Jump to content

Field Desk Contents WWII


hbtcoveralls
 Share

Recommended Posts

HI All,

Like many of us I have a WWII field desk (company size) and display it at events and the like. Also like most I have it chock full of nifty WWII publications and doodads. In fact the thing is starting to outweigh me! But I was wondering if there was a list of just what the Army thought was important to put into the field desk and how it was organized. Also any photos of field desks in use so we can see what was in there back in the day.

thanks

T. Bowers

Link to comment
Share on other sites

El Bibliotecario
HI All,

Like many of us I have a WWII field desk (company size) and display it at events and the like. Also like most I have it chock full of nifty WWII publications and doodads. In fact the thing is starting to outweigh me! But I was wondering if there was a list of just what the Army thought was important to put into the field desk and how it was organized. Also any photos of field desks in use so we can see what was in there back in the day.

thanks

T. Bowers

 

I'd speculate such a desk would at a minimum have blank DA Form 1s for the morning report, the sick book, and basic stationary supplies. I'd also speculate that on active service the company clerk would reach the same conclusion you have and got rid of any manuals he didn't need to lower the weight. I'm also thinking that in combat as much paperwork as possible would be done at bn level--I'm thinking about documents such as the payroll, and promotion orders. I seem to recall reading somewhere that each company had its own clerk in the bn S-1. Am I imagining this?

 

But speculation is cheap, so I offer the only reference I could find, which is WW1, not WW2. From p. 5 of the memoirs of GEN Lucian Truscott Jr, THE TWILIGHT OF THE US CAVALRY.

 

"A small portable field desk, about thirty inches on each side, held all troop records, property accounts, the complete file of corrrespondence, and necessary regulations and manuals."

 

GEN Truscott mentions that typewriters were just coming into use (and bemoans the increase in paperwork)--I'm wondering if the unit clerk had a portable typewriter for field use during WW2.

 

This is a delightfully obscure subject, and I hope someone can offer more detail than I have.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I suppose there is an AG regulation out there listing what should be stocked in one of these, but I am equally willing to bet that they varied greatly from company to company.

 

Also, I don't know about WWII, but I know in the 1980's the same desks were used by other functions than just the personnel clerks. Don't forget S-4 supply and logistics, S-2 Intel, S-3 Operations. These were at battalion level. I don't know if a company level supply room or the motor sergeant might have used one as well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...