by Mehlo, Noel
Figure 51: World War II Camp Forrest Postcard: Public Domain Camp Forrest owed its name to Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest from the Civil War. The base was located on what is now known as the United States Air Force Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC). The War Department issued a directive in January 1941 changing the name from Camp Peay to Camp Forrest. It was located in the Cumberland Mountains of Tennessee two miles east of Tullahoma. The first troops to move to the new camp were the 181st Field Artillery Regiment from the federalized Tennessee National Guard. It was a training area for infantry, artillery, engineer and signal units, as well as serving as a hospital and other functions. Camp Forrest had infrastructure similar to many military bases around the nation. There was a main post office located at the intersection of Forrest Boulevard and Main Road. There were 38 post exchanges (PX)s located throughout the base. Camp Forrest had two segregated Service Clubs. The “whites” Service Club was located on Forrest Boulevard, and the “colored” Service Club was on Post Road. The post library was located next to the Service Club on Forrest Boulevard, with a Guest House located on the other side of the Service Club. Camp Forrest had an athletic office, available golf, a sports arena, tennis courts, six bowling alleys, archery range, nearby swimming and boating, volleyball, boxing and wresting facilities. The camp had four movie theaters that ran two shows nightly. To help soldiers connect with loved-ones, a 24-hour Public Telephone Center, was provided on 8th Street, between Forrest Boulevard and Avenue F. The entrance to the camp is shown in Figure 51.
The 3,500 capacity Station Hospital was located on Main Road about one and a half miles from the Camp Headquarters. The Main Station Hospital served the units participating in the Tennessee Maneuvers. There were Dispensaries located in the various unit areas for "sick call". A dental clinic was located on Forrest Boulevard. A permanent Hospital Train was stationed out of Camp Forrest to serve the hospital. The adequate and dependable water supply was pumped to the camp from the Elk River about 5 miles away to the south. The electrical power for the base was provided by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). The main 250 unit Showerhead facility was located at the east end of the camp near the intersection of Avenue L and Cavalry Road. The camp had occasional issues with bedbugs, cockroaches, rats, and there were bouts of diarrhea, enteritis, influenza, and venereal disease to combat. There were four chaplains permanently stationed at Camp Forrest. The various assigned units also had chaplains attached, usually at the Divisional level. The post had 12 chapels located throughout the camp. The main chapel was located on Block 6, F Street. Figure 51 shows one of the firing ranges.
There were drill fields available in each unit area, as well as a large review field in the center of the base. There were suitable tank and artillery ranges, and water features to provide engineers training in the use of floating bridges and other river crossing techniques. All small arms ranges as well as bayonet and grenade training areas, gas chambers and obstacle courses were within thirty minutes marching time from the cantonment and housing areas.
Figure 52: Camp Forrest, Tennessee Rifle Range: NARA All Camp Forrest barracks were constructed as two story structures with a two barrack unit housing one company known as a Type 700 barracks. The interior of the main bay were constructed with lines of cots with the heads to the exterior walls. At the foot of each cot sat the famous footlockers and an open wardrobe stood between each bed to hang up ones uniforms and other clothing. The second floor bunk area was reached via a staircase and there was an outside fire escape ladder. The first floor included a "day-room" at one end. This area could be used by the soldiers for reading and writing letters, reading magazines, playing cards or include other basic recreational equipment. Each barracks had a small, private room for the platoon sergeants and training cadre. Each barrack s had sinks for shaving and hand washing. The latrines were located outside, but nearby, and showers were centrally located to the unit area. Each barrack building was heated by hot water radiators with a boiler house containing coal fired boilers located between each two barracks, which also served to provide hot water. A photo of this barracks type is in Figure 53.
