[Milsurplus] The WWII Infantry Division Signal Company, 1943

[David Stinson]

Trying out my new OCR software on the cache of Signal Corps memos
and school materials I recently acquired.  The documents were 
mimeographed on cheap paper, which is disintegrating.
Going to scan it all and put the images on CD, but thought 
I'd post some of the more interesting bits here.
Grammar and syntax as found.  I have corrected spelling errors.
The original format does not carry over to email, but
this is close.  Numbers formatted "-1-" are page breaks.
An organizational chart goes along with this memo and it
is posted on the alt.binaries.pictures.radio group.
73 Dave S.
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Course No. 66		                 66�M�20 
                                         Amendment #2 
	EASTERN SIGNAL CORPS SCHOOLS	
       FORT MONMOUTH, RED BANK, N.J.

         OFFICER CANDIDATE SCHOOL

                 II

THE DIVISION SIGNAL COMPANY, INFANTRY DIVISION


The Division Signal Company is allotted 7 officers, 4 Warrant officers 
and 215 enlisted men. It performs all signal communication and 
signal supply functions of the Signal Corps within the Infantry 
Division. It is divided into a Division Signal Officer's section, 
a Headquarters Platoon, an Operation Platoon, and a Construction
Platoon.

THE DIVISION SIGNAL OFFICER'S SECTION i.e. headed by 
the Division Signal Officer, a Lieutenant Colonel, who is in charge of 
the signal section of the division commanders special staff. He advises 
the division commander on technical and tactical matters related to 
signal communication. As senior Signal Corps officer of the division, 
he also commands troops, and is directly responsible to the division 
commander for the installation, operation, and maintenance of the
division 
signal communication system. 
The DSO section provides the personnel and equipment necessary for 
the signal section of the division commander's special staff.
The section is responsible for the division signal supply and includes a 
warrant officer, in charge of supply, a technical sergeant (chief clerk) 
and five other enlisted men (clerks, chauffeurs, and draftsman).

THE HEADQUARTERS PLATOON contains two officers, one warrant officer and 
54 enlisted men divided into three sections; 
Administration and Mess, Supply and Transportation, 
and Repair and Maintenance.

The administration and mess section- Company administrative duties and 
company mess are the responsibilities of the section. 
It is composed of the captain of the signal company, the first sergeant, 
chauffeurs, company clerks, cooks, and basic privates.

The supply and transportation section- This section is charged with 
maintenance of motor transportation assigned to the company, and 
company supply including company signal supply. The T/O calls for one 
first lieutenant, one warrant officer and 11 enlisted men in this
section. 
The lieutenant is the supply officer and the warrant officer 
is in charge of motor transport.

The repair and maintenance section�  The repair and maintenance of wire 
and radio equipment for the company and for the entire division, 
and the charging of storage batteries, are the responsibilities of this 
section. It is composed of radio, telephone, and teletype electricians 
and repairmen. The first lieutenant from the supply and transportation 
section acts in an advisory capacity over this section. There are two 
chief electricians, one radio and the other wire. 
Both are rated as technical sergeants.

THE OPERATIONS PLATOON has three officers, two warrant officers 
and 106 enlisted men divided into three sections: 
Message Center and Messenger, Radio, and Telephone and Telegraph.
The warrant officer assigned to this section handles 
signal communication in general.

    -1-                4/24/43


The Message Center and Messenger section - 
This section is commanded 
by a first lieutenant who is normally appointed 
division message center officer and division 
cryptographic security officer.
The enlisted personnel includes:
1 T/Sgt. Msg Cen chief
1 S/Sgt Assistant Msg Cen chief
1 Sgt  Assistant Msg Cen chief
1  Cpl  Messenger dispatcher

The rest of the section includes code clerks, message center clerks, 
and 21 messengers, both mounted and dismounted.
(Mounted or motor messengers will be furnished with � ton bantams).

Typical Command Post Message Center Team
1 Message Center chief
2 Code clerks
1 Messenger dispatcher
1 Message center clerk
5 Messengers
1 Basic private

(Three such teams would be necessary for 24 hour operation)

The radio section � 
This section is commanded by a first lieutenant 
who acts as division radio officer. As assistant to 
the division signal officer, he supervises all radio operation 
in the division. He checks for adherence to signal security, measures, 
procedure, and assigned operation frequencies.
The enlisted personnel includes:
1 M/Sgt Chief operator
1 T/Sgt Assistant chief operator
2 S/Sgt Assistant chief operator
31 radio operators
4  TG operators

No chauffeurs are provided since the men in the section operate 
their own vehicles.  They operate the net control station for the 
division command net, the reconnaissance net, and others as ordered 
(AA-AT warning net, AGL net, G-2 net, Administrative nets, 
 and Liaison nets).

The Telephone and Telegraph Section � 
A first lieutenant commands the section and normally is appointed
division wire officer to assist the division signal officer 
in his staff function.
The enlisted personnel include:
1 M/Sgt Wire chief
1 T/Sgt Chief teletype operator
1 S/Sgt Assistant wire chief
4 Sgts  Teletype, Telegraph, Switchboard, Installer-repairman, (T&T).


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66-M-20

A cable splicer, installer�repairmen, TG operators, teletype operators, 
and switchboard operators (both telephone and teletype)
make up the balance of the section.

This section is responsible for the installation, operation, and
maintenance 
of wire communication in all echelons of division headquarters.
It is responsible for the construction of short trunk and short local 
lines and the installation of switching centrals at echelons 
of division headquarters. Its members operate telephone, telegraph 
and teletype equipment. 
They cooperate with the construction platoon to maintain wire
communication.

Typical Command Post Teams

Switching Central-
1 Wire chief
2 Installer�repairmen
1 Chief operator
1 Switchboard operator

Telegraph Station-
1 Chief operator
2 Operators, telegraph and teletype
1 Switchboard operator, teletype

THE CONSTRUCTION PLATOON � There are three identical construction
sections,
 a service section and a headquarters section in this platoon.

The platoon headquarters section �  
A first lieutenant, who is the commander of the construction platoon, 
commands this section. He assigns jobs to the construction sections and 
the service section and also supervises the work.
A chief line foreman (master sergeant) and a chauffeur completes the
section.

The service section - The service section is charged with the supply 
and service of the three construction sections.  It must get 
the material needed by the construction teams to the right place 
at the right time. The section chief (a T/Sgt) has four linemen under
him.

The construction sections -  
Each section is made up of 14 enlisted men (1 S/Sgt, 1 Sgt, and 12
linemen). 
In turn each section is capable of forming two construction teams with 
the personnel and equipment now authorized.



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END