mbs history 1

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VOL. I endII UNCLASSIFIED SEPT/42OCT.43MINUS EXHIBITS



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AUTH' CG, MBS1 1963

DATE' 8 DEC 43

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U R O D U C T I O N

The following HISTORY OF THE MEDITERRANEAN BASE SECTION, Services of

Supply, North African Theater of Operations, has been compiled pursuant

to AR 345-105 and Staff Memorandum No 1, MBS, 1942 by the office of the

AC of S, 0-2, MB S.

No effort ha3 been made in this history to detail the routine duties

and activities of the various sections of this headquarters, other than

to set out in statistical form the activity of those sections whose workpermit3 this treatment. In vi<sw*of this fact, the absence of any lengthy

reports on various sections should not be considered an indication of any

lack of activity on the part of those sections.

Insofar as possible, exhibits pertaining to a given section have been

kept together.

The activitios of each month huvo been separately reported, with the

first pago for the month concerned covering general matters relating to

the operation of the headquarters, followed by data in more dotail re

lative to the individual sec tio ns.

An indox covering subject matter and exhibits follows this introduc

tory page . Page numbers begin with the first entries under the history

proper.

•

i - - " ••



WliLAy It lit

For convenience in Handling, duplicate copies of Volumes I

and II of the MBS History, which covers the period September 1942

to October 1943, have been bound together to form one complete

volume. An "Index to Subjects Covered by the Various Exhibit

Series" as well as an "Index to Pages on which Data on Specific

Subjects May be Found'1 are located at the front of their respective

volume. A listing of exhibits pertaining to Volume I will be

found at the end of Volume I while the listing of exhibits pertain

ing to Volume II is located at the beginning of the second volume.

Index to Volume II immediately precedes pege 211.

The exhibits referred to are kept with tht original bound

volume.

;

•



INDEX TO SUBJECTS COTOIED BT THEVABXOUS EXHIBIT SERIES

(See det a i l e d l i s t i n g tyr Exh ib i t Se r ie s a t end o f the H is tory)

Exh ib i t

S e r i e sCBNERAL ORGAIII&ATEOMi

O r g a n i z a t i o n o f I B S ( C o n s t i t u t i o n , F u n c t i o n s } A c t i v a t i o n o f . . . . 1New Su b-D iv is bns , o tc» )

T a b l e s o f O r g a n i z a t i o n , Hq UBS, Hq C o an d Hq S p e c i a l T i o o p s . . . . 2Tables o f Organ i sa t ion , F ie ld In s t a l la t io ns 3AssigranGnt and attac hm ent o f u n it s t o MBS 29Assigrment of s ta ff O ffice rs 27Co ns titu tio n and ac ti va ti on of LffiS u n it s and St af f Se cti on s 28S t a t i o n L i s t s and I n s t a l l a t i o n l i s t s 30

DATA COMSERiaiG imiTVIDUAL STAFF SECTIONS:Comnand S e c t io n . • 10AC of S, 0*1 6AC of S, 0-2 38AC of S, 0-3« UO. •AC ox S , 0 - 1 7Adju tant General • • •Air Force Lia iso n 13Base Censorship Detachment Ito1 • • hXChem ical Warfare • • 15C i v i l A f f a i r s 3 1Claim s Comm ission 23

Cha plain. • .•

•« l u En^Lneer HFinance. • • 16General Purch asing Agent 17Ins pec tor General 18Judge Advocate General 2hMedical* 12Ordnance 25Pr ovo st Marshal • 19Quartermaster 20 Signa l Serv ice 9Spe c ia l Serv ice 21

Tran sportation • 15

PHOTOGRAPHS (O the r tha n th o se made p a r t o f i n d iv id u a l e x h ib i t s ) h3

OTHER SUBJECTS:— — ~ " C iv i l i an Employees (Procurement, ada iniotr ato on, e t c ) . 33

Commendations, D ec or at ion s and Awards 3?Defense and Se cu rit y data 26Eneny a c ti o n . • 37Graves Re g i s t ra t ion Se rv ic e 3uLog of Advance Ech elon, !©SHear Link plans, MBS, 12 Nov 19U2 h

Training, D is ci pl in e and Recreation 35Uniform, Arms and Ecpiipnent. 32lliscellanoous • • • k

2



y • •

INDEX TO P A G E ^ l f WHICH- z I •

DATA ON SPECI FI C SUBJECTS MAY BE FOUND

on i rhich it em be gi nsJr m •

£

J

1

g

February 1

g March 1

g April 1

CM

rH

o

3.o to OS

CO • < * r-iOS Oi

A -PCO rH

Subject Matter

srH

I*•H4

117144 177 212

0

CO

Strength, Items of Gen

eral Interest, Listing of Exhibits per

taining to the specific

poriod. 1

• ".