Camp Forrest became perhaps the second largest base for training in the United States during World War Two, reportedly behind Fort Bragg, North Carolina in terms of acreage. It is estimated that of the total eight million Americans who saw service during the war, 250,000 of them passed through or were associated with Camp Forrest in some fashion. The Army used Camp Forrest to train eleven infantry divisions and two battalions of Rangers, amongst other units. It was also used to train units that had short-term training cycles at the base. The facility included the base contingent, medical and supply units, inductees, and those attending special schools, the Airmen at William Northern Field, civilian employees, and prisoners of war. The airfield was used to train B-24 heavy bombers of the Army Air Corps. This is pretty amazing considering the short duration of the camp’s existence from 1940 until 1946.5
Figure 53: Camp Forrest Type 700 Barracks. NARA
Figure 54: Tennessee Valley Authority Maps and Surveys Division in Cooperation with the War Department, Corps of Engineers, Camp Forrest Quadrangle, 1:24,000, 1941, revised 1944. Red dashed rectangle denotes reported 5th RN INF BN area (Bradley). In the United States Army, at the outset of the war, there were four field armies established under General Douglas McArthur before he moved on to the Philippines. The 2nd Army was established in Tennessee with the mission of building and hardening the basic and specialized training advised by the War Department Mobilization Training Program. The War Department General Headquarters in Washington DC provided instructions to the VII Corps Commander to prepare and direct a series of divisional exercises. The Tennessee Maneuvers became one of the premier Army training events in the continental U.S. with red versus blue opposing forces engaging roughly between Murfreesboro and Chattanooga to the north and south and between Shelbyville and Manchester to the east and west. During these exercises, Camp Forrest became the main logistical hub for the units involved due to its principal railhead between 1941 and 1945. The Tennessee Maneuvers included six staged exercises; with two command post exercises, three field type exercises, and a final free two-sided field maneuver pitting the two opposing forces against each other throughout the maneuver area. Figure 54 shows the camp and highlights the Ranger area.
Camp Forrest became a Prisoner of War Camp on May 12, 1942. The facility handled over 22,000 POWs during the war, most of them Germans, but also Italians and Japanese. The United States had 12 camps for prisoners of war during World War II. The first 1,495 German prisoners of war from overseas to arrive were on 2 June 1943. During the three months that the 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion was present at the post, there was an average of approximately 3,500 POWs onsite each month. The military began to repatriate former soldiers after the surrender of Italy and continued to do so from Camp Forrest through April 13, 1946.
Based on the success of the first Ranger School in Great Britain, the Army developed a Ranger school established at Camp Forrest in January 1943 and attached to the Second Army. The original intent of this school was to train men from various Infantry Division units in two week cycles. The School became known as the Second Army Ranger School under the command of Lt Colonel William C. Saffrans, who would later become the first commander of the 2nd Ranger Infantry Battalion. The Army Ground Forces ordered the school closed citing that taking troops from units for short specialized courses was disruptive to Division level training.9
The 305th Combat Engineer Battalion was activated 15 July 1942 as part of the 80th Infantry Division at Camp Forrest. They constructed several projects and demolished several bridges in Tennessee. Their most important project was the construction of a Nazi Village for the Second Army Ranger School which went on to provide invaluable training for both the 2nd and 5th Ranger Infantry Battalions, amongst other troops.10
In the months prior to the activation of the battalion, military planners of the Army Ground Forces Comm
and had been weighing the needs of any forthcoming invasion of Western Europe from England through France. The success of the other Ranger units prompted this decision to activate the 2nd and 5th Ranger Infantry Battalions. Army Ground Forces then issued the command for the activation of the 2nd Ranger Battalion on April 3, 1943 initially under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Saffrans. He would eventually be succeeded by Major James Earl Rudder. After the change of command the 2nd Ranger Battalion began to take shape. Major Rudder was a genial former football coach from Texas. He proved to be an effective and popular leader, hosting monthly "gripe" sessions with his troops and improving their food and quarters. Part of his effectiveness is that even though he was a good listener, he insisted on high standards in the unit.11 This style of leadership would later play an important part leading up to and on D-Day.
