61st FLD HOSP ETO England Germany 541, No. HOSP TRAIN No. But by the end of1945, over six million refugees had been repatriated by the military of the four occupied zones and UNRRA. [43] The Support Helicopter Force is under the direction of Joint Helicopter Command, whereas other elements on the station are under the RAF's No. Germans queueing for food in Pinneberg, 1945, German youths being beaten for stealing from British troops, 1945. The American medical build-up gathered momentum in summer andfall of 1942 with the steady increase of US troops in the European Theater . 189th GEN HOSP ETO 13 Oct 44 England (not operational) 17 Nov 44 France (already landed on Omaha Beach, Normandy, 15 Oct 44) (remained in France for the duration of the war) American medical help had already been sent in the form of a Contagious Disease Treatment and Control Unit, officially designated the American Red Cross Harvard Field Hospital Unit including a laboratory, a 125-bed Hospital, and a number of mobile investigating teams. 130th GEN HOSP ETO England France Nov 44 Belgium (NP HOSP maintaining psychiatric services and treatment facilities) Warrant officers are not saluted, because they do not hold the King's Commission, but they are addressed as "Sir" or "Ma'am" by subordinates. M-351 MED DEP ETO France (later redesignated M-451 at Dijon) 70th MED BASE DEP CO ETO 20 Nov 44 France Overall Mission: USAG Kaiserslautern is currently in standby mode, and so is not involved in any active operations. [5][7], Benson was selected in 1941 as the home station of No. If the airmans service number falls within this range there may be further records of his military service in Royal Naval Air Service records or Royal Navy records. While an integral part of the Victory in Europe (VE) celebrations, these events also helped enforce a sense of defeat on the Germans and served to remind them that they were occupied. Furnishing hospitalization facilities for overseas areas became another phase of the US War Department plans. 540, No. EVACUATION HOSPITAL 400 beds > 296 Off & EM (other sources 375 Off & EM) Warrant Officer Mac Macdonald, from Thetford, lowered the Royal Air Force Ensign on station for the last time as he left the RAF following 39 years of exemplary service.. The latter usually consisted of woodencantonment-type constructions,which weremainly to serve asGeneral Hospital plants untilD-Day. RAF Benson - Last week we said a fond farewell to almost - Facebook The relaxation offraternisation rules inHerford, July 1945, Recently liberated Poles outside a displaced persons camp, 1945. v3.0, details of promotions, transfers or awards, place/location of the incident in which air crew went missing, type ofaircraft from which air crew went missing (for example,Blenheim), a list of all aircrew known to have been held prisoner by Germany in, consult the Air Force Lists (see section 8.1) at the. 160th STA HOSP USANIF 19 Sep 42 1 Jul 45 Belgium (activated 1 Jun 41) A first Rehabilitation Center opened on April 19, 1943 in Worcestershire, followed by a second on October 5, 1943 in Warwickshire. To gain experience of operating and maintaining the Merlin, Royal Navy aircrew and engineers were integrated into the Merlin force at Benson during 2012. 28 Squadron reformed at Benson in July 2001 to equip with the new AgustaWestland Merlin HC3 support helicopter. The key Nazi leaders were to be dealt with jointly by the main Allied powers, while the rest would be punished in those countries where they had committed their atrocities. 116th EVAC HOSP ETO 6 Nov 44 France 28 Mar 45 Germany (also provided medical assistance to former inmates of KZ-Dachau, May + June 45) 14 Aug 45 France 21 Sep 45 Germany 544 Squadron in August and October 1945 respectively, with No. It is a front-line station and home to the RAF's fleet of Westland Puma HC2 support helicopters, used primarily for the transportation of troops & equipment. You can, however, consult: See also our guides to British prisoners of war c1790-1919 and British prisoners of the Second World War and the Korean War. 202d GEN HOSP ETO 29 Jan 45 France (opened but only effectively operating 15 May 45) In 1945-46, the British mobilised released German prisoners of war to assist in gathering the harvest (Operation Barleycorn) and to work in the Ruhr coal mines (Operation Coalscuttle). Look in PMG 43 for supplementary payments to RAF officers and their dependents from 1916 to 1920. The unit, and most others hospitals that were hit in theregion, cared for their own casualties, cleared away rubble, and kept on working , 159th GEN HOSP ETO May 44 England HOSP TRAIN No. The units offer basic flying training to University undergraduates and graduates and encourage members to embark upon a career in the RAF. Look at AIR 2/219, the Roll of Honour for men from the USA and Dominions who served with the British Air Forces in the First World War. 230 Squadron, both operating the Westland Puma HC2, and forming part of the RAF's Support Helicopter Force. 82 ETO Rhineland Ardennes-Alsace 540 Squadron re-equipped with the English Electric Canberra PR.3 in late 1952 and relocated to RAF Wyton in 1953 along with No. Civilians gather around British tanks outside Hamburg rail station, May 1945. 303d STA HOSP ETO 43 England By late 1947, over 50,0000 Germans were employed as labourers, drivers, mechanics and in many other roles. Dealing with so many people took time. RAF Odiham on Twitter: "Today we bid farewell to the @RAF_Odiham The 8th Convalescent Hospital took over temporarily, while the second Center started operations with 307th Station and 77th Station Hospital personnel. [33], During 2016, the Joint Helicopter Support Squadron moved from RAF Odiham to Benson. 123d STA HOSP ETO 10 Aug 44 England (Rehabilitation Center No. 73 ETO Rhineland 22d GEN HOSP ETO 14 Jun 44 England 62d FLD HOSP ETO 44 England Germany War crimes trials were also brought by many other countries, including the Soviet Union and Poland, butonly a smallfraction of guilty Nazis were ever punished. Group Captain Nick Paton, the RAF Benson Station . Initially, there was a reluctanceamongthe wartime Allies aboutfullyrebuilding the German economy. 130th STA HOSP ETO 15 Jun 44 England France 24 Aug 45 Germany (the unit where G. S. PATTON Jr died on 21 Dec 45 at 1755 hrs) 7430th GEN HOSP ETO 1 Jun 45 France (Provisional German PW Hospital) 9th FLD HOSP USANIF Dec 43 ETO May 44 England 12 Jul 44 France 9 Sep 44 Belgium Germany 1 Dec 45 France Here follows a tentative list of Military Hospitals active in the European Theater of Operations: The Medical Department was impressed by the effectiveness of the British Convalescent & Rehabilitation system, and as a result of their survey, it ordered the building of special reconditioning camps. research. The shortage of food and other supplies immediately after the German surrender meant that illegal commerce, the so-called black market, filled the void. STATION HOSPITAL 450 beds > 331 Off & EM In the absence of a service record, or perhaps to supplement one, Operations Record Books (ORBs) can prove very revealing. The hunt for war criminals was accompanied by a campaign to rid German and Austrian politics, industry, media, arts, and the judiciary of Nazis. 541 Squadrons following in September 1946. 221st GEN HOSP ETO 12 Feb 45 France 77th STA HOSP USAFBI Oