IN accordance with para #1 GO #89. Third Air Force Tampa, Florida, dated 19 April 1942, the 881st Chemical Company, Air Operations was activated at Jackson, Miss. It was transferred to Columbia AAB, South Carolina, without personnel or equipment per GO #28, HQ Jackson AAB, Miss. May 1942.

The unit was made up of men from numerous units throughout the United States who assembled at McDill Field, Fla. for training in August 1942, working their way through many courses prior to their overseas physical in April 1943. On May 17 the company received orders to move. and at 17.00hrs left Key Field, Miss. for Camp Shanks, NY, traveling 247 miles. Here old clothing was replaced with new and every member received the final overseas physical examination.

At 19.00hrs on May 19 the company left for Staten Island and boarded the S.S. Contessa at 23.00hrs, staying two days whi1e being loaded with cargo. At noon on the 25th the ship sailed for England docking at Liverpool, assigned to the 1st Bombardment Wing by General Orders #70, HQ Eighth Bomber Command dated 18 June 1943.

The company arrived at AAF Station #167 Ridgewell, near Halstead, Essex Co., UK on 11 June 1943. Company HQ, first and third platoons were moved to Station # 117 Kimbolton, by Special Orders # 62, HQ 1st Bombardment Wing. The second and fourth platoons and Distributing Point Section became the Detachment A. 881st Chem. Co. and began functioning on I6 June 1943 with two officers and 65 enlisted men.

Primarily the duties of this unit are the handling of gases, incendiaries and smokes. The men are thoroughly trained in the handling of toxic agents for both spray tanks and bombs but their work has been confined to the handling of incendiaries and smokes. At present the personnel of the unit prepare incendiary bombs, smoke markers and bomb release markers for loading and work with the ordnance section on the loading of a1l types of bombs. Four incendiary areas are maintained at the bomb dump and a minimum of 200 M47 1001b incendiary bombs and 200 Ml7 incendiary clusters are kept worked out of the crates and boxes for each of the four squadrons. The incendiary areas are supervised by S/Sgt Donald E. Olk and S/Sgt Theodore F. Tapps.
A six-man distributing point section, under Sgt Robert L. Loach work and inspect the Ml38 and M126 fuses, making arming wires. Assemble and fill skymarkers, construct bomb release markers and distribute incendiary grenades to new aircraft. Two of these six men are on duty each night to distribute fuses to the loading crew, set the delay mechanism on the Ml38 fuses and load skymarkers and bomb release markers. A total of 24 men supervised by S/Sgt Edward C. Kollmann are detailed each night to load bombs with the squadron ordnance section. Men perform second echelon maintenance on the detachment's one jeep, nine chemical handling trucks and one M3Al power driven decontaminating apparatus. One man from each squadron ordnance section has been trained in the use of the decontaminating apparatus which is used by all squadron ordnance sections for washing vehicles and roads.

Administration of the detachment is handled by T/Sgt Wheeler, acting lst Sgt, who is assisted by a clerk and supply man. Three men are permanently detailed to the airmens' mess, one man to the Post Exchange and one to the station personnel office. The detachment is also required to furnish two men for guard duty at the ammunition areas and this detail is handled on a duty roster basis.

The following list represents the original roster of the Detachment A, 881st Chem. Co.: 2nd Lt Juette C. Renalds (0-1036093), officer commanding. 2nd Lt Edgar J. Gording (0-1036540)’ adjutant.

2. T/Sgt LaGeorge G. Wheeler was designated 1st Sgt of Detachment A on June 16.
3. The Detachment performed the usual camp duties between June 16 and July 31.
4 There have been no personnel changes since the setting up of the unit.
5. There has been no participation in chemical missions June 16-July 31.

AUGUST 1943

1. The Detachment performed the usual camp duties throughout the month.
2. There were no changes in personnel during the month.
3. The following have been promoted: Pfc Donald MacLellan to T/5; Pvts Paul A. Bogdan and Walter C Tabbert to Pfc.
4. The Detachment did not participate in chemical missions during the month.

