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Detachment A, 1030th Signal Company Service Group (Aviation): A Brief History
The unit that would come to be known as the 1030th Signal Company was activated as the 30th Signal Platoon at Mitchell Field, New York in January 1941 and assigned to the 33rd Service Group. At that time, the organization consisted of one officer thirteen enlisted men assigned from the 316th Signal Company (AVN).
On 26 May 1941, the unit was moved to Grenier Field in Manchester, NH. At this time, more men were brought in to bring the unit up to its designated T/O strength. Its primary function at this time was to set up and run the Base Signal Center. For the rest of the year, the platoon was involved in maneuvers in Louisiana and South Carolina. It returned to Grenier Field on 5 December 1941. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, training was quickly intensified.
On 1 July 1942, the unit was re-designated the 30th Signal Company, Service Group and a new T/O was issued, bringing the strength of the organization up to two officers, one warrant officer and seventy enlisted men.
On 26 December 1942, the 33rd Service Group was ordered to Camp Kilmer, NJ in preparation for the to the ETO. On 5 January 1943, the unit embarked on the RMS Queen Elizabeth and sailed for the UK, arriving in Greenock, Scotland on 12 January after an uneventful crossing.
Upon arrival in Greenock they were immediately put aboard a train to Kingscliffe, arriving there the following morning around 0800. After settling in at Kingscliffe, the men were “put into training on learning the English procedure.” Men were sent on Detached Service to Wittering, Oxford and Bushy Herts to learn Message Center, Cryptographic and teletype and radio repair procedures respectively.
On 13 February 1943, Lt. Cosmo Reo and a group 30 of enlisted men were sent on Detached Service to AAF Station 356 at Debden. This was a permanent change of station, and this unit was designated "Detachment A," 30th Signal Company, Service Group. At Debden, the unit’s duties initially included operating “the Message Center, the switchboard room, radio and teletype repair, signal supply and telephone installation and repair” for the entire station.
On 11 May 1943, the parent organization’s designation changed once again, to the 1030th Signal Company Service Group. For the boys at Debden, they were now officially Detachment A, 1030th Signal Company Service Group. The 2nd of June would bring yet another change, this time to the 1030th Signal Supply and Maintenance Company (Aviation). Two months later, on 10 August 1943, a final re-designation occurred, with the unit now designated the 1030th Signal Company, Service Group (Aviation). On the base, it was simply the 1030th Signal Company.
Detachment A would operate continuously until 15 April 1945, when the unit was formerly disbanded along with every other unit assigned to the 33rd Service Group under the 8th AF Service Command’s massive reorganization. All men were assigned to one of the new 438th Air Service Group’s three squadrons.
One officer and twenty-two enlisted men were assigned to the 438th Headquarters and Base Services Squadron; nineteen enlisted men were assigned to the 864th Air Engineering Squadron and the remaining five men were sent to the 688th Air Materiel Squadron. As part of this change, every man was transferred from his current branch of service (Signal Corps, Quartermaster Corps, MPs, Ordnance, etc..) into the Air Corps.
In writing the last installment of his unit’s history, Lt. Reo noted that “although the former signal men are not too happy about the change, they will in some cases be able to get promotions in their new organizations.”
On 26 May 1941, the unit was moved to Grenier Field in Manchester, NH. At this time, more men were brought in to bring the unit up to its designated T/O strength. Its primary function at this time was to set up and run the Base Signal Center. For the rest of the year, the platoon was involved in maneuvers in Louisiana and South Carolina. It returned to Grenier Field on 5 December 1941. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, training was quickly intensified.
On 1 July 1942, the unit was re-designated the 30th Signal Company, Service Group and a new T/O was issued, bringing the strength of the organization up to two officers, one warrant officer and seventy enlisted men.
On 26 December 1942, the 33rd Service Group was ordered to Camp Kilmer, NJ in preparation for the to the ETO. On 5 January 1943, the unit embarked on the RMS Queen Elizabeth and sailed for the UK, arriving in Greenock, Scotland on 12 January after an uneventful crossing.
Upon arrival in Greenock they were immediately put aboard a train to Kingscliffe, arriving there the following morning around 0800. After settling in at Kingscliffe, the men were “put into training on learning the English procedure.” Men were sent on Detached Service to Wittering, Oxford and Bushy Herts to learn Message Center, Cryptographic and teletype and radio repair procedures respectively.
On 13 February 1943, Lt. Cosmo Reo and a group 30 of enlisted men were sent on Detached Service to AAF Station 356 at Debden. This was a permanent change of station, and this unit was designated "Detachment A," 30th Signal Company, Service Group. At Debden, the unit’s duties initially included operating “the Message Center, the switchboard room, radio and teletype repair, signal supply and telephone installation and repair” for the entire station.
On 11 May 1943, the parent organization’s designation changed once again, to the 1030th Signal Company Service Group. For the boys at Debden, they were now officially Detachment A, 1030th Signal Company Service Group. The 2nd of June would bring yet another change, this time to the 1030th Signal Supply and Maintenance Company (Aviation). Two months later, on 10 August 1943, a final re-designation occurred, with the unit now designated the 1030th Signal Company, Service Group (Aviation). On the base, it was simply the 1030th Signal Company.
Detachment A would operate continuously until 15 April 1945, when the unit was formerly disbanded along with every other unit assigned to the 33rd Service Group under the 8th AF Service Command’s massive reorganization. All men were assigned to one of the new 438th Air Service Group’s three squadrons.
One officer and twenty-two enlisted men were assigned to the 438th Headquarters and Base Services Squadron; nineteen enlisted men were assigned to the 864th Air Engineering Squadron and the remaining five men were sent to the 688th Air Materiel Squadron. As part of this change, every man was transferred from his current branch of service (Signal Corps, Quartermaster Corps, MPs, Ordnance, etc..) into the Air Corps.
In writing the last installment of his unit’s history, Lt. Reo noted that “although the former signal men are not too happy about the change, they will in some cases be able to get promotions in their new organizations.”
Detachment A, 1030th Signal Company Roster
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