Duty Assignments

THE mission assigned to the 1207th is to provide the necessary quartermaster supplies and services for the 381st BG at Station #167. The table of organization authorizes 55 Enlisted Men and three Officers for the accomplishment of these functions. For various reasons it has been impossible to conform to the structural breakdown as prescribed in T/O 10-437-RS, dated 12 Jan 1944.

The major changes have been in the Service Center Supply Section which had to be considerably enlarged so as to cope with several. additional duties, and in the Class III Supply Section which has required considerably less that then 16 men prescribed in the T/O.

The following is a list of functions, together with a description of each:

     (1) Company HQ:- All normal units such as morning report, sick book, personnel rosters, passes, leaves and furloughs, payroll, company supply, mail and related matters are handled in this section. Records and files are maintained on company orders, personnel, 201 files, correspondence, service records, form 20s, KP rosters, CQ rosters, and the like. The assignment of personnel to each of the sections listed below in handled in company HQ.

    (2) Class I Supply:- (a) This section of the company handles all the subsistence for the station. In outlining the important duties of this section, it will be best accomplished by explaining the various rations, and the manner in which they are handled.

         (b) Regular Rations:- We operate on a master menu, published every month by the Chief Quartermaster, HQ, ETOUSA. Rations are received on an automatic issue from the depot, based upon the' present for duty' total of the unit morning reports. This figure is 'phoned to the depot, in code, one weekly for dry stores, and daily for perishables. Issues are made daily from our commissary to three mess halls on the base, and, in addition, we act as the DP for a small station a few miles distant.

The ration returns in use in this theater, OQMG Form 4, devised so as to prevent, any station accumulating an excess stock, and to assure a constant turnover of current stocks. On the face of the form, are shown the same strength figure phoned in, except that here they are itemized; i.e., US Army personnel, Allied Forces personnel, American civilians and British civilians. On the reverse of the form, are listed all the items of dry rations, where excess stocks, left over from prior weeks are shown. These items shown as excess are deducted from the following week's issue at the depot. To ensure the completeness of this system of preventing excess accumulation, the Class I section periodically checks the mess hall storage rooms. Perishables, such as frozen meats, butter and fresh vegetables are delivered to the Commissary daily, and in turn, are issued that same day to the mess halls. Vegetables are delivered daily, except Sundays, by British haulers, who are contracted for by the NAAFI, the British counterpart of our PX system. Meats, for the most part, are the frozen variety, shipped from the US, and stocked in British cold storage plants, until issued to the stations. We use a considerable amount of canned meats, in addition to the foreign type, which are as follows: Argentine corned beef, pork sausage, Vienna sausage, corned beef hash and bacon.

        (c) Combat rations: This is a special ration devised to furnish combat crews with the necessary components of their diet, in order to ensure continued health and efficiency. It is composed of whole powdered milk, fresh eggs and fresh oranges, and is ordered weekly from the depot, the same as regular rations, except that it is ordered only on the basis of combat strength. No specific day is arranged for pick-ups from the depot, as the stocks arrive at the depot usually arrive at different times during the week. When obtained by the Class I Section, the whole week's issue is delivered to the combat mess hall at one time, instead of making a daily breakdown.

        (d) High Carbohydrate Rations: This ration is a special candy and chewing gum issue for the use of combat crews during operational flight. These rations ore ordered on the basis of missions flown and the number of crews concerned, rather than on the basis of total combat strength. This ration has proved highly successful in that it furnishes just enough nourishment and serves as a' good lift' for the men while on the return trip.

         (e) Augmented Ration: This is an extra amount of certain items of the menu which are used for the feeding of extra and odd hour meals. Repairs crews, sometimes working late at night or all night, need extra lunch which is served usually from about midnight till morning. The extra ration is also used for those times when missions return late or irregular hour when the crews require feeding. The extra items of this ration are: canned meat, fruit juices, canned fruit, coffee, evaporated milk, bread, butter and sugar. Basis of requisition is taken from midnight meal count plus number of combat men involved.

         (f) Emergency Rations: We are authorized to stock one day's C and K rations per man for the full strength of the base to be used in cases of emergency. Issues are made from this stock to personnel traveling on orders, where the orders specify this ration to be furnished. The Class I officer takes an inventory periodically to ensure that the emergency. ration stock is kept up to full strength. However, issues are generally small and infrequent.

