Company History of the 3011 Quartermaster Bakery Co. Mobile (Special)
Company History of the 3011th Quartermaster Bakery Co. Mobile (Special)
The history contained herein is that of the 3011th Quartermaster Bakery Company Mobile (Special)
First a short review of the personnel up until the date of activation of the 3011th. All personnel were members of the 615th Quartermaster Bakery Battalion, which was activated on the 9th of February, 1943. The majority of the men were members of “A” Company of this Battalion. The 615th Battalion was activated at Vancouver Barracks, Washington, and all personnel received their Basic Training at this place.
On the 3rd of June, 1943, the 615th Battalion moved from Vancouver Barracks, Washington and arrived at Camp Sutton, North Carolina on the 10th of June 1943.
On the 13th of August 1943, “A” Company departed Camp Sutton, North Carolina and moved to Camp Myles Standish, Massachusetts, a staging area for New York POE.
On the 20th of August 1943, “A” Company left New York Harbor for shipment overseas. “A” Company arrived at Glasgow, Scotland on the 25th of August, 1943 and immediately entrained and moved to Boughton Park, near Kettering, Northants, England. The Company remained there for six weeks and during that time the men were instructed in the use of the British Mobile Bakery equipment. Here “A” Company was split into two separate companies, as it required only eighty-two EM and two officers to operate the new style equipment.
On the 7th of October, 1943, the half of the original “A” Company which later became the 3011th Quartermaster Bakery Company Mobile (Special), moved from Boughton Park, Northants to Taunton, Somerset, designated as Det “B” 206 Quartermaster Bakery Company. Arriving at Taunton, the company was station at General Depot G-50, the second largest American Depot in England. Here, this unit operated the Bakery of the Depot.
Soon after arriving at G-50, we were again redesignated, this time as Det “A” 205th Quartermaster Bakery Company.
On the 14th of December, 1943, the 3011th Quartermaster Bakery Company Mobile (Special) was activated at General Depot G-50, Taunton, Somerset, England. The Company remained at General Depot G-50 for a period of approximately seven months. Here, in addition to baking activities, the men were trained and prepared for the invasion of France. The bakery was operated at least three days a week. In this time, enough bread was baked to supply many thousands of troops stations in the surrounding area. While at Depot G-50, we received a Coffee Roasting Unit. There were men trained to take charge of this Unit and they immediately started production. The coffee roasting unit required six men to operate it. During our stay at Depot G-50, this unit baked more than one and one-half million pounds of bread and produced many thousands of roasted coffee. At this time we were assigned to the First U.S. Army and ordered to move from Depot G-50 to bivouac area on Buncombe Hill, a place near Taunton, Somerset. The move took place on the 19th of May 1944.
At Buncombe Hill, trucks were water proofed, clothing checked, ammunition issued, and there were many long hours of training and lectures. The company visited firing ranges several times to get better acquainted with our newest weapons. Were issued bazookas, hand grenades, and other weapons we had never come into contact with up to this time.
On the 8th of July 1944, the company was ordered to move to a marshalling area, near Falmouth, to prepare to land on the continent. On the 12th of July, 1944, the company boarded the Liberty Ship “Francis Drake” and set sail from England.
On the 15th of July, 1944, the company arrived at “Utah Beach-Head”. The Bakery equipment was removed from the Liberty Ship and loaded onto an LST. Upon reaching shore, we were hurried to a bivouac area where the company spent the night. The following day the company again moved to another bivouac area farther inland.
On the 18th of July, 1944 the company moved from bivouac area to an area five miles south of the city of Carentan, which was not yet in American hands, and proceeded to setup the Bakery for operations. At this area the company encountered their first real taste of enemy action. Here, the company was set up beside a landing strip for fighter planes. This landing strip was under constant strafing and bombing from enemy craft.
The next move was on the 5th of August, 1944. We went south through St. Lo to a small village called Notre Dame. Here we were set up in the middle of a German Ammunition Dump.
On the 19th of August, 1944, the company moved from Notre Dame and traveled south-east to the city of Gorron. Here we stayed for only five days and were again ordered to move.
On the 25th of August, 1944, the company arrived at St. Germain, a small village approximately three miles from Dreux. This area was very muddy, but the constant attention showed this subject by the Officers kept the area in good shape.
We were again ordered to move. From Dreux we moved a distance of one-hundred and sixty miles to the city of Laon. We arrived in Laon on the 2nd of September, 1944. Here, we were billeted in a large building, the first time we had lived in a building since we arrived on the continent.
