Leighton Barracks Würzburg

Info

Leighton Barracks is a former military garrison, located in Würzburg, Germany. It was closed in Sept 2008 and will be re-opened as a new district in 2018.

Geschichte

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Leighton Barracks is a former military garrison, located in Würzburg, Germany. It was closed in September 2008 and parts of it are used by the University of Würzburg today. The whole area will be re-opened to the public in 2018.

The garrison's origins begin in 1936 when Fliegerhorst Würzburg was established for the Luftwaffe as an operational base. It had an all-way grass landing/takeoff area where aircraft simply were directed into the wind for takeoffs and landings. It's use during World War II is undetermined.

Würzburg and its airfield was captured by the United States Army in April 1945 as part of the Western Allied invasion of Germany. The airfield was repaired by IX Engineering Command, Ninth Air Force into an Army Air Forces advanced Landing Ground, designated R-24. IX Air Service Command units used the airfield as a casualty evacuation and combat resupply airfield.

After the German Capitulation, Air Force units moved out of the field and the facility was turned over to the United States Army as an occupation garrison. For over 60 years, the facility, renamed Leighton Barracks after CPT John A. Leighton, Commanding Officer, Company G, 10th Armored Infantry Battalion, 4th Armored Division, who was killed in action July 18, 1944. American troops occupied the airfield on Easter, 1945. Leighton Barracks now served as headquarters for the 1st Infantry Division, along with subordinate military intelligence, signal, and maintenance units.

The former Luftwaffe/AAF airfield was reduced to a helipad, known as Leighton Army Airfield (Heliport). The garrison was closed in 2008 and returned to German control. The farewell took place on May 13th, 2008, with the obtaining of the American flag while the handover of the final keys happened on January 14th, 2009. From this day on, the Leighton Barracks remain history. Since 2011, the University of Würzburg uses parts of the Leightons; the bigger areas are still to be re-opened to the public which is scheduled to take place in 2018.

The following divisons have been stationed in Würzburg until the closure of the Leightons:
- HHC 1ID
- 3rd Infantry Division
- 1st MP Co (1st Military Police Company)
- 69th Signal Battalion
- 101st MI Bn (101st Military Intelligence Battalion)
- 103rd Military Intelligence Battalion
- 417th Base Support Battalion (U.S. Garrison Franconia)

This is how the streets were renamed after the US troops left:

Adams Avenue > Gerda-Laufer-Straße
Jackson Avenue > Emil-Fischer-Straße
Jefferson Street > Oswald-Külpe-Weg
Madison Street > Josef-Martin-Weg
Monroe Street > Klara-Oppenheimer-Weg
Marne Lane > Beatrice-Edgell-Weg & Matthias Lexer-Weg
Skyline Drive > Emil-Hilb-Weg