         (g) 10 in 1 Ration: A reserve stock of this ration was recently authorized for operational use. When the Field Order so specifies, one 10 in 1 ration is issued to each aircraft in the event the mission is diverted. If the ration is not used it is returned to the commissary after the mission returns.
3. Class II and IV Section: (a) This department is charged with the processing of requisitions for both US and British equipment; maintenance of the stock record and memorandum receipt accounts; receipt, storage and issue of all TIE and post, camp and station property. Operational Equipment lists are maintained for each unit in order to properly process unit requisitions and maintain records of equipment. Requisitions from units are edited, consolidated and forwarded to depots. When received the supplies are issued against the unit requisition which are then filed.

Post, camp and station property is issued and placed on memorandum receipt to Unit Property Officers and Departmental Custodial Officers. A stock record is maintained for this. Once monthly salvaged clothing is taken in and returned to the depot for reclamation. Issue items belonging to personnel who are combat casualties are turned in by unit supply sections, and we in turn transport them to the depot. Cleaning and preserving materials are issued twice a month on the basis of strength figure, and stationery monthly on the same basis.
Stationery is turned over the base S-4 Office where distribution to using units and departments is made. British station property is requisitioned on the RAF through the Equipment Liaison Officer. Registers are maintained for incoming unit requisitions and outgoing consolidated requisitions for US clothing and equipment. More detailed records are maintained for RAF demands inasmuch as the volume of paperwork is considerable. The usual run of non-controlled items are received from depot G-23. Controlled items must be requisitioned through the 8th AF Service Command.

     (4) Class III Supply: (a) This section handles all the motor vehicle gasoline. grease and oil, and kerosene for use on the station. The installation is located at the station motor pool, where 24 hour service is rendered. Records are kept of all incoming and outgoing supplies, and frequently physical inventories are taken in order to keep a constant check on the stocks as compared with the books. It is necessary that a certain amount of stock is kept on hand at all times to ensure capability of meeting any emergency that might arise, such as a large truck convoy that might need servicing on short notice. Demands are made on British supply through the RAF Liaison Officer. Receipts are checked at the installation by the NCO in charge to ensure accuracy of volume. All vouchers and invoices are signed by the officer in charge, after checking delivery notes, then they are forwarded through to higher HQ for posting on a reciprocal aid and lend lease accounts. Gasoline is received via tank wagon, and oil and grease are generally brought to the station by truck or arrive at the local railhead at Great Yeldham. <CORRECT> In emergencies we send our own trucks to pick up oil and grease.

     (5) Solid Fuels Section: House coal, steam coal, coke and small quantities of kindling wood are supplied for the station by this company. Contracts are made by Air Ministry with the Ministry of Fuel and Power, who conduct negotiations with collieries. and establishes allocations to stations. The authorized amount for winter consumption is eight pounds per man per day; however during the winter of 1944/45 we were able to secure a 50% increase in this amount. Summer authorization is considerably less. The producers contract with a local haulage contractor to transport the fuel. from the railhead to our compounds on the base. The major item is coke, next in importance is house coal and finally steam coal. For various reasons it is necessary for us to do the majority of the transporting from the railhead to the base. Personnel in this section deliver coke and coal daily without exception to all the mess halls, hospitals, showers, living sites, and other installations. Smaller departments and offices pick up their coke from one of the compounds. All issues are strictly rationed and detailed records are kept of all receipts and issues.

     (6) Salvage Section: This section handles all the salvage for the station. The three major classifications of salvage in the ETO are: Class A covers aluminum and other non-ferrous metals, plexi-glass storage batteries and aircraft tires and tubes. Class B covers several items, the most important being used aero engine oil, textiles, partly used dry batteries and tooth paste tubes. Class C covers waste paper, ferrous metals, scrap rubber, gasoline cans, oil drums, leather, used motor oil and re-usable bottles. Organizations on the base such as ordnance, engineering, and sup-depot supply either dispose of their salvage through their own channels or deposit it at the QM dump, where it is segregated according to classification. Accumulations of trash from the various sites are picked up by the station utilities, delivered to the dump and recoverable salvage is removed. Anything not salvageable is either burned or buried. On an average of four times per week the QM salvage truck hauls a load to a British disposal yard. Aluminum and plexi-glass are shipped by rail to a British salvage center handling only that type of salvage. Waste paper is picked up by a British contractor on an average of once a month, and receipts are obtained by the driver and turned in to the NCO in charge of records. These receipts are then forwarded to higher HQ where they are posted on lend lease accounts, while a monthly report is forwarded to higher RAF HQ.

