, FTX's in the German countryside and winning sports and marksmanship teams. Also during this period, the long affiliation between the unit and various German orphanages in the area began. This continued at least through the early 1980's.

The squadron was also involved with two large German public works projects; the construction of the Ring Strasse, just outside the main gate, to keep military traffic away from the city center and assisting in the construction of the new city swimming pool in Bad Kissingen.

An M 24 Chaffee light tank of Recon Company ' E ' trains at Wildflecken.

RCO, COL Graham (( right )) and Lord Mayor of Bad Kissingen, Dr. Hans Weiss, begin construction of the Ring Strasse bypass, 1960

In jeeps and trucks, they fanned out into the border area to reach the children of the smallest villages with presents, candy and fresh fruit. 1960