Data on specific Staff

Sections:

Command Section 18 21 43 63 94 123 148 185 218 262 304

G-1 5 21 43 63 94 123 148 185 218 26o 305

G-2 2 21 43 63 95 124 149 185 219 263 306

G-3 12 22 44 64 96 125 150 187 221 264 306

G-4 11 23 43 65 96 126 151 187 222 265 307

Adjutant General 18 24 44 65 96 126 152 188 223 266 308

Air Force Liaison 12 24 44 65 97 126 152 183 223 266 309

Base Censor -/;'l 44 64 116 127 154 183 223 267 310

Chaplain 17 24 44 65 97 127 152 189 225 269 312

Chemical 'iVarfare 17 25 44 66 97 123 153 190 226 270 313

Civil Affairs 33 53 88 116 129 155 190 223

Claims Commission 11 25 49 88 115 129 155 191 228 271 314

Engineer 15 25 45 67 98 129 156 192 229 272 315

J

September 1

§

October 1

November

1

December 1

Finance 15 27 49 70^100, 131 160^194 233 274 ,317

!

i

i .



I

Page on which item begins

September

9

43

to

u

mXiO

-PO

Februa

9

g

Ma ch

9

g

CM

< * toen

r-t

CO

CO

June 9

g

J

943

en

1

Cftr-t

Subject Matter O

a

i 1 5"53

CO

o

225 311eneral Purch Agent 14 27 1011127

Headquarters Command 70 101 131 161 195 233 275 318

Inspector General 14 23 49 71 102 132 1G2 196 254 276 319

Judge Advocato General 14 28 49 72 103 132 163 196 256 277 520

Medical 13 29 49 72 104 133 163 197 257 278 521

Ordnance 13 31 52 75 106 135 166 201 258 231 324

Provost ivlarshal 13 32 53 75 107 135 167 202 240 285 326

Quartermaster 32 52 78 108 136 168 202 242 284 329

Signal Service 12 34 54 80 109 138 170 203 245 288 331

Special Service 36 56 84 111 140 172 206 250 292 335

Transportation 11.. 36 56 85,112 141 173 207 251.293 336

Army Exchange Service 266 510

Miscellaneous Supply Section —-I 230 523

Passive Air Defense " — -•I CO v 526

Nove

ber

9

December

9

- •



p "ORGANIZATIONAL DATA FOR PERIOD

SEPTEMBER-DECEMBER, INCLUSIVE.

STREHGTHS: (Assigned and attaohed)

Off WO Nurses EM TOTAL

Advance Echelon, arriving

Oran 11 November 1942

Upon arrival of 3rd Echelon

6 December 1942:

49 125 175

Hq MBS 262 19 0 436 717Hq Co, MBS 7 1 0 187 195Field Installations 701 13 270 14364 15348

TOTAL 6 Dec 42. 970 33 270 14987 16260

On 31 December 1942:

Hq MBS 284 19 1 474 778

Hq Co, MBS 8 1 0 206 215

Field Installations 1228 428 2a776 24461

TOTAL 31 Dec 42. 1520 49 429 23456 25454

Net Gains:

11 Nov to 6 Dec 42. 821 32 270 14862 159856 Doo to 21 Dec 42:

Hq MBS 22 0 1 33 61

Hq Co, MBS 1 0 0 19 20Field Installations 527 16 158 8412 9113

TOTAL 550 16 159 8469 9194

MISCELLANEOUS:

The advance echelon of MBS (49 officers, 1 WO and 125 EM) left Liverpool,

England 31 October 1942 and arrived in Oran 11 November 1942. Second Echelon

arrived in Oran 22 November and the third echelon on 6 December 1942. The

third echelon comprised the main body of the headquarters and in mo8t cases

the Chiefs of Section.

