Yahoo! GeoCities Member Banner Exchange Info 
1221ST. MILITARY POLICE COMPANY


It all began on 1 April, 1943, in Miami Beach, Florida, when 1st. Lt. Charles Bartels, with 1st. Lt. Issac E. Beauchamp as his aide-de-campe, began the tedious task of organizing and training the recruits from basic training. 2nd. Lt. Robert E. Erdman and 2nd.Lt. Alfred E. Butlar joined the outfit shortly after its activation. 1st.Sgt. Rudolph A. Hovick was then head NCO.

After two and a half months of rigid training in MP duties and physical exercise, the unit, one hundred men strong, moved to Camp Ripley, Minn. for further training. Along about 7 August came the overseas alert, and the men moved to Camp Myles Standish, the staging area. There began the "sweating out" process. Then came the alert, and the unit swiftly organized itself and shoved off for New York in the early morning of September4. By 1900 hours that night all were safely aboard the small British vessl which was to carry them overseas.

The following morning the ship pulled out into the harbor and made its way out to the sea to join the convoy waiting there. The next day it was apparent that something was wrong; the engine's steady drone began to miss and vibrate irregularly. Along about noon the diminutive ship pulled away from the others and slowly headed back to port. For two days they lay there, hoping in a way yet dreading the completion of the work. And so Thursday morning, 9 September, the "22 Caliber Outfit" shipped out agin bound for England.

On the morning of 21 September the boat pulled into the harbor at Gourock, Scotland. The trek down through Scotland and England was a slow one that night, and all the men were tired and dirty when they reached Stamford the next morning where the trucks awaited to whisk them off to Station 367. The base was still in its infancy and not yet completely organized. Guard posts had to be set up, the guard house and cell blocks made ready, and the usual innumerable details were completed. The men were billeted in Area #1 "out in the sticks." There the 1221st. began operations in the UK.

Besides regular police duties the men took over the several machine gun posts around the station to guard against enemy aircraft. Plane crashes, near and far had to be covered, guards posted, and security kept. Stamford had to be patroled and a section was set aside for these duties. Along about November, the outfit moved from Area#1 to Area#7, bringing it in closer touch with station activity. Shortly after the move, 1st. Lt. Beauchamp left the organization for the hospital, and was later shipped home, leaving Capt. Bartels and Lts. Erdman and Butlar. S/Sgt. George J. Groya succeeded 1/Sgt. Hovick in the early months of 1944. On 12 February, 1944 the 1221st. M.P. Co, was split in half, the headquarters remaining at Station 367 and the detachment moving to Honington. Lt. Butlar left shortly afterwards to command another outfit nearby. In March, Capt. Bartels left the unit and was transfered to SHAEF, leaving 1st. Lt. Erdman in command unitl the arrival of Capt. Orrin J. Henbest on 6 March, 1944.

D-Day found the men swamped with duties. Guards had to be doubled, and a more stringent control for security instigated. With mission after mission being sent out, the runways had to be kept clear, and the MPs were always on the job.

1st.Lt. Erdman left in August, and was succeeded by 2nd. Lt. Joseph B. Stoughton, transfered from HQ 67th.Fighter Wing. Under Lt. Stoughton's able guidance, the investigation section was built up and improved. Sgt. Harold B. Cramer and T/5 Louis R. Miller made quite a record covering various cases ranging from petty bicycle thefts to more intriguing cases of embezzlement. Lt. Stoughton left in Dec.,1944.

Meanwhile, the supply department had changed hands three times. S/Sgt. "Tiny" Armour left for the states to be discharged, and Cpl. Berton N. Hassing took over, making S/Sgt. soon thereafter. Then "Bert" in turn returned to the U.S., turning the business over to Sgt. Frank Veneziano, an ex-policeman from New York. Cpl. Robert C. Foley changed over from supply and did Comapny Clerk work.

It is only fitting that the death of Capt. Charles Bartels, on 14 March, 1945, on the field of battle should be noted here. It was through honest and sincere efforts that the men of this organization became molded from raw recruits to fine soldiers. His loss and death will always be grieved by the men who served under him.



RETURN TO THE 97TH. SERVICE GROUP

RETURN TO THE 20TH. FG

Unless otherwise noted, all content � copyright The Art of Syd Edwards 1999. All rights reserved and reproduction is prohibited.




1