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301st
Signal 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 contact me.
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Group
History |
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(Source: Unit
History, 301st Signal Group, January 1955, APO 46) |
The
unit (Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3142nd Signal Service
Group) was reconstituted and redesignated as Hq & Hq Det, 301st
Signal Group on 28 September, 1948 and allotted to the Organized
Reserve Corps (Fifth Army). On 19 October, 1948, the unit was activated
at Lincoln, Nebraska.
Between the date of activation and the unit's movement to Europe
in 1952, the unit underwent several reorganizations and redesignations.
On 19 February 1952, the unit left Camp Gordon, Georgia, where it
had been assigned to Third Army, for Germany. Arriving at Bremerhaven,
Germany, on 11 March 1952, the unit was moved (by train) to Panzer
Kaserne, Böblingen, and assigned to Seventh Army to fill the
position of a signal group.
By the end of March 1952, HHD, 301st Sig Gp assumed the administrative
and training control of all Seventh Army Signal troops.
At this time (Source: 7th Army Organization Chart, 30 June 1954),
three battalions were attached to the Group.
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UNIT
DESIGNATION
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DUTY
STATION |
COMMENTS |
HHD,
301st Sig Gp |
Panzer
Ksn, Böblingen |
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39th
Sig Bn (Spt) (1) |
Panzer
Ksn, Böblingen |
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Panzer
Ksn, Böblingen |
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Böblingen |
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Böblingen |
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Böblingen |
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40th
Signal Bn (Construction) (2) |
(Karlsruhe) |
Companies
"C" and "D" were probably located at other
installations |
97th
Sig Bn (Operations) (3) |
Panzer
Ksn, Böblingen |
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732nd
Med Det |
Panzer
Ksn, Böblingen |
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On January 28
1955, the 301st Signal Group was inactivated (in Germany) and replaced
by the 160th Signal
Group. |
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(1) Redesignated
19 July 1951 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 39th Signal
Support Battalion and allotted to the Regular Army.
Activated 6 August 1951 at Camp Gordon, Georgia.
The battalion returned to peace-time West Germany in 1952.
Reorganized and redesignated 15 June 1954 as Headquarters and Headquarters
Detachment, 39th Signal Battalion.
After five years in Germany, the battalion returned to its former
home at Fort Gordon in 1957.
NOTE: After a tour of almost eleven years
in Vietnam, the battalion colors were cased in Vietnam and escorted
to West Germany where HHD, 447th Signal Battalion was redesignated
as HHD, 39th Signal Battalion. More about this battalion will be posted
in the future on the 39th Signal Battalion
Page. |
(2) Redesignated
Aug. 31, 1950, as the 40th Signal Construction Battalion.
Activated Sept. 19, 1950, at Camp Gordon, Ga.; allotted Oct. 31, 1950,
to the Regular Army.
Reorganized and redesignated Oct. 1, 1953, as the 40th Signal Battalion
(Construction).
40th
Signal Battalion DUI
Interchange of the 25th and 40th Signal Battalions.
In September 1955, the
Department of the Army announced that the 40th Signal Bn was one of
20 battalions scheduled to exchange duty stations between Europe and
the United States in the spring and summer of 1956. The
25th Signal Battalion (Construction) in the United States was chosen
to rotate with the 40th Signal Battalion, Germany, the first of unit
moves. The advance party of this first technical service unit to rotate
from the United States to a foreign post left on 10 February 1956.
The main body of the battalion arrived in Germany on 9 April, and
the 40th Signal Battalion departed the next day. |
(3) I
have started a 97th
Signal Battalion Page where I have
posted several good articles on the history of the battalion.
97th
Signal Battalion DUI
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If you have more
information on the history or organization of the 301st Sig Gp, please
contact me. |
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(Source: Email
from Maurice J.A. Markworth, 301st Sig Gp, 1951-55; information was
originally sent to Emily V.R. Smith, whose husband was also assigned
to the 301st during this period) |
The unit was
designated the 301st Signal Service Unit
when I joined them at Camp Gordon, Georgia, March 1, 1951 as the Classification
and Assignment Officer. In July 1951 we took part in the maneuvers
in North Carolina known as Exercise Southern Pine. After returning
to Camp Gordon, we administered to the signal units stationed there.
Lt. Col. Walter D. Lundy was the commanding officer.
We were moved to Germany in March 1952 and assigned to Seventh Army
Signal units and became the 301st Signal Group.
In addition to the units listed on the Internet there was another
signal battalion located near Worms, Germany. As I recall, it was
the 315th Signal Battalion. There were
also four signal repair detachments attached to other units throughout
Germany to which we administered. "
The 40th Signal Battalion was a colored unit which was integrated
with the other signal units in our Group in order to conform to the
new Army which was no longer segregated.
We had a practice alert once a month in which we loaded up and moved
to our field locations. We also had some field exercises which usually
lasted 10 to 14 days, where we functioned in the field.
We were stationed in Germany as an Army of Occupation unit until July
1, 1955 when Germany got its sovereignty back. I departed Germany
the 25th of July to return to an assignment in the U.S.
On January 28, 1955, the 301st Signal Group was inactivated and redesignated
the 160th Signal Group and continued
the same functions as before.
Since we were the senior unit in the Panzer Kaserne, we were also
the Post Command and were responsible for issuing passes to the Kaserne
as well as permits to any German personnel to sell commercial products
on post. We were also responsible for the Officers' Club and the NCO
Club on post.
Maurice J.A.Markworth |
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Capt.
Smith
301st Sig Gp
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Additional
information submitted by Emily Smith:
My late husband, Capt Smith, was adjutant of the 301st
and then the 160th Signal Group at Panzer from 1952 to
1955.
Emily also submitted this very nice strip map of Panzer
Kaserne from around 1955. |
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(Source: Movement Orders (Shipment # 4181-A), 7 Jan 1952, Fort Gordon, GA) |
Movement Orders |
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39th
Signal Support Battalion |
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(moved to 39th Signal Battalion Page) |
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