Taylor Barracks is a former military installation in the Vogelstang suburb of Mannheim, Germany, operated and administrated by the United States Army, Europe, USAREUR.
[1] The original Scheinwerfer-Kaserne (Searchlight Barracks) was constructed between 1939-40 as part of the Wehrmacht’s rapid expansion following the Nazi takeover.
The anti-aircraft artillery units were supported from Sullivan Barracks, then known as Flak-Kaserne, and home to 1st Bn, 49th AAA Reg.
In those days, Mannheim installations were administered by 2nd Military District (renamed Heidelberg Military Post in 1947, Headquarters Area Command in 1952 and in 1965 North Baden Area) that also managed Heidelberg, Worms and Karlsruhe posts.
1st Class Cecil V. Taylor who posthumously received a Silver Star for courage in the face of the enemy.
Taylor continued to fire his machinegun, though mortally wounded, fighting off an enemy counterattack in Beilstein, Germany, on 18 April 1945.
In Dec 1949, 503rd Engineer Light Equipment Company moved from Berlin to Taylor Barracks.
The 11th Engr Grp also developed the Class 100 Heavy Raft for tactical river crossings.
Rivers Barracks was originally Verdun Kaserne, a German installation built for Signal units.
It was renamed by the Americans after World War II, for Staff Sergeant Rubin Rivers of Company A, 761st Tank Battalion.
The 547th Eng Bn continued its bridging operations, training exercises and community support projects through the early 1960s.
HHD, 22nd Signal Group was activated in 1964 and located in Building 346 on Taylor Barracks until 1974 when it was inactivated.
Also in 1975 the 8368th CSG (part of 6966th Civilian Support Center in Kaiserslautern) was activated as a heavy equipment transporter company located at Taylor Barracks.