Johnson Barracks Fuerth
   
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Photos from Blain Betrand

Thank you for the webpage. I wasn’t aware of the page and it’s great to see someone try to preserve the old military community. Here are a few pictures from my time at Johnson Barracks from 1989-1992.
Photos from James Harris

My name is James Harris and I was a PFC stationed with HQ company 24th Engineer Battalion from Oct 1964 to February 1966. I have several photos that I would like to contribute to your website. Your site doesn’t appear to have any photos from the mid 1960s when I was stationed at Johnson Barracks. So I hope these will be a valued addition. 
Taken in 1965 from the rear of JB looking toward the main gate.

HQ barracks that I stayed in. Christmas day 1964.
24th Engineer Battalion M60-A1 tank with dozer blade driving past the supply depot near Johnson Barracks.



Sam Carter, fuel truck and driver.

HQ company mess hall. It must have been a holiday as I am in civilian clothes and a cake is being served.









Soldiers HQ co 24th Engineers waiting in chow line.







For some reason these 24th Engineer tanks were driving through the warehouses area and I happen to be there with my camera.








M60 AVLB (Armored Vehicle Launch Bridge) entering the front gate. This AVLB normally would have a scissor folding bridge on top of it. But apparently the bridge had been deposited somewhere. The soldier walking in front of it is known as a “ground guide” to guide the vehicle and prevent accidents in confined spaces.  As I recall the battalion had only a few of these vehicles, 2 maybe.


These are soldiers who worked at the warehouses. They weren’t part of 24th Eng. battalion, as you can see from the 7th Army patch on the sleeve of the soldier on the right.  They were in some quartermaster unit and did not live at JB.  Surprisingly I remember the names of these soldiers, Keel, Cunningham and Dishman (on the right).
PFC Robert Gosse and PFC James Harris with our assigned "deuce and a half “  (M35 2 1/2 ton cargo truck) with which we picked up supplies (food) from the warehouse and distributed to the 24th EB’s companies. 



That's me with Gene Kuentzler (on the right).






An 18 year old James Harris on Christmas day 1964 in the Service Club at JB.


Jim Moran's father was stationed in Johnson Bks. between 1957 und 1959.
Jim sent me photos from that time.
Thank you, Jim.
©Jim Moran
Main gate
Main gate

PX parking lot
Service club,  theater, NCO club, EM club,  snake bar, barber, PX, tailor
Lowering the flag

Guard mount
Mess hall
Motor pool 3
Dispensary

Service club

Day room
Cake stand

Warming up
Kalb Housing
American Day soccer match
Schwabacher Strasse

Gasthaus across the main gate
Gasthaus across the main gate
Schwabacher Strasse
Schwabacher Strasse
Philipp Anacker supported me with a new map of Johnson Barracks 2017.
Thank you vermy much, Philipp.





Road Names:
(for more details see www.fuerthwiki.de)
Georg Benda: Born in Fuerth. Owner of a bronze factory. Owned the 1st patent in Fuerth with the invention of a bronze grater mill.
Benno Strauß: Born in Fuerth. German physicist, invented the stainless steel (V2A).
Johann Zumpe: Born in Fuerth (1726-1791). Later an instrument maker in London. Donated to the orphanage.		Tucher: Name of the brewery located at the end of the street.
Toni Wolf:Owner of the Eckart-Werke Fuerth (bronze powder). Many donations to the City of Fuerth.
Futuria:Named after the product of MOST GmBh, located in that street.
Willy Mederer:Founder of the gummy bear factory "Trolli" in Fuerth.


The former Johnson Barracks has completely turned into an industrial area, focused on car business.
It may take another year and all properties will be tilled.
Photos from 8 May 2015.

Schwabacher Straße. The entrance gate of  Johnson Barracks was in the middle.
View from the inside of the gate towards Schwabacher Straße.
The Kalb Housing Area seen from the top of the canal dam.

Car dealers ...



The very last keepsake of the US.

Car wash plant.
Gas station
Paint shop.
Electrical services.

Other business: bikes.
Bikes.
Industrial photo print shop.
Caterer.
 
Storage of construction machinery on the site of the former prison.		  
rental of construction machinery.
  
A variety  of shops.

  
Construction materials for sale.

In the southern part of the former Johnson Barracks: The Tucher Brewery.
Entrance area.

A display inside.


