[2] The official opening ceremony was held on 16 November 1953, when Lady Foster, wife of the Commander in Chief of 2nd Tactical Air Force, unveiled a tablet in the main entrance hall.

The psychiatric ward, boiler house, stores, messes, single personnel accommodation, and married quarters were separate from the main hospital building.

In March 1972, the celebrated Rugby Union player Cliff Morgan had a severe stroke in Cologne after commentating on a match for BFBS.

[3] Hospital facilities were temporarily disrupted in June 1980, by extensive damage caused by the explosion of a propane cylinder in the dental laboratory.

In January 1987, the hospital was forced to close to all except emergency admissions when severe winter temperatures led to burst water pipes.

From 1996, a small in-patient psychiatric unit, and some community services remained on the site, while all other secondary care was transferred to local German hospitals.

The hospital's motto was Inter Fera Salus (Latin: In midst of ferocity, healing),[6] and its badge is a wild boar passant overlaid with a Staff of Asclepius.