December 1 1943 per Secret Letter, HQ USAAF, the organisation was transferred from Bomber to Service Command. The men continued to arrive all the month with 14 being assigned on Dec 14. Good news for all, as most depts with working with personnel shortages.

Recreation is a policy keenly participated in by members of the 448th. On the base itself there are movies, four nights a week, supplemented by stage shows, foreign language classes, lectures, concerts, Aero Club activities and the beer parlor. As a Service Squadron, the boys had won the station baseball championship and city basketball championship when formerly stationed at, as well as the Tallahassee baseball championship. So, when on December 6, two basketball courts in one of the Yeldham hangars were opened, the team was among one of the early arrivals. They started off the season with a 42-22 win over the 1775 Ordnance Company. Seventy one GI bicycles have also been issued by the Squadron Supply.

Dec 5: The Sub-Depot was honoured by a visit of Mr Spence of the W.P.B., conducted by Major Jolicouer, Lt Col Reed, Major Goodrum and two officers from 8th AFSC on a tour of the depot. The rubber storage room received a close inspection. The generous praise lavished upon the organisation by Mr Spence was indeed gratifying.

Dec 8: Work was begun in Hangar # 1 on a Combination Tool Crib, O.E.L. and Requisition section for Sub-Depot Engineering personnel with S/Sgt Eugene J. Hoffman as head. The distance of this station from the Supply Depot was on the basis of a slightly larger than normal level of supplies. This necessitated the use of additional personnel, 47 being on duty there.

During the month, 2,839 requisitions were filled by the Supply Section. At the time of requisitions 83% were immediately filled; 195 were for A.O.C. and I.O.R.parts and were placed on teletype requisitions. Some 337 were placed on this depot. A total of 56 truck loads of supplies were received besides the A.O.C.items, which came by special truck and plane. Shipped in were 39 truck loads of repairables and serviceable items to the depot. The petrol installations, which are normal supply functions, received 500,704 gallons of 100 octane fuel and issued approx 446,000 gallons. Twelve new planes were received and checked in.

One of the Engineering's steadiest customers, 42-29923 (532nd VE-K LUCKY STRIKE) - came for repairs four times during December, including on the 29th, again for major battle damage necessitating the change of # 4 engine, major wing repairs, stabilizer change, re-rigging and control cable change.

Dec 9: Captains Witzenberg and Granlich, the Strategic Air Depot co-ordinators visited and appeared well satisfied with the set-up. By this time the men have been quite accustomed to personages visiting, both military and civil. Its all in a day's routine. In Supply, one of the big additions, was the beginning of a daily change of balance report to be submitted to the control depot as of 1600 hrs daily.

Dec 13: Ten more truck loads of supplies and O.E.L arrived. Pfc Burke was assigned to work with the British Liaison officer F/Lt Riley, who has his office in the same building. Lt Riley's constant attention to the depot's needs and his undying efforts to fill them has been one of the mainstays of successful supply.

Dec 21: The Propeller Shop moved to their new home - The Armament Block. The Machine Shop was moved back to the old prop shop and Instrument personnel began moving their equipment from the trailer to the old machine shop, and all began a campaign of painting and repairing.

Dec 22: T/Sgt Dailey left for Technical Training School at Burtonwood; S/Sgt Kenny for Electrical School at the same place and Sgt Burch to Armament School at RAF Kirkham. #570 required major spar and fuselage repairs.

Twenty six engines were built up in the section, all the accessories, etc. coming off the old engines routed thru engineering shops for clean-up and inspection prior to installation on new engines. Old engines are pickled, boxed and shipped back to the depot, while 116 electric heated suits were repaired by the electric shop in addition to their normal flow of starters, generators, magneto harnesses, motor, gas heaters, etc. The Flux Gate Compass mock-up was completed in the Instrument Shop, used for checking out component parts and educational purposes. Parachute Shop re-packed 946 parachutes besides the normal flow of strap adjustments and leather goods repairs.

Dec 23: saw the transfer of Station Air Inspector Lt Col Ralph G.LaRue of this organisation transferred to the 7th Station Complement Sqd.

Dec 25: There was a Christmas present for the CO, two new officers, 1st Lt Neil S. Gibbens and 2nd Lt Lawrence E. McGhehey, were assigned the duties of Assistant Supply and Engineering Officers, respectively.

On Christmas Night a squadron beer party was given for all men of the organisation by the officers, while Major Jolicouer had a party in his quarters for the officers and dept heads. In spite of the quality and quantity consumed, all men were at work on time and in good shape.

Dec 26: #765 came in for spar damage.

Dec 28: An 18 additional enlisted men were assigned per SO # 26, HQ, 8th Strategic Air Depot Area.

And so ends 1943.

NB: Throughout this document a supply depot is named as Barnum, but is actually Barnham, in Suffolk near Thetford, a chemical and bomb store:- Station # 517.

R.D.Jolicouer,
Major, Air Corps,
Commanding.

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Special Order No 141 dated 17 November 1943

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The following enlisted men are re-assigned from the 330th Service Squadron to the 448th Sub-Depot with immediate effect.

M/Sgts

T/Sgts

S/Sgts

Sgts

Cpls

Pfcs

Pvts

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by order of Colonel Nazarro

Leroy C. Wilcox
Major, Air Corps
Acting Adjutant