The brewery includes a public restaurant and beer garden.
If you'll ever come close, visit it.
  Left: two photos of the "Sparkasse" calendar 2007 from 1961 (far left) and 2006 (both Bischof & Broel). Johnson Kaserne at the bottom.
Two aerial pictures from 2005. "Fürther Nachrichten" from 24 May 2006:
A DIY store of the "BayWa" will open next year. Up to now 102 companies have settled at the former Johnson Barracks area which is now completely sold.

Right: 17 August 2003:
At the bottom right the Main-Danube-Canal crosses the outer Schwabacher Strasse. The big white square in the upper left is the filling station of the Tucher brewery. A miles-long pipeline from the downtown brewery at Schwabacher Straße ends here. Next to the smaller white square below is the last reminding warehouse.
 DRMO Johnson
(Data for approx. year 2000)		  DRMO Johnson near Closure
(17 July 2001)		  Thank you, Jürgen.

The last warehouse at Johnson (built in the 1930ies) was broken down in August 2007. Before it had been in use of the DRMO (Defense Reutilization Marketing Office).

Picture by Gene Kuentzler (right) and by myself (all others, dating from Augst 13th).

The material is being shreddered on site.

Below: View to the north. The yellow containers are set down where the prison was located.

.
Below: The southeast corner of Johnson, with a view to Tucher brewery which is now brewing beer here and receiving just its spring water from the old site at Schwabacher Straße (Patrizier/ Humbser).
Left and right: pictures taken by "Bauamt Fuerth", Date unknown. Compare them with the picture on the far right from 9 Dec 2001!
The modern building is home for some small companies.
Some more pictures taken by "Bauamt Fuerth", Johnson Barracks seems already be abandoned.
These pictures on the left were taken by the "Bauamt Fuerth" in March 1998.

Pictures from Barry Hall, taken in 1988.

"The Castle"

 

 

 

Right: towards the motor pool

History:
In 1913 construction was started for the Panzer Kaserne, which was the original name of this installation. After the construction was completed in 1914 a Machinegun Company of the 21st Infantry Regiment moved in, later replaced by a heavy artillery unit. From 1920 to 1934, the area was used as quarters for poor families.

Johnson Plan

1973 1973
 1975 1975 - Gen. Price (2nd on the left)
Then more buildings were constructed and after completion in 1935 the Panzerabwehrabteilung 17 (Anti Tank unit) moved in and the Verpflegungsmagazin (Food Service Depot) was constructed to support the military units in Nuernberg-Fuerth. In 1938 the area was acquired by the Deutsche Reich.
 i046 The former prison (left - Date unknown)

Luft
1985

 Desert Storm May 1991 - Return from Operation Desert Storm
The installation was confiscated by the U.S. Army in May 1945 and officially designated Johnson Barracks in memory of Private Eldon H. Johnson, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division who had been killed in action 3 June 1944 near Valmontone, Italy.


1994-07-17 The storage area - 17 July 1994

 9803-1 March 1998
 199803-2 March 1998 - View from the main gate
From the 1970's Johnson Barracks was home of the 16th Engineer Battalion which supported two brigades of the 1st Armored Division and one brigade of the 2nd AD. It also contained warehouses and other facilities for various supply elements from William O. Darby Kaserne. In 1992 the 16th Engineer Battalion moved to Bamberg.
199903-1 March 1999 - View from the canal
 1999-03-07 7 March 1999 - the last warehouse
 2001-12-09-1 9 December 2001 - same view as on 17 July 1994
Hardly a trace remains of the former home of the 16th Engineer Battalion's home. The buildings of Johnson Barracks are almost completely removed. Only one of the seven big warehouses is still standing. Now Johnson is an industrial area with car dealerships, a catering service, a photo development lab etc.
2001-12-09-2 9 December 2001 - the southern corner
17 February 2002 - view along Schwabacher Strasse
17 February 2002 - Gate 2
Photos from 3 Nov 1995 by Marco Frömter.

The southern corner is now home of a giant keg of the Tucher brewery! (Sorry sappers, too late for you).



Right: 15 June 2003: view from the former prison south with the last reminding warehouse in the back



Badge of the 24th Engineer Battalion 4th Armored Division at Johnson.

 

Right: the entrance in March 1938.

Picture from "Fürth 1933-39 in Fotoreportagen".


Above: Entrance gate in 1961 (picture from Harry Ross).
Photos from the 1970ties by Jim McKenna.
They show the jail area of the 43rd MP Det.
 Declaration of JOHNSON BKS on 11 May 1949: