14th Chemical Maintenance Company, 1943 History Overview

Months	Synopsis of 14th's Service	Quotes
January 1943	Firing for Record. Located at Fort Rucker, Alabama. Strength: NA. 07 - Co. fired Cal. .30 rifle for record. Weather "very bad." 72 men fired 61 men qualified 11 - Appointed 1st Lt. 2nd Lt. George R. Hoffman 12 - Assigned from 84th CML Bn. 1st Lt. Charles B. Willis, Sr. 14 - Trans. as original cadre to 19th CMC, Camp Sibert, Al. 2nd Lt. Charles W. Lawless 16 EM 31 - Appointed 1st Lt. 2nd Lt. Robert E. Smith Officers and EM gained and lost during month NA.
February 1943	Physical Fitness Test. Located at Camp Rucker, Alabama. Strength: NA. 12 - Co. tested for physical fitness by 5th Detachment Special Troops. 13 - Completed 10 weeks of Unit training. 15 - Co. entered Combined Training period. 25 - Trans. to 81st Inf. Div. 1st Lt. Theodore O. J. Kresser Trans. from 81st Inf. Div. 1st Lt. Donald S. Angell Officers and EM gained and lost during month NA.	"The morale and effort shown by the men was excellent, and the average score for this Company as a whole was 90.8%. This score is 0.8% higher than any received previously by any other unit under control of the 5th Detachment." --Fourteenth Chemical Maintenance Company Historical Record, entry for 12 Feb 43, date and author unknown
March 1943	Training and Garrison Duties. Located at Camp Rucker, Alabama. Strength: NA. Entire month spent in combined training and usual garrison duties, "no unusual events." Officers and EM gained and lost during month NA.
April 1943	Maneuvers in Tennessee. Located at Camp Rucker, Alabama. Strength: NA. 06 - Co. received MTP retests in Area Decontamination, Storage and shipment of Chemical Supplies and Chemical Weapons. 08 - Co. trans. to Manchester, Tennessee, to participate in Second Army Tennessee Maneuvers. Co. personnel traveled to Manchester by railroad train. 1 Officer and 13 EM drove Co. equipment and vehicles to Manchester. 09 - Co. rode on trucks from railhead to bivouac area 2.1 mi north of Manchester. Set up equipment and Installations for operation of army chemical depot. Joined by 1 Platoon of 23rd CML Decontamination Co. 26 - Trans. to AAF Classification Center. 1st Lt. Robert E. Smith 26-30 - Engaged in operations of the first phase of Second Army maneuvers in Tennessee. Officers and EM gained and lost during month NA.	"...passed these tests with excellent and satisfactory grades." --Fourteenth Chemical Maintenance Company Historical Record, entry for 06 Apl 43, date and author unknown
May 1943	Maneuvers in Tennessee. Located at Manchester, Tennessee. Strength: NA. 05 - Trans. to 193rd CML Depot Co. 1st Lt. George R. Hoffman 09 - Assigned from Hq., Camp Pickett, Virginia. 2nd Lt. Robert Marmorstein 2nd Lt. Maurice Santopadre 24 - Trans. to 88th CML Bn. 2nd Lt. Maurice Santopadre Officers and EM gained and lost during month NA.
June 1943	Rated Superior. Located at Manchester, Tennessee. Strength: NA. 06 - Appointed 1st Lt. 2nd Lt. Arthur C. Schoenewaldt, Jr. 16 - Assigned from 83rd Inf Div. 2nd Lt. Walter Kovacs 18 - Co. arrived by motor convoy at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, to rehabilitate all CWS equipment. 25 - Arrived by motor convoy at Fort McClellan, Alabama, to rehabilitate all CWS equipment. Officers and EM gained and lost during month NA.	"This Company was engaged in all eight operations of the first phrase of Second Army maneuvers in the Tennessee. Repaired all Chemical Warfare equipment used by maneuver troops, in addition to the Chemical Warfare equipment at Camp Forrest, Tennessee. The Company Changed its bivouac location every week, alternating between Manchester, Tennessee, and Donelson, Tennessee." --Fourteenth Chemical Maintenance Company Historical Record, entry for 17 Jun 43, date and author unknown "The Company received a rating of superior from the Chemical Director, Second Army maneuver Headquarters...for the complete phase." --Fourteenth Chemical Maintenance Company Historical Record, entry for 18 Jun 43, date and author unknown
July 1943	Rehabilitating CWS Equipment. Located at Fort McClellan, Alabama. Strength: NA. 02 - Arrived by motor convoy at Fort Benning, Georgia, to rehabilitate all CWS equipment. 09 - Arrived by motor convoy at Camp Wheeler, Georgia, to rehabilitate all CWS equipment. 16 - Arrived by motor convoy at Camp Gordon, Georgia, to rehabilitate all CWS equipment. Attached to Hq 3rd Detachment, Special Troops, 2nd Army. 19 - Appointed Capt. and Co. commanding officer 1st Lt. Donald S. Angell Resumed Combined training starting the 7th week. Officers and EM gained and lost during month NA.
