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Berlin District (Occupation Period)
European Command
Looking for more information from military/civilian personnel assigned to or associated with the U.S. Army in Germany from 1945 to 1989. If you have any stories or thoughts on the subject, please contact me.







Berlin District
 

General Order No. 13, 4 July 1945 (USAHEC)
HQ Berlin District assumes command of the U.S. Sector in Berlin
 

Greater Berlin with Allied Sector boundaries, 1945 (USAHEC)
 

Berlin District Organization Chart, 1945 (USAHEC)
 

Consolidated Strength chart - US military personnel
in the Berlin District, Oct 1945 (USAHEC)
 

Station List No. 9, 31 Oct 1945 (USAHEC)
 
Berlin District DUI
 
1945
(Source: Command Channels, Station List No. 9, and other documents pertaining to the Berlin District; JOHN G. KNAUER PAPERS, USAHEC)
COL John G. Knauer served as the Surgeon for Berlin District in 1945. He was in charge of the District Medical Section.
 

Billet Assignment List, General Officers, Berlin, July 1945 (USAHEC)
 

The 78th Infantry Division assumes occupation duties in
the US Sector of Berlin, Nov 1945 (Webmaster's collection)
 
(Source: JOHN G. KNAUER PAPERS, USAHEC)
 

The 78th Inf Div in Berlin, 1945 (Walter Elkins Collection)
 
(Source: Lightning, the History of the 78th Infantry Division)
In June, it was announced that the 78th Inf Div had been designated as Category II. (At this time the division was assigned to XIX Corps and was located Bad Wildungen.)

In July, the Div concentrated on intensive training for employment to the Pacific. All elements were moved into the Kreise WOLFHAGEN and HOFGEISMAR, with Div HQ in the town of HOFGEISMAR.

In late July, the Div was attached to XXIII Corps, Seventh Army.

After August (with the capitulation of Japan), training hours were shortened. In September, the Div was redesignated as Category I.

In late September, it was announced that the 78th Inf Div would shortly move to BERLIN as an occupational force and preparations for the move were undertaken. Subsequently, the 311th Regimental Combat Team was designated to occupy the port of BREMEN and the Enclave thereabout which included BREMERHAVEN.

(Webmaster note: The Division Command Post was possibly opened in BERLIN on October 17, 1945. I will try to find information that confirms that.)
1946
(Source: Troop Basis and the Disposition of Forces)
In May 1946, the 3rd Infantry Regiment was moved to BERLIN and, on June 15, it took over role of main occupation unit in the Berlin Military District from the 78th Inf Div.

The 78th Inf Div was inactivated at BERLIN on June 16 1946.
(Source: Source: Infantry Regiments of the US Army)
309th Inf Regt was inact between April 15 - May 22, 1946, in Germany.
310th Inf Regt was inact on June 15, 1946, in BERLIN.
311th Inf Regt was inact on May 22, 1946, in BREMERHAVEN.
(Source: "We Drive the Ten Tonners, A picture book of Truckers Life and Service in the ETO," 3574th QM Trk Co (Hvy)(TC), May 1946)



  In late 1945-1946, the 3574th QM Trk Co was engaged in hauling service supplies to and from Southern Germany, Belgium, Holland, France and Poland with Berlin as the center of operations.

On 1 July 1946, the EUCOM history (Vol. IV of the Second Yearof the Occupation) shows 1 QM Trk battalion assigned/attached to the Berlin District. This battalion was composed of 1 light and 1 heavy truck company in addition to several technical Labor Service units. (There were also two Car Companies in Berlin). The heavy truck company was most likely the 3574th.

VEHICLE BUMPER MARKINGS



The image displayed on the cover of the picture booklet on the left is a good example of bumper codes used by US forces in the early Occupation period:
USF   US Forces, European Theater (USFET)
BD   Berlin District
3574   unit number
Q   Quartermaster
(TC)   Transportation Corps
TRK   Truck
23   vehicle number

Each vehicle was assigned a number in the sequence in which that vehicle would normally appear in the order of march. The codes were applied to the front and rear of each vehicle by the use of stencils.

3574th QM Trk Co
Berlin

 

1. Company motor pool
2. Company undergoes general inspection