POM Markings

[med-dept]

Hi all,

 

I have recently been trying to research Preparation for Overseas Movement Markings (or POM Markings), in order to identify the units to which some of the items in my collection were sent. These markings consisted of a 5 digit number, and three coloured bars representing the number. They were used to replace unit identification for the purposes of moving materiel overseas, and unfortunately not a great deal of information has been made available about their use during WW2.

 

What I do know is that the middle bar of the three coloured bars represents the final digit, while the top and bottom stripes represent the penultimate number of the shipping code. Numbers and colours correspond as follows:

 

1 > Buff

2 > Olive Drab

3 > Bright Yellow

4 > Bright Green

5 > Grey

6 > Dark Blue

7 > Maroon

8 > Bright Red

9 > White

0 > Dark Brown

 

There are a number of questions that I still have surrounding these markings however, and I wonder if anyone on this Forum might be able to assist. Firstly, to what level were the markings assigned (for example Divisional, Regimental or Company)? Also, does anyone know of a source which offers a list of the codes and their corresponding units?

 

Advanced thanks for any help on this topic,

Ben

 

P.S. I wasn't able to locate a relevant category for this topic, so please feel free to move as appropriate moderators.

[hbtcoveralls]

HI ,

A few years ago Steve MacGeorge of the Oregon Military Museum was assigned to Ft Riley Ks and found a copy of the 1st Infantry Division's POM for Normandy. Inside was the instructions for the markings you're asking about. They were supposed to replace the bumper markings on vehicles as a counterintelligence measure (they obviously did not and appeared stencilled right alongside the regular markings). He also found a list of the 1st division's unit ID numbers. They were distinctive to each company and included service units. Most 1st division unit numbers started with 43 but they were not consecutive. The POM indicated that the markings were to be stencilled on all unit equiptment and personal baggage (ie duffle bags). No master list of unit ID numbers has ever been located. This would be somewhat like the rosetta stone if ever found, but to date it does not exist. Sometimes if you look at photos of the outift you are interested in you will see a unit number or a bar code but often it comes down to luck. I noticed one photo of a 28th division Jeep in the parade though Paris and it had its bar code marking on the top of the right fender as well as on its Jerry can.

Tom Bowers

[robinb]

I don't know if this will help or not, but here's a 1943 dated duffle bag from my collection that has that POM marking, along with the Officer's name and serial number. David O. Gillory Jr. 2nd Lt. 0-535075.

 

[robinb]

I did some rudimentary google searching for the name on the duffle bag and found a photo of David Gillory in an officers uniform with Coast Artillery brass on his collar.

[jgawne]

The "bar codes" as they are known were used also for items returning to the USA after the war. A few of us have searched endlessly for the listing to no avail. Spome have been found in loading lists for D-day, but only a few and just was was in that section of the lift. I spent some time in transporation corps records hoping they might be there, but no luck.

 

They seem to have gone away after a while in France, but then as I said were used for the return trip , so most of the stuff foude in thre USA with them is actually from the voyage home.

[Johan Willaert]

Here's another oddity...
This M1935 Bedding Roll ID'd to a Warrant Officer has a number consisting of only 4 digits followed by a letter: 1804-L
The same letter L is painted next to the color bar code, just like the G on the duffel bag above...
And the colors of the bars don't match the list above...
This roll was found on a local flea market many years ago, so I doubt it ever returned to the US after the war...

[Johan Willaert]

Here's another example, but sadly no history on this one.
Bought at a European Show

[med-dept]

There is quite a discussion about this subject over on our MRC Forum > http://www.med-dept.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=603

 

So far, I have only managed to determine one particular designation, and that's of Company E, 1st Infantry Division.

 

Thanks,

Ben

[Johan Willaert]

Company E, 1st Infantry Division.

 

Do you know which Regiment?

[med-dept]

Yes, sorry Johan, I should have included that. 16th Infantry Regiment.

 

Regards,

Ben

[med-dept]

Thanks for all of the contributions to this. So far, we have gathered a number of shipping codes, but unfortunately we have not been able to ascertain complete data for them all. I have now started a database to hold all of the POM markings, which can be added to as and when we learn more about these. In the meantime you can see what I have been able to assemble here:

http://www.med-dept.com/pom/

 

If anyone can provide additional codes which are missing, please do contact me.

 

Thanks again,

Ben

[Husker]

Old thread but a topic I've been trying to do some research on lately. I know of the D-Day to D+14 book but does anyone have any information aboult units who deployed to Normandy later? I'm looking for any information relataing to the 35th Division and more directly, the 134th Infantry Regiment. The 134th landed on Normandy on 5 July 1944. I have known bar code on for either Service Company 134th Infantry or HQ 2 Btn 134th Infantry...not sure which one as the soldier served in both units withing the 134th. I've had the duffel bag in my collection for some time and recently brought it out. There are two bar codes (Buff-Blue-Buff) painted on this duffel but the only only that wasn't marked out was on the bottom. The other one is mostly covered up by some sort of ink paint. The unit serial number is either 48496 or 48196. Again, this is either Service Company 134th Infantry or HQ Co, 2nd Btn, 134th Infantry. The serial number is partially covered with what looks like grease pencil...I might try to clean it up a bit...albeit very carefully!

 

Any help regarding the bar codes and unit serial numbers for the 134th Infantry Regiment/35th Infantry Division woul dbe greatly appreciated!

 

 

 

[Husker]

I should add that if anyone has any more photos to share of their POM marked equipment, it would be greatly appreciated! I'll post some photos myself soon!

[Husker]

This is either Service Co/134th Infantry or Hq Co/2nd Btn/134th infantry:

 

 

[Husker]

I'm not sure if this is a 134th Infantry bar code or a 35th Division bar code. It is the same bar code as found on one of BGen Miltonberger's foot lockers in Seward, Nebraska. Since he was the assistant division commander as an 0-7, I'm assuming this is a 35th Division code?

 

[General Apathy]

 

Hi all,

 

I have recently been trying to research Preparation for Overseas Movement Markings (or POM Markings), in order to identify the units to which some of the items in my collection were sent. These markings consisted of a 5 digit number, and three coloured bars representing the number. They were used to replace unit identification for the purposes of moving materiel overseas, and unfortunately not a great deal of information has been made available about their use during WW2.

 

What I do know is that the middle bar of the three coloured bars represents the final digit, while the top and bottom stripes represent the penultimate number of the shipping code. Numbers and colours correspond as follows:

 

1 > Buff

2 > Olive Drab

3 > Bright Yellow

4 > Bright Green

5 > Grey

6 > Dark Blue

7 > Maroon

8 > Bright Red

9 > White

0 > Dark Brown

 

There are a number of questions that I still have surrounding these markings however, and I wonder if anyone on this Forum might be able to assist. Firstly, to what level were the markings assigned (for example Divisional, Regimental or Company)? Also, does anyone know of a source which offers a list of the codes and their corresponding units?

 

Advanced thanks for any help on this topic,

Ben

 

Hi Ben, first off let me congratulate you on your recent book launch.

 

And secondly I have just posted a May 1944 ten page color pamphlet regarding overseas markings of boxes and equipment at the link below, see the start at post # 7814

 

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/1407-norman-d-landing/page-391

 

Regards ken

 

.

[Husker]

I picked up another POM marked duffle bag recently. The number on the bar code looks to be "8081" and below it appears to be "10340 HHH". There is also a symbol/insignia painted in oragne. Can anyone identify this insignia?

 

I would like to ID this unit. I'm still involved in my never ending search for information which will assist me in deciding the unit bar codes and serial numbers.

 

I would also wish to encourage othes to post their POM marked equipment!

[General Apathy]

 

 

Appears the link I added in post #16 doesn't lead straight to the nine pages of POM markings that I posted on a separate topic, so here's the most relevant page.

 

Lewis.

 

.

[vostoktrading]

All this time I thought that POM was a mildly derogatory term for an englishman?

[Proud Kraut]

I'm unsure if the one I've found at a local flea-market today has these POM-Marking because it's barely visible but I'll give it a try.

 

Private Frank S Bishara, Unit Serial No. 31770, and an eight-digit No. 32379048. Unfortunately the Unit Serial No. seems not to be listed in the POM reference as far as I have seen.

 

http://www.med-dept.com/pom/index.php?currentpage=2&pagecount=25&sortorder=`code`%20ASC

 

The color sequence of the marking could be maroon/dark brown/maroon. Can anybody tell me, if this is a WW II duffle bag or were these markings used after the war as well? (I even don't know if the bag itself has any markings).

 

Of course it would be great to know a little bit more about this soldier, the unit he served with etc. A brief google search didn't help much. Thanks in advance!

 

[ClémentH]

Hello,

 

Here's another one for you guys, found at a flea market here in France this weekend :

 

A green (4) / yellow (3) / green (4) code for the unit serial 44243.

 

The bag has the following stencils :

 

"MF44243C
A

Mansour
2011"

 

I'm guessing Mansour is the soldier's name, but no A. Mansour found with the 2011 laundry number...

 

Unfortunately the med-dept.com website doesn't have a reference yet for this code, there's a gap in the number between the 29th Infantry Division's 747th Tank Battalion and the 113th Signal Radio Intelligence Company.

 

Any idea what the "MF" and "C" markings are for?

 

 

 

Thanks!

 

Clément

[Dogsbody]

Hi all, a while back I got this hardly used duffle bag (1944 dated). I thought the markings looked interesting but never understood the meaning of them (other than being POM markings).

 

 

 

Rene

 

 

 

[olivedrab1970]

I have a duffel bag named to: Case, Arthur P. with what appear to be 2nd Inf. Div. POM markings. I am identifying white/black/white lines on the bag or possibly another darker faded color for the middle stripe?

 

Robin-

[Vasco]

Hello , i saw this old post with a bag with POM color code 4-8–4 and unit 82148. I wonder if you know the army / battalion that this unit represents or belongs.
i also wonder , if any in the forum knows about more items found with this same color POM, eventually with other units…

 

As far as i know there are a lot of combination of unit possibilities for the same POM color code, but not all units had their items marked with POM color code durind D-Day+14

 

my MB in the fotos has the same code. (Found that under other paint layer)

thanks,

Vasco

[Johan Willaert]

New book with all POM codes, including the ones from units that landed later than D+14 is coming out in the fall

Will contain 17000 numbers, so very possible yours will be in it