The unit had the benefit of instruction from various former 1st Ranger Infantry Battalion officers and noncommissioned officers (NCOs) that were no longer fit for combat and had been sent Stateside. Like the other three Ranger units, the training of the 2nd Ranger Infantry Battalion was based on that of the British Commandos. On August 1, 1943, they were re-designated Ranger Infantry.2 In response to European Theater of Operation's need for a stronger assault force for operation OVERLORD, Army Ground Forces authorized the 5th Ranger Battalion in September 1943. It was decided by the European theater commander that they wanted both the 2nd and 5th Ranger Infantry Battalions in Great Britain by the end of the year, therefore the training of the new units was rushed in order to allow for both units arrival by early 1944.9 During the September 1943, the 1st, 3rd and 4th Ranger Infantry Battalions had completed their work in Africa and Sicily. In the first week of September they conducted an assault on Italy at Salerno, with the mission of securing the Chiunzi Pass. They were known as “Darby’s Rangers” at this point, all operating under the famous Ranger leader. These men would fight on until they were nearly annihilated at Cisterna, Italy by German forces.12 Many of the men who later volunteer for and join the 2nd, 5th and 6th Ranger Infantry Battalions would do so on the basis of hearing about the exploits of “Darby’s Rangers.”
The 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion was activated and spent time training at Camp Forrest. This is where preliminary Ranger training was conducted between September and November 1943. The following General Order was the legal basis for the activation of the 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion. It was formed in response to the need for additional Rangers to become involved in the forthcoming assault on Fortress Europe. After fighting with heavy losses in North Africa, Sicily and Italy, the 1st, 3rd, and 4th Ranger Infantry Battalions were no longer effective as fighting forces by the end of January 1944. All Ranger Battalions consisted of volunteers from other military units who met certain standards. The battalions would train to undertake various specific hazardous duties in their respective areas of operations. Each of the Ranger Battalions consisted of six companies, including a Headquarters and Headquarters Company, four Ranger companies A-D, a special weapons Company E, and a Service Company F, and each company consisted of two 31-man platoons. The original record is held at NARA, Archives II, College Park, MD, Entry: 427, WWII Operations Reports 1944-1948, [File # INBN 5-0, file 5-1.13 General Orders], located in boxes 16916-16919.
HEADQUARTERS, FIFTH RANGER INFANTRY BATTALION Camp Forrest, Tennessee
GENERAL ORDERS) 1 September 1943:
Rules. ….1 )
Section I . . . . . . Section II . . . . . . Activation of 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion. Assumption of Command of 5th Ranger “ “.
SECTION I Pursuant to authority contained in letter, Hq 2d Army, file AG 322.171-1 (G***BF) Subject: Ltr Order No. A-302 (Activation of 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion) dated 20 August 1943, the 5th RanGer Infantry Battalion is hereby activated at Camp Forrest, Tennessee, this date.
SECTIION II Pursuant to authority contained in Army Regulations 600-20, The undersigned assumes command of the 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion of this date.
[signed]
Owen H. Carter Major,Infantry Commanding
The activity of setting the unit up predates the order above. Prior to September, a small cadre of officers and enlisted NCOs and other men came together to set about the work of recruitment and establishment of the unit. These men established the recruitment effort of posting notices at military bases with Division-sized units, as was one of the requirements of the men who would become Rangers. A copy of the pamphlet for Airborne troops is shown in Figure 55. Private Hull either saw a flier or was approached, volunteered, interviewed for and was evaluated for inclusion as a Ranger in the battalion as were many other men. He met all of the requirements as follows:
Figure 55: U.S. Army Airborne recruitment pamphlet
Among the requirements for joining the new Ranger unit were:
Among the requirements for joining the new Ranger unit were: Ability to meet the physical requirements of a parachutist.
Qualify in all arms the battalion possessed
To have been part of a unit that had experienced a division-size maneuver.
(Taken from Rangers in World War II – Black) The requirements of a parachutist were posted in an Army publication called Jump into the Fight; Parachute Troops US Army, 1942. Other than as listed below, the physical standards to be the same as prescribed for entrance into the Regular Army.
Qualifications Requirements for Parachute Troops:
Must volunteer for parachute duty. Must be alert, active, supple, with firm muscles and sound limbs; capable of development into an aggressive individual fighter, with great endurance.
