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51st Ordnance Group
Seventh Army

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 email me (webmaster).


Group History (1945 - 1965)





 
Group History
1945 - 1965
(Source: 51st Maintenance Battalion History. Compiled by the 51st Maint Bn in the early 1980s)
The Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 51st Ordnance Group was constituted on 20 December 1943 and activated 10 January 1944 at Palm Village, California. The Group was transferred to Pomona Ordnance Base, California, and again to Camp Polk, Louisiana.

The Group was shipped overseas to England in the spring of 1944 and provided maintenance and supply support to the First Army from the time of the invasion until VE Day, the 8th of May 1945.

After supporting Ninth Army from 11 May 1945 to 15 June 1945, it was placed under the operational control of Seventh Army.

Cancelling a move to the Pacific Theater, the Group moved to Bremen and operated Ordnance Section, Port Bremen.

Later, the Group was moved to Zirndorf, Germany, assuming control and supervision of Ordnance units and activities in the Eastern Military District until deactivation on 20 January 1947.

On 26 March, 1947, it was redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment 308th Ordnance Group and reactivated at Richmond, Indiana, with the Organic Reserves. On 1 August 1949, it was redesignated from a Detachment to a Company and a year later inactivated at Indianapolis, Indiana.

The redesignation of the 7848th Ordnance Group, USAREUR to the 51st Ordnance Group on 15 January 1953 reactivated the Group to Esslingen, Germany, assuming control of all Ordnance Activities in the Army area.

From 1954 to spring 1965, 51st Ordnance Group played an important role in carrying out 7th Army's preparedness mission. The Group, to provide better customer support moved during June 1954 to Coleman Barracks, Sandhofen, Germany. In 1959, Group Headquarters was moved to Funari Barracks, in Mannheim and later still, Pioneer Kaserne in Hauau, Germany.

In August 1965, the Group was redesignated as Headquarters and Company "A", 51st Maintenance Battalion (Direct Support) and was relocated at Coleman Barracks, Mannheim, Germany.

NOTE: The unit's subsequent history as the 51st Maintenance Battalion will be posted on the 51st Maint Bn Page.
If you have more information on the history or organization of the 51st Ord Gp, please contact me.