August 1943	Training and Garrison Duties. Located at Camp Gordon, Georgia. Strength: NA. Entire month spent in combined training and usual garrison duties, "no unusual events." Officers and EM gained and lost during month NA.
September 1943	Fillers and Firings. Located at Camp Gordon, Georgia. Strength: NA. 18 - 14 Fillers received from 915th Ordinance Heavy Automotive Maintenance Co. and 28 from 136th Medium Maintenance Co. 20-21 - Co. personnel fired .50 Cal. MG (Ground) for familarization. 4 Officers and 8 EM fired for record. 23-24 - Co. personnel fired Carbine Cal. .30 M-1 Record Course "A." 90% of Co. qualified. 25 - Co. personnel fired Carbine Cal. .30 M-1 Transition Course. 100% of Co. qualified. Officers and EM gained and lost during month NA.
October 1943	Preparing for Overseas Service. Located at Camp Gordon, Georgia. Strength: NA. 02 - 17 week Combined Training period completed. 04 - Co. began intensive training period in preparation for overseas movement. Appointed 1st Lt. 2nd Lt. Robert Marmorstein 19 - Inspector Generals Inspection of Co. personnel and records. "Company was approved for overseas service." 20-31 - Co. preparing for overseas shipment, packing and crating all equipment, clothing inspections for personnel, and preparation of records. Officers and EM gained and lost during month NA.	"Between the 19th of July and the 2nd of October 1943, the Company spent two out of each four weeks in the field in bivouac to complete its field training." --Fourteenth Chemical Maintenance Company Historical Record, entry for 02 Oct 43, date and author unknown
November 1943	Preparing for Overseas Movement. Located at Camp Gordon, Georgia. Strength: NA. 01-26 - Packing and crating, Showdown Inspections on equipment and clothing, final processing of men in preparation for overseas movement. 26 - Co. left Camp Gordon at 1100 hrs (11:00 am) by railroad train. 28 - Arrived Camp Shanks, New York Port of Embarkation at 2330 hrs (11:30 pm) after 900 mile movement. Officers and EM gained and lost during month NA.	"Morale of personnel very high." --Fourteenth Chemical Maintenance Company Historical Record, entry for 27 Nov 43, date and author unknown
December 1943	Arrival Overseas. Located at Camp Shanks, New York. Strength: NA. 02 - Co. entrained for Pier No. 90 New York Harbor, at 2200 hrs (10:00 pm). 03 - Embarked on troop transport ship No. NY 631 at 0300 hrs (3:00 am). Quartered on E deck, Section U. "This Section was constructed to hold a Maximum of 150 men but there were 315 men using it on this trip..." Troop transport left New York Harbor at 1100 (11:00 am) in a convoy. 03-08 - Enroute across Atlantic Ocean in convoy. Morale of men rated as only "fair" due to crowding. "No unusual events on trip." 09 - Disembarked at Guorock, Scotland at 1100 hrs (11:00 am) Greenwich time. 10 - Arrived by railroad train at Stanford-in-the-Vail, Berkshire, England. 14 - Assigned to First U.S. Army. 30 - Moved by truck convoy to Camp Columbia "B" at Thatcham, Berkshire, England, and attached to Hq, Services of Supply, ETOUSA.	"While in Stanford the men and officers were quartered in houses throughout the village. One unoccupied house was taken over for use as a headquarters, and the village community center building was used for the mess hall and supply room. A stable was used for the Motor Pool... ...various social activities were held for the villagers of Stanford-in-the-Vail, and a Christmas party was given for all the children of the village. After arriving in Camp Columbia "B" the officers, Orderly room, and supply room, were set up in 3 Nissan Huts and the men were quartered in Wooden Hutments. The mess at this camp was a consolidated mess used by all of the units in the camp. The main task accomplished during this short period of time was obtaining supplies and T/BA equipment essential to the operation of a chemical maintenance company. This material was obtained from the various general depots located throughout the United Kingdom, being hampered by lack of adequate motor transportation. While located in Sanford, comparatively isolated from other military installations, the same difficulty arose again in maintaining contact with Class I Ration Supply Points, Army Postal Units, and Medical Dispensaries." --Capt. Donald S. Angell, CWS, Commanding, FOURTEENTH CHEMICAL MAINTENANCE COMPANY HISTORY - 9 to 31 December 1943, dated 07 Feb 44 and classified SECRET.

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	Unit History 1943 14th Chemical Maintenance Company 1942-1945 U. S. Army Chemical Corps World War II
14th Company Sign and Officers Taken Camp Gordon, Georgia 1943 Source: T/5 David O. Meeker, Jr.