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242nd
Quartermaster Battalion
2nd Quartermaster Group
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 ).
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242nd Quartermaster Battalion |
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1961 - 1965 |
(Source: Military
History, 2nd Quartermaster Group, 1945-1965. Compiled by the 2nd
QM Gp in the mid 1960s) |
HISTORY
OF THE 242ND QUARTERMASTER BATTALION
The 242nd Quartermaster Battalion was constituted on 18 March 1941
in the Regular Army and activated on 22 January 1942 at Fort Riley,
Kansas. The mission of the newly formed unit was to provide quartermaster
support to the units at Fort Riley. However, as the war progressed,
it became necessary to transfer the 242nd to the newly formed Seventh
United States Army. The 242nd mission during World War II was that
of labor service -- the supplying of men for unloading, storing,
stacking and etc.
After Seventh Army's conquest of Sicily on 17 August 1943, it began
its push for Southern France and the 242nd Quartermaster Battalion
became part of the 5th US Army. The mission of the 5th Army was
the invasion of Italy and again the 242nd performance provided necessary
services.
On 2 February 1944 the four companies which made up the Battalion
were redesignated from lettered companies to numbered ones as follows:
A, B, C and D changed to 3254th, 3255th, 3256th and the 3257th Quartermaster
Service Companies, respectively.
With the cessation of hostilities, the services of the 242nd Quartermaster
Battalion were no longer needed and the unit was returned to CONUS
and inactivated on 9 November 1945 at Fort Francis E. Warren, Wyoming.
In answer to Russia's Premier Nikita Khruschev threat over Berlin,
the United States began an immediate build-up of men and units in
1961. To support these units the 242nd Quartermaster Battalion was
called into service and reactivated on 25 September 1961, by authority
contained in USAREUR General Order 304, dated 29 September 1961.
The Battalion Headquarters is located at Freiham, Germany with Company
A at Alabama Kaserne, Munich, Germany and Company B at Sheridan
Kaserne, Augsburg, Germany.
Based on the modern concept of Direct
Support, the present mission of the Battalion is to provide a single
source of quartermaster supply, services, and field maintenance
to units of USAREUR and Seventh Army. This includes the following:
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RESPONSIBILITIES
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Class
I: Operate Class I Supply Point
-- Munich |
Class
II & IV: Operate the Class II &
IV Supply Points in Munich and Augsburg. Operate ECP 49 in
Munich. Operate clothing sales stores (including a mobile
van) in Munich, Straubing, Augsburg and Ulm. |
Class
III: Operate Class III Supply Points
in Munich, Bad Toelz, Augsburg, Landshut, Straubing, Regensburg
and Ulm. |
Maintenance
and Services: Provide Quartermaster
Maintenance to Munich, Augsburg and Bad Toelz. |
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If you have more
information on the history or organization of the 242nd QM Bn, please
contact me. |
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MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION
242nd QM Bn commanders:
1963 - Lt Col James E. Bond
1964 - Lt Col Bruce E. Blair
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242nd Supply & Service Battalion |
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242nd Supply & Service Bn DI |
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1966 |
(Source: STARS & STRIPES, August 27, 1966) |
The 657th Quartermaster Company, at Freiham (Munich), is a subordinate unit of the 242nd S&S Bn. |
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(Source: Email from Tony Gallo, 657th QM Company, 1966-68) |
I was in the 657th QM Company from July 1966-1968. I worked in the Fuel Office issuing fuel. I have made several trips to the installation long after I was out of the Army.
My story begins on a transportship leaving New York heading for Bremerhaven, West Germany. It was a nine day trip and it was the last ship to transport GI’s from the US. From that day forward, all US Army soldiers were flown to Germany. It took nine days. The name was the USNS Geiger. I slept in the 3rd hole down. About 90 guys in that hole. One guy was sick for all 9 days. An ambulance picked him up when we landed in Germany.
A Russian vessel followed us for two days. Close enough where we could see them looking with binoculars.