Headquarters were established in Ecole Pasteur and Maison du Colon, ini

tially, and officers were billetted in the various hotels throughout the city

and messed at an officers1 mess established in the Continental Hotel and with

a II Corps mess located in Le Grillon Cafe. For further details relative tothe organization and functioning during this initial period, reference should

be had to the pages whioh follow.

SEPT-DEC 1942.



n ~ ~

.EXHIBITS

PERTAINING TO MONTH'S ACTIVITY

CONSTITUTION, ACTIVATION AND GENERAL ORGANIZATION OF MBS : EXHIBIT NO,

Constitution of the Mediterranean Base Section, SOS and

designation f Brigadier General THOMAS B. LARKIN,

0-3785, as Commanding General (GO #1 3, AFHQ, 2

November 1942) and activation of the following

units by the CG, MBS, SOS: 1

Headquarters, Mediterranean Base Section, SOS

Headquarters Company, Mediterranean Base

Section, SOS

Headquarters Special Troops, Mediterranean

base Section, SOS.

Activation of the Mediterranean Base Suction, Services

of Supply (GO # 1, MBS, 10 November 1942) and the

units listed under GO ffl3, AFHQ, above; announcement

of Brigadier General LARKI" as the Commanding G eneral ,

and Colonel EDMOND H. LEAVEY, 0-8559, GSC, as Chief

of Staff. Other Staff Officers announced. 1-A

Sources of officer and enlisted personnel and transfer

of personnel to Hq MBS (SO #152 , ETO, 11 November

1942 and letter Hq SOS, ETO, 14 November 1942) 1-B

Services of Supply functions formerly handled by Hq CTF

delegated to the CG, MBS . (GO # 2 , Hq CTF, 3 Dec 1942) 1-C

MBS placed directly under AFHQ and MBS area defined.

Civil Affairs Section relieved from atchd CTF and

atchd to MB S, 30 December 1942. 1-D

T/O for Hq MB S, Hq Co and Hq Special Troops, 2 Nov 1942. 2

T/O for MBS Field Installations, 16 Moveraber 1942. 3

ASSIGNMENT OF STAFF OFFICERS:

Initial assignment of Staff officers: 1-A

Chief of Staff - - Colonel EDMCND H. LEAVEY,

0-8559, GSC

Deputy Chief of Staff -Lt. Col. JOHN If. JOHNSON,

0-420233, GSC

Assistant Chief of Staff, G-l Colonel GEORGE D. PENCE,

0-15629, JoC

Assistant Chief of Staff, G-2 Lt. Col. DONALD V.'. BERTiiaR,

0-19911, GSC

Assistant Chief of Staff, 0-3 Colonel HARRY A. FLINT,

0-3377, GSC

•

SEPT-DEC 1942,•



• • ' •!

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Assistant Chief of Staff, G-4 - - Colonel HERMAN FELDHAN,0-5724, GSC

Chief of Control Section- Major WILBHR 1-i. GAIGE,

0-218073, Inf.

Chief of Administrative Section - kajor HARLEY R. RHOADS,

0-277841, Inf.

Adjutant General- - - - - - L t Col. JAMES W. ROSS,

0-100079, AGD

Air Force Liaison Officer - - Captain FRED W. AMADON,

0-390251, AC

Chaplain Chaplain PATRICK B. FAY,

0-333123, U.S. ArmyChemical Officer- - - - - - - - - Major HERBERT F. CROEN,

0-34776, CTCS

Chief of Transportation Colonel GEORGE C. STEIvART,

0-1534y, TC

Engineer- - - - - - - - - - - - - Colonel ARTHUR W. PENCE,

0-12042, CE

Major W ILL G. ROBINSON, 0-276227, SC, announced as Acting

Staff Judge Advocate. 27

Major JOSEPH F. WORE, 0-177765, Inf, announced as FireMarshal 27-A

Lt. Colonel FRAIJK BALKE, 0-207469, inf, announced as

Acting AC of S, G-3 and as Fire i*iarshal (vice Major

ORE, relieved). 27-B

Major LOUIS 0. GRAVELY, Jr., 0-248412, Inf, announced as

Headquarters Commandant, vice Lt . Colonel WILEY H.

