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308th
Quartermaster Battalion
6th 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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308th Quartermaster Battalion |
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1964 |
(Source: STARS & STRIPES, April 12, 1954) |
ORGANIZATION (1954): |
UNIT DESIGNATION |
DUTY STATION |
COMMENTS |
HHD, 35th QM Bn (DS) |
Quartermaster Depot, Giessen |
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Company A |
Quartermaster Depot, Giessen |
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Company B |
Camp Eschborn, Frankfurt |
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308th S & S Battalion |
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308th Service & Supply Battalion DUI |
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(Source: Lineage and Honors, US Army Center of Military History) |
Activated 25 September 1961 in Germany as the 308th Quartermaster Battalion. Reorganized and redesignated 2 August 1965 as the 308th Supply and Service Battalion.
Inactivated 26 July 1971 in Germany. |
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1965 |
(Source: USAREUR STATION LIST, 31 December 1965) |
ORGANIZATION (1965): |
UNIT DESIGNATION |
DUTY STATION |
COMMENTS |
HHD, 35th S & S Bn (DS) |
Quartermaster Depot, Giessen |
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Company A |
Quartermaster Depot, Giessen |
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Company B |
McNair Kaserne, Hoechst |
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![](../../Communities/Giessen/308th QM Bn Rail Car 1965 - Martn Kern 600.jpg)
Martin Kern on the 308th QM Bn rail car at an unknown train station (Martin Kern) |
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![](../../Communities/Giessen/308th QM Bn Rail Car route 1965 600.jpg)
Route map of the QM Rail car (Martin Kern) |
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![](../../Communities/Giessen/US ARMY RAILCAR MODEL FINAL - Martin Kern 800.jpg)
The HO model above is a similar German rail car that I'm modifying by inserting the text found on "my" rail car.
I created the text and logo on Windows Paint 3D and a friend is going to make the decal(s).
I hope it comes out looking like the picture (Martin Kern) |
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(Source: Post in the usarmygermany.com Guestbook from Martin Kern followed up with an email) |
It's my pleasure to provide the following information re my assignment to the 308th Quartermaser Battalion's Rail Car.
After graduating from Advanced Infantry Training at Ft. Dix, NJ as an E-2, I arrived at Bremerhaven, Germany in early April 1965 via the USNS General Darby. It was a rough trip since our deployment was on the 1st day that iceberg restrictions were lifted! The Atlantic was doing its best to keep us below decks. However, upon arriving in the English Channel, the water was as flat as a sheet of glass! It was evening and the Dover Cliffs were illuminated by moonlight! Really impressive.
Arriving in Bremerhaven, we transferred to a southbound military train for travel to Frankfurt. Eventually, I arrived at the 308th's HQ Detachment in Giessen.
As a MOS 111, I was somewhat disappointed to be assigned as a Clerk Typist! But, I could type pretty good and they needed that skill, not my expertise with an M-60! The CO, a CWO, asked me to give it a try for 2 weeks. If I wasn't happy he would transfer me to any 7th Army Infantry unit. Well, it turned out to be very challenging and I did like the job. 8 hr. workday; off on weekends; No DUTY! I'd be pretty dumb not to stay.
The "no duty" thing didn't work out perfectly. Even though I was always selected as a "supernumerary", someone always messed up so I had to endure a couple of cold German nights on guard duty.
A lot changed while I was stationed in Giessen. HQ Detachment became HQ Company, then became just part of "A" Company in 1966.
After several months in that position, I was offered the assignment of operating the Quartermaster rail car, a mobile QM clothing sales store. Fortunately, I really liked trains and travel. The assignment was conditional on having a sterile conduct record and willingness not to receive an increase in rank as long as I held that position.
I remember sleeping on board on several occasions, which wasn't very comfortable in the winter. Heat was provided by batteries which were probably the original ones and didn't do much except for lighting. So we simply didn't use the heat! Fortunately, per diem was $25.00 which was pretty good in those days (my regular Army pay was $55.00 A MONTH! So I stayed in hotels mostly.
I made one trip to Helmstadt in the British Sector which was quite interesting. On a visit to the border with East Germany, a East German citizen attempted an escape in a school bus. He survived, but was shot with a 50 caliber! Rules were that the gate couldn't be lifted and assistance could not be provided. I then visited a warehouse where hundreds of replacement gates were stored! Quite an adventure.
Since I carried quite a bit of cash, I was armed at all times. The Army wouldn't let me have a 45, so I had to lug my M-14 everywhere including to the bank in Kassel! Got some looks!
A German national partnered with me on the Railcar and spoke about as much English as I did German... not much! I guess he was along to keep me from getting lost. All in all, it was a great experience and I did learn some German!
I have included
the above photo and my route map. The good looking guy on the car is me in 1965! I only had the job for about 3 months when they did away with the rail car and employed a truck. I said, "nope!". Not long after, I was in Vietnam! (Actually, I had volunteered - my parents weren't too thrilled about it).
BTW - I stayed in the service for a total of 4 years, 2 months and 18 days! Started as a US, ended as a RA. Last duty assignment was (are you ready?) McGuire AFB! MATCO. Talk about good luck!) |
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
QUARTERMASTER RAIL CAR
The QM rail car was attached to a German Bundesbahn train and dropped off on sidings.