My orders were to serve at the 7th Army (3rd Support) Brigade Headquarters at Stuttgart. After reporting there and finding no slot for my MOS, I was asked what area I preferred to be stationed at in Germany. All the office personnel said I should ask to go to Bavaria. I requested that and was sent to the 657th Quartermaster Company as a quartermaster supply specialist. This was in 1966.
I spent the next nineteen months stationed there. My job was to issue fuel to military vehicles as I was the operations corporal in the office. I was promoted to Sergeant before I was discharged. No one before me was actual trained for the position.
Our company was very small. I think all totaled, about 60. We lived in Quonset huts heated by kerosene. Slept about 20 GI's each. I was lucky as I lived in the old German building, two story,upstairs and had my own bedroom. The building also had an office for a German individual by the name of Hurding who was responsible for the fuel train deliveries to the underground tanks.
We were attached to the 242nd Supply Company (Hq Company, 242nd Service & Supply Battalion) on the same property but they were housed in two story brick structures. That is where we would eat which was a 200 yard walk from our area.
The underground fuel tanks on the Kaserne (Camp) housed AVGAS, MOGAS, JP4, JP5 and diesel fuel. They were 25 feet below ground and all instructions were written in German. I decided to learn the language as I had 19 months there and several of the German nationals worked for me.
The little town of Unterfoffenhofen, Freiham was the location of the camp. The population was about four thousand. Once you got off of the train from Munich, you would walk to the main road, walk about 2 miles straight to the camp.
Highlights while I was stationed there were:
1. 1967- Charles de Gaulle, President of France told the United States to remove its military installations from France.
2. 1967- Six Day War On June 11th the Arab-Israeli War Began and ended six days later. Our company mobilized since we were a support group for the aviation and land troops. We were ready to move our troops into Israeli to support the country.
3. I decided to learn German and that has helped my wife and I on the several trips we have made to Europe over the years and also going back to visiting the 657th.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
My wife and I made our first trip to Europe in 1997. I planned to visit my old camp (657th) while touring Europe. I had rented a car in Frankfurt as we landed there and spent the next 2½ months touring Europe on our own. Since I speak German, it opened up many doors in the surrounding countries.
We drove off of the Autobahn in Unterfoffenhofen and not surprisingly, the little town had grown to about 25,000. Matter of fact, the day we got there, they were removing the old train station as they had built a new one. I thought, how many times I would come and go from that station.
I drove around and could not find the camp. I went to the police station for help. They did not give me any but when I walked out, I was approached by a young German women who said she knew where the camp was but it is now a secrete German installation. She would drive me to the gate and I was on my own. I was met by a German soldier with a rifle. I told him in German that I was stationed there in 1966-68 and wanted to show my wife. He said no admittance. I showed him pictures of the installation and pleaded with him to make a call which he did. He said (naturally in German) that the camp officer would be here. I gave my wife a thumbs up as she sat in the car.
I was met at the gate by a German officer who escorted my wife and I all around the camp. My wife will tell you that even though she cannot speak German, she knew by my conversation with him and our laughter that this was a special moment for both he and I.
We visited the camp twice after that and the last time, all the structures were torn down and removed.
Here is the history of the land that became the 657th Company (242nd Battalion). As told to me by the Germans who worked for me at the installation.
Remember, Hitler got his start in Munich and the ground we are talking about was the fuel supply tanks for his military bases around Germany. One afternoon as the Americans were getting closer to taking control of German land, an America fighter was going over head and one of his bombs disengaged and hit a vent pipe above ground for an underground storage tank. The tank exploded and shook the plane. He came around and pin pointed the land for the Americans to attack.
I was lucky, I went through jungle war fare training at Fort Mead and at the eleventh hour, my orders were pulled and I did not go to Nam. Since I had a college degree, the Army wanted me to go to OCS but I declined as I wanted to serve my country for two years and get out.
I had a wonderful experience in Germany and the 657th Company I was honored to serve in. |
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1967
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(Source: STARS & STRIPES, February 15, 1967) |
The 613th Field Service Company, at Alabama Kaserne, Munich is a subordinate unit of the 242nd S&S Bn. |
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