O^OH UNDRO, Inf., relieved; Lt;. Colonel TVILEY H.

O'MOHUNDRO, 0-8545, Inf., announced as Provost Marshal,

vice Lt . Colonel DAVID A. TAYLOR, Cav., relieved. 27-C

ACTIVATION OF UNITS AND STAFF SECTIONS:

Chiefs of Services, MBS, directed to organize units as

indicated below, effective 25 December 194 2: 28

G-2 Seotion: Prov i3ase Censor's office (directive

subsequently withdrawn).

QM: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th Prov QfrA Det.

Engineer: Prov ^ngr Platoons on Fire-Fighting (2)

and Utility; 1st Prov *^ng Det (Map Depot) and

1st ±rov Eng Co (Depot)

Provost Marshal: 1st Prov WP Co (ZI) and 1st Prov

MP Section (Criminal Investigation)

Special Service Officer: 1st Prov Special Service Det.

-•*

•3 *" -

SEPT-DEC 1942.



Chiefs of Services, MBS, directed to organize units as

indicated below, effective 31 December 1942: 28-AQM: Prov QM Co (Rhd), T/o 10-197

Engineer: 1st and 2nd Prov Engr Area Hq Det.

PMs Prov MP Disciplinary Training Center, Hq Det.

Establisiuacmt of Claims Service and announcement of Lt.

Colonel GEORGE T. MADISON, 0-125165, inf., as Command

Claims Officer, MBS, 29

ASSIGNMENT AND ATTACHMENT OF UNITS TC SERVICES, MbS: (Assigned,unless otherwise indicated).

Headquarters Command:

9th & 14th MRU, attached. 29

Hq c: Hq Co; 1st Rftpl Depot and 3rd, bth, 6th and 7th

Repl Bns. 29-B

Chemical warfare:

6th Chem Co (Depot) 29

69th Chem Co (SG) 29-B

Engineer:

Eng Pipeline Co (Sep) (Prov); Prov Eng Co (WS); Det

62nd Eng Co (Top); 196th x̂ n̂ r Co (DT); 343rdEng Regt (GS); 450th En^r Co (Depot); 470th

Engr Co (Maint). 29

3rd Bn, 531st Eng Shore Re^t and 19th Engr Regt (C),

attached. 29-A

Co "B", 601st Engr Bn (Cam) (Army); and 402nd Engr

Bn (V«o), less Det, Bn Hq and Co "C". 29-L

Medical:

2nd Med Sup Depot; 7th Stat ilosp; 21st Genl uosp;

64th Stat ciosp; 151st Stat -k>sp; 130tn Stat

Hosp; 38th Stat iiosp; 2:̂ 8th Stat Hosp. 2912th Gun Hosp; 40th, 52nd and 61st ^tat nosps

asgd and 29th Stat Hosp attached 29-B

Ordnance:

Cos "A" & "B", 55th Ord Bn (HM)j Hq and Hq Det, 62nd

Ord Bn; 58th Oni Co (Am); and 66th Ord Co (An),

attached. 29

1st Bn (Mtn), 301st Ord Regt (Base) 29-B

Provost Marshal:

Prisoner of War Processing Det. 29-A299th MP Co., attached. 29-B

4S2PT-DEC 1942.



\ |

Quartermaster:

Co "A". 63rd QM Bn (Ldry)j 85th $A Co (Dep); 93rd QM

Co (Rhd); 181st QM Co (Dep Sup); Co "A", 301st QM

Bn (Ster), assigned. 29

Co "A", 205th QM Bn (Gas Sup); Co "D", 244th QH Bn

(Serv), attached 29

218th Qtf Co (Salv Rep) 29-A

Co "D", 60th QU Bn (Ldry) (SM), less 1 Platoonj 282nd

QM Co (Refrig) (SM) 2y-b

II Corps:

888th MP Co, attached. 29-A

Signal:28th Sig Const Bn and 203rd Sig Depot Co. 29

Co "A", 28th Sig Constr bn and 226th Sig Co (Opn)

(Sop), asgd and 62nd Sig (Army), less Co "C",

attached. 2y-B

Transportation:

3rd Port Hq; 397th QM Bn (Port); 399th QM Bn (Port),

asgd and 761st ^ng Ry Transp Co; 240th QM Bn

(Serv); 591st Boat Kegt (less 2nd Bn); 28th QM

Regt (Truck) (less 1st Bn); 813ti Sig Co (Port);

Prov Truck Bn, attached. 29727th Bn RR (Opn) and 753rd Bn RR (Shop) 29-b

INDIVIDUAL REPORTS OF STAFF SECTIONS COVERING ORGANIZATION AND ACTIVITY:

Command Section:

Command Section report, November 1942 10

Command Section report, December 1942 10-A

G-l Section:G-l Section report for November Iy42 6

G-l Section report for December 1942 6-A

G-4 Section:

G-4 Section report for November 1942 7

G-4 Section report for December 1942 7-A

AG Section:

AG Section report for November 1942 8

AG Section report for December 1942 8-A

Air Force Liaison Section:Air Force Liaison Section report for November 1942 13

Air Force Liaison Section report for December 1942 13-A

•

SEPT-DxiC 1942. 5



l v ' •

Chaplain's Section:

Chaplain's report for November 1942

Chaplain's report for December 1942

Claims Commission:

Claims Commission report for ilovenbor 1942

Chemical Warfare Service:

CiVS report for November 1942

CWS report for December 1942

Engineer Section:

Engineer report for November, with Engineer Circular

^1 titled "Organization engineer Services" andT/0 dated 14 November

Engineer report for December, with Organizational

Chart.

Finance Section:

Finance Section report for November 1942

Finance section report for December 1942

General Purchasing Agent:

GPA report for November 1942

GPA report for December 1942

Inspector General's Section:

IG report for November 1942

IG report for December 1942

Judge Advocate General:

JA report for December 1942

Modic»l Section:

•edical Section report for iiovember 1942

SOP for Med Dets atchd to MBS Units, December 1942

SOP for Fixed Hosp, MBS , December 1942

Hosp & Evao policy and Fixed Kospitalization available,

December 1942

Surgeon's request for additional liedioal Units for

MBS, December 1942

MD reports and returns. Circular ?,6, MB S, 1942

Medical Lessons learned fro a Operation "Torch"

Report on Venereal Disease control in Oran, 29

December 1942

14

14-A

23

15

15-A

11

11-A

16

16-A

17

17-A

18

18-A

24

12

12-A

12-B

12-C

12-D

12-^

12-F

12-0

Ordnance Section:

Ordnance Section report for November December 1942

- •

SEPT-DEC 1942.

25



Provost Marshal :

Provost i^arshal's report for November 1942

Provost iiarshal's ruport for December 1942

19

19-A

Quartermaster:

QM report for November 1942

<4M report for December 1942

20

20-A

Special Services:

Special Services report for November 1^42

Special Services report for December 1W42

21

21-A

Signal Corps:

Signal Corps activities, November and December 1942First telephone Directory, 9 December 1942, for J.BS

CTF telephone Directory, 10 December 1942

Combined CTF and MBS telephone Directory, 21 December

99-A

9-B

S

Transportation Corps:

Transportation Corps report for November 1942

Transportation Corps report for December 1942

22

22-A

SECURITY AND DEFENSE:

Arrangements made for French Military personnel to be used

as guards for military installations (Stai'f Memo f/̂ 20,

MBS, 1942) 26

Blackout Preparations and schedule for completion thereof -

Cir # 9 , MB S, 1942 (iunendod by Cir #9, MBS, 1943) 26-A

CIVILIAN LABOR:

General instructions on Procurement and Administration of

civilian labor, including hours of work and wage scales 33

ADVANCE ECHELON:

Log of Advance Echelon, MBS 5

REAR LINK PLANS:

Rear Link Plans, MB S, 12 November 1942 4

STATION LISTS:

Station List, MBS, 11 December 1942

Station List, MBS, 17 December 1942

30

30-4

SEPT-DEC 1942.7

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