Age – 18 to 32, both inclusive.
Weight – Maximum, not to exceed 185 pounds
Height – Maximum, not to exceed 72 inches.
Vision – Distant vision uncorrected must be 20/40 each eye, or better.
Feet – Greater than non-symptomatic 2nd degree pes planus [flatfoot] disqualifies.
Genitourinary system – Recent venereal disease disqualifies.
Nervous system – Evidence of highly labile nervous system disqualifies.
Bones, joints and muscles – Lack of normal mobility in every joint, poor or unequally developed musculature, poor coordination, asthenic habitus [slender and bony framework], or lack of at least average athletic ability disqualifies.
Medical history – History of painful arches, recurrent knee or ankle injuries, recent fracture, old fracture with deformity, pain or limitation of motion, recurrent dislocations, recent severe illness, operation or chronic disease disqualifies.
Blood pressure – Persistent systolic above 140 millimeters or persistent diastolic pressure above 90 millimeters disqualifies
A review of the initial Unit Roster dated September 21, 1943 revealed that the majority of the young men to volunteer for the 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion were from the 98th, 78th, 75th, 26th, and 35th Infantry Divisions as well as the 10th Armored Division. Other men came from the 1st and 2nd Ranger Infantry Battalions, 54th Armored Regiment, 2nd Army, 10th Armored Regiment, 50th Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 55th Armored Engineer Battalion and others. Stories of the recruitment process from a few of the veterans who have written about it over the years bear out similarities. Of note explaining the process of becoming a Ranger are the stories of Victor “Baseplate” Miller, 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion, Company F, and James Robert Copeland, 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion, Company B. The men would either see fliers hung in their Divisional Training areas, or there would be a request for volunteers to become members of a new elite unit that would come down through the chain of command verbally. Once a man volunteered, there would perhaps be an interview process, and then the men might wait for a great deal of time before they heard anything back. A copy of the page from the initial roster showing Hull is shown in Figure 56.
At some point, all of the men who made the first cut would be given travel orders to be taken by train to a “secret” destination. They would arrive by train in Tullahoma, often travelling by night
which added to situational confusion. According to James Robert Copeland, the rides on the trains were quiet and there were no officers in their train carriage or information provided during the trip. Upon arriving at Camp Forrest, Ranger NCO’s would board the trains and begin the time-tested yelling that many new recruits or special warfare soldiers undergo in order to begin molding them to the needs of that military organization. He reported that the men had to stand at attention on the train platform and essentially had a very rude awakening. Regarding the training cadre, Mr. Copeland is quoted as stating in his biography “They were a serious bunch, I didn’t mind it so much; it was wartime, so a lot depended on discipline.”13 The battalion went from having around 3,000 volunteers to a group of 34 officers and 503 enlisted men by September 21, 1943.
After meeting the requirements and being accepted by the 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion leadership, Private Hull was included in the initial Unit Roster dated 21 SEP 43. These records of the 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion are at NARA St Louis, microfilm research room, Army World War II Enlisted Roasters, 0005 RN INF BN, 15772, Pay Roll records for September, 1943. The last payroll record showing his transfer out of the 134th Infantry Regiment from September, 1943 is included in the 134th Infantry Regiment are at NARA St Louis, microfilm research room, Microfilm Index #13, Army World War II Enlisted Roasters, 0134 INF REGT, 15501, Pay Roll records for September 1943 for the 134th Infantry Regiment. I would find these records in an August 31, 2012 visit to the National Personnel Records Center in St Louis, Missouri. These are not the first hard records of my grandfather that I discovered on my journey. The first actual record of him that I did find was a copy of a Company Morning Report noting his promotion to Sergeant on December 16, 1943, and then of the Company Morning Reports for September 2nd and 4th, 1944, showing his wounds in France. Those were all in the Colonel Robert W. Black collection holdings of the United States Army Heritage and Education Center (USAHEC) in Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania that I discovered on March 27, 2012, and will further discuss later.