While I was assigned to the rail car, the route always started at Giessen then Bad Kissingen, Fulda, Bad Hersfeld and lastly, Kassel. (See route map above.) I did not ride in the car from location to location,
I had a one-way 2nd Class round trip pass on DB. But, as I mentioned previously, I did sleep aboard a number of times - not my idea!
And, of course, the single trip to Helmstedt. I believe that Helmstedt was simply added to the route. I forget the details. Helmstedt was in the British Sector and I worked British MP's while there for a day or two.
The QM rail car stay for one full day at each location. Actually I kind of cheated the DB because I rode the train (in reverse against the one-way ticket) back from Bad Hersfeld to Fulda in order to attend German language classes. I feigned sleeping when going back! It worked!
HELMSTEDT
Early in 1966 my assignment on the Quartermaster Rail car was amended to include the British Checkpoint in Helmstedt. My understanding was that occurred quarterly as opposed to the weekly trips I did in southern Germany.
This trip proved to be quite an adventure. I was invited by a British MP (Military Police, not Member of Parliament!) to visit the checkpoint on the border between East and West Germany. Upon arrival at the checkpoint an incident occurred involving an East German civilian attempting an escape in a schoolbus. Just as we were pulling up to the guard station (see photo below) he had just crashed through the barrier under fire from the Volpos (East German Police). You can see the tower with the Volpos on the right side of the photo. Some of the rounds (.50 caliber) struck the British side which were circled with chalk and photographed by British CID to provide evidence to the UN of the Volpos firing into the sector. If you look at the photo, the vehicle I was in would have been where the jeep is located. The truck is coming from East Germany with the barrier just behind it. The Volpos tower is on the right. Note how relatively close it is to the checkpoint! Also, observe the bunker on the right. We didn't have to use it since it was over in a matter of seconds.
Interestingly, no help to the escapee was allowed under the agreement with the East German government. In this case, the East German citizen was struck by one round but did survive. All this occurred within 50 feet of where I stood with the MP! After the event, he took me to the warehouse where dozens of replacement wood barriers were stored. Apparently, these incidents happened quite frequently and it was not permitted to raise the barrier, so it was necessary to crash through. Also, even if the escaping person(s) was crawling to cross under the barrier no assistance was permitted until he/she actually accessed the British sector! |
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![](../../Communities/Giessen/Helmstedt Checkpoint 1966 - Martin Kern.jpg)
I hope it comes out looking like the picture (Martin Kern)
Photo Credit: Zentralbild/Link 10.6.1967, Westdeutscher Grenzkontrollpunkt Helmstedt. |
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ADDITIONAL UNIT HISTORY
When I arrived in Giessen in April of 1965, they were just recovering from riots caused by racial disagreements. Tensions were somewhat high and I was grateful to have been assigned to HQ since the barracks were (at that time) not a particularly safe place. From personal experience (I was a witness at a Courts Martial) I testified as to how poorly certain individuals were treated by their "peers".
An interesting part of the 308th's history is when a B-52 lost 3 H-bombs near Rota, Spain! A B-52 bomber collided with a KC-135 tanker dropping three 70-kiloton hydrogen bombs near the town of Palomares and one in the sea. I believe this happened shortly before my transfer to Ft. Bragg in 1966.
The 308th was assigned to clean-up whatever they could find. In order to prove that the local farmers crops were safe, we were fed a heavy diet of tomatoes! (For more information on this incident, see https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/h-bomb-lost-in-spain.)
Hope you find this information useful in filling some of the gaps!
It's nice thinking back to those times. I was very fortunate to have been able to take advantage of the opportunities the Army provided. Although the four years was a long time, I don't regret any of it (including Vietnam). I also tried to make the best of whatever the situation presented.
I did get in a little trouble on occasion because I may have been a little overly concerned with how some immediate superiors did their jobs. Probably cost me a Good Conduct medal!
While in Germany, I was encouraged to apply for OCS - twice. Didn't make it because of my stubbornness. I insisted on training for Infantry, Armor or Artillery! The Army didn't need additional officers in those branches and I refused to consider the others. Still, no regrets! In addition, I didn't have a college degree (I did earn a 2 year equivalency in Germany via U of Maryland examinations).
The US Army was the best thing for me at that time of my life. |
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1968 |
(Source: STARS & STRIPES, April 30, 1968) |
The 308th Supply and Service Battalion was consolidated two of its Class III supply points -- the consolidation merged the Kassel supply point with the Bad Hersfeld supply point. The move was done to provide better service to customer units by taking advantage of Bad Hersfeld's better distribution and storage facilities.
The Bad Hersfeld Class III Supply Point serves some 75 units within an area bounded by Kassel in the north and Darmstadt in the south. NCOIC is S/Sgt Leonard H. Derrick. He has a staff of six personnel who work at the supply point.
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1969 |
(Source: USAREUR STATION LIST, 30 June 1969) |
ORGANIZATION (1969): |
UNIT DESIGNATION |
DUTY STATION |
COMMENTS |
HHD, 35th S & S Bn (DS) |
Support Center, Giessen |
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Company A |
Support Center, Giessen |
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Company B |
McNair Kaserne, Hoechst |
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Company C |
Gibbs Kaserne, Frankfurt |
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If you have more
information on the history or organization of the 308th QM Bn, please
contact me. |
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