     (7) Laundry, Dry Cleaning and Shoe Repair Section: These services are provided by the QM for enlisted men, hospital and Red Cross. Also dry cleaning of all flying clothing is handled. Contracts are made by the British Deputy Director of Ordnance Services and invoices concerning services rendered are processed Reciprocal Aid records. A maximum of nine pieces of laundry may be sent each week by each EM and a charge of $0.25 per bundle is made and deducted on the payroll. Organizations send certain items of organizational clothing to be laundered, and the hospital and Red Cross also use our services.

Dry Cleaning for EM is limited to three pieces per month and may be either blouse, overcoat, trousers or field jacket. The monthly payroll deduction is $0.35. The quota of flying clothing taken to the contractor is 100 pieces per week, which includes both winter and summer flying clothing.

No charge is made for repairing the shoes of EM. Wednesdays are set aside for units to deliver dry cleaning and flying clothing to our warehouse. These items are counted and signed for by us, and re-counted by us after being cleaned. They are taken to the contractor on Thursdays. Laundry and worn out shoes are taken on Thursday and Friday, each bundle of laundry and pair of shoes is counted both in and out. We take these to the contractor on Fridays and Saturdays inasmuch as the volume is too great to be handled in one day. An additional trip to the laundry is made on Tuesdays to pick laundry which is not processed in time to be picked up on Saturday. Normally our truck takes a load of soiled clothing to the contractor and returns with the previous week's items.

    (8) Railway Traffic Office: The RTO is operated as a part of the QM. This office receives and distributes baggage of newly assigned personnel. It traces lost baggage of new arrivals, and locates owners of unclaimed baggage. Outgoing shipment of men and supplies are arranged, bills of lading prepared, and railroad cars are secured when necessary. Incoming rail shipments of goods are picked up at the station, recorded and delivered to consignees. Travel warrants are issued for personnel traveling on official business and close contact is maintained between this office and the District RTO on shipments of 20 or more persons. Travel warrant books are secured and issued to unit orderly rooms and unit personnel section for issue in connection with passes, leaves and furloughs.

Special orders concerning the movement of personnel on official business are retained and filed, as are copies of bills of lading. Detailed files are maintained on station locations, hospitals, depots, AAF rest homes, etc. A great many train schedules are furnished for station personnel departing on passes and furloughs. Effects boxes of combat casualties (MIA & KIA) are received inventoried, and transported to the UK Effects Quartermaster by truck.

    (9) Special Service Supply: We recently acquired this additional function involving the receipt, storage and issue of Special Services Property and the maintenance of necessary records of tallies, memorandum receipts and stock records. Property is received both on requisition and automatic issue. The types of items in this class are day room furniture, athletic and recreational equipment, libraries of educational books and other items.

    (10) Food Ration Coupons: These are British Service Ration Cards, authorized under certain circumstances for personnel, both officers and EM, who are messing away from the station while on pass, leave, furlough or at AAF rest homes. Two types of card are issued -Form RB8A for absence of 24 to 72 hours, and Form RB12 for absences of 7 to 14 days. Detailed records are maintained of receipts and issues of cards.

    (11) Purchasing and Contracting: The Station QM is also the Station Purchasing and Contracts Officer, and as such, is authorized to make local purchases of items of extreme operational necessity up to the sum of £5.0.0. Should the cost be between £5.0.0 and £25.0.0, the station commander must approve the purchase. Purchases in excess of £25.0.0 must be approved by higher HQ. Detailed record of purchased orders, receiving reports and paid invoices are maintained. The volume of local purchases is very small due to the fact that higher HQ urges that all possible items be procured through supply channels in order not to deplete local civilian stocks.

    (12) Reciprocal Aid and Lend Lease Reporting: All vouchers concerning receipts of supplies and/or services from the British are forwarded from Station Supply Officers to our office where they are recorded in a register and forwarded to higher HQ for processing into reciprocal aid records.

    (13) Repair of Office Machines: The main item in this category is typewriters. A nearby civilian concern has the contract for repairs, the machines being turned into our warehouse and we take them to the contractor. It generally takes two to three weeks before the machine is returned. .Invoices are signed, recorded and forwarded to higher HQ for reciprocal aid purposes.

    (14) Officers Clothing Ration Cards: Issuance of officers clothing ration card is a QM responsibility. These cards are authorized for all officers to purchase an annual allowance of clothing and may not be issued until the officer has been in the ETO for 90 days. Records of issues and receipts are maintained.