On 14th of September, 1944 we were compelled to leave Laon and move into Belgium. In Belgium, we moved to a small village called Bioul. In Bioul, we were billeted in a large Chateau. The truck drivers had the very dangerous task of driving to Lo Capelle to pick up ingredients for the Bakery. This was dangerous because in order to get back to Bioul the same day, night driving was required. Head-lights were forbidden and it was very difficult to drive with “cat-eyes”.
On the 24th of September, 1944 we again moved. We arrived at Herve, Belgium on the 24th of September. This area was unsuitable for setting up the Bakery so we were again on the move. On the 25th of September we moved to Thimister, Belgium. The Army Air Corps soon took over this area as they considered it an ideal outpost for a Radar Unit.
On September 29th, 1944 we arrived at a small Belgium town called Herbesthal. This town was only eight miles from Aachen, Germany and at the time of our arrival we were only 2000 yards from the front lines. The “Buzz-Bombs” and enemy planes kept the men on constant alert. During our stay at Herbesthal, Belgium, Von Runstedt launched his great offensive, known as the “Bulge”. This unit was on the right flank of the “Buldge” and was subjected to steady bombing from Air-Craft and “buzz-bombs”. We were ordered to patrol the town of Herbesthal and to constantly on alert for paratroopers. This unit patrolled Herbesthal every night from the beginning of the “Bulge” until the emergency was declared over. During the month of December 1944, this unit produced more bread than had ever been produced in a single month.
On the 19th of March 1945, this unit moved from Herbesthal, Belgium to Weidesheim, Germany. At this area, the coffee roaster, which had been on D.S. With First Army Class I depots, was again with the company. While at this area, this unit was awarded the Meritorious Service Plaque for commendable and outstanding service.
We left this area on the 2nd of April 1945 and arrived at Herborn, Germany. At this area the Bakery was moved into a large “buzz-bomb” factory. The troops were billeted in very nice homes in this town. While at this area our trucks were used to haul in PX rations from large Class I Depots to the front line troops. During this time bakery operations were ceased. Also we started sending men on pass to Paris and Brussels.
On the 15th of April 1945 we moved from Herborn, Germany to Obergebra, Germany, a small town a few miles from Nordhausen. At this area the bakery operations ceased so that trucks could be used to haul PX rations to the front line troops, this time for five days. The truck drivers were driving on an average of from fourteen to eighteen each day. At this area, on 17th of May 1945, V-E day was declared and the cease fire ordered throughout Germany.
On the 29th of May, 1945, the Bakery again moved. We arrived in Alsfeld, we were transferred from the First U.S. Army to the Ninth U.S. Army. Soon after this transfer, were transferred from the Ninth U.S. Army to the Seventh U.S. Army.
On the 4th of August, 1945 we mvoed from Alsfeld to a small town called Gunterhausen, a town about nine miles from Kassel. Here we were stationed in a large aircraft factory. This place also provided room for both billets and the bakery. While at Gunterhausen we were alerted for shipment to the United States.
On the 14th of September this unit left Gunterhausen, leaving the bakery equipment behind, and moved to Giessen, Germany, our area to reorganize and boost the company strength for shipment to the United States. Our company strength was at that time one hundred and sixty enlisted men and three officers.
On the 17th of September 1945 this unit left Giessen, Germany, by train, and proceeded to Camp Pittsburgh, an assembly area, to prepare for shipment to the United States. At the present time, we are still in Camp Pittsburgh awaiting shipment. This unit has been awarded five battle stars; The Normandy, Northern France, Ardennes, Rhineland, and Central Europe. The average ASR score for men of this unit is eighty-one (81) points as of V-J Day.
The company arrived in Camp Pittsburgh (Assembly Area Command) on the 19th of September, 1945 and immediately started processing of men and records. While at Camp Pittsburgh two more officers were assigned to the company and three enlisted men transferred out. Finally, after all transfers and processing was completed the company departed Camp Pittsburgh by train on 9th of October, 1945.
On the 11th of October, 1945 the company arrived in Camp Calas staging area, near Marseille, France and further processing was imediately under-way. More transfers were made until finally all men remaining in the company had an ASR score of eighty points or more as of V-J day.
On the 29th of October, 1945 the company, consisting of five officers and one hundred and fifty-eight enlisted men boarded the George Goethale Troop Ship for return to the USA.