SEPTEMBER

1. The Detachment performed the usual camp duties during the month.
2. There were no personnel changes during the month.
3. The following have been promoted: Pfs Paul A. Bogdan and Albert W. Hirsch to T/5, Pvts James Bottiglieri, John B. Cecchini, Joseph S. Ciampi, Quellen M. Keith, Robert T. Litke and Donald W. Whitely.
4. The unit loaded three incendiary missions during the month.

OCTOBER

1. The Detachment performed the usual camp duties during the month.
2. Personnel changes during the month include: 2nd Lt Edgar I. Gording (0-1036540) absent sick in 2nd General Hospital, APO 647, transferred in grade to Dept. of Patients, 2nd General Hospital, APO 647; Pfc Martin H. Barte1 (36170923) absent sick 121st General Hospital, APO 560, is transferred in grade to Dept. of Patients, 2nd General Hospital, APO 647.
3. The following have been promoted: Pfc John B. Cecchini and Joseph S. Ciampi to T/5, Pvts Adam S. Denkowski, Norman Preston, Ralph W. Sanders, Bruno I. Wojtach to Pfcs.
4. The Detachment loaded three incendiary missions during the month.
5. Pursuant to General Orders #3, Base HQ, dd 1 Oct. Under the provisions of AR- 600-68, May 41943, the Good Conduct Medal is been awarded to the following EM, who have demonstrated fidelity through faithful and exact performance of duty, efficiency through capacity to produce desired results and whose behavior has been such as to deserve circulation: T/5s Paul A. Bogdan, Paul P. Haines, John I. Hopper, John D. Leahy, Donald MacLellan, Pvts Adam S. Denkowski, James M. Hayes, Norman Preston, Ralph W. Sanders and Bruno J. Wojtach.

NOVEMBER

1. The usual camp duties were performed by this unit during the month.
2. Four new men were assigned this unit from 82nd Service Group on the 18th: Sgt Edward M. Bates (31063077); Sgt Bob L. Thutin (36191119), Cpl August. A. Byron (19017679); Pvt Golden G. Sherfield (39310207).
3. The following have been promoted: Pfcs Joseph Fagiani, Ralph W. Sanders, Donald W. Whitely and Bruno I. Wojtach; Pvts Otis V. Beyer, Stanley J. Ganski, James M. Hayes, Paul W. Holt, Andrew P. Petrisko and Carl W. Ridgway to Pfc.
4. This Detachment loaded nine incendiary missions during the month.
5. Pursuant. to General Orders #4, etc., the Good Conduct Medal was awarded to: T/Sgt LaGeorge G. Wheeler, S/Sgt Edward C. Kollman, S/Sgt Donald E. Olk, Sgt Edward J. Van Nuland, Cpl John L. Sweeney, T/5 George A. Harris, T/5 Albert W. Hirsch, Pvt Raymond F. Dougan, Pvt Charlie L. Turner, Sgt Robert L. Loach, Cpl Walter A. McCullough, Cpl Theodore F. Tapps, Cpl. Oscar J. VanDeGenaste, T/5 DarreIl W. Binkley, T/5 Joseph Fagiani, TI5 Donald W. Whitely and Pvt Howard A. Peckens.

DECEMBER

1. The Detachment performed the usual camp duties throughout the month.
3. Assigned to this unit were: 2nd Lt David G. McAnemy (0-1038059) and 2nd Lt Roy L. Alley (0-1035679), both from HQ, lst Bomb Division.
4. The following promotions were made: Pfcs Quellen M. Keith and Willie D. Wood to T/5; Pvts Steve Arway, Raymond F. Dougan, Virgil E. Peterson and Richard T. Stone to Pfcs.
5. The unit loaded eight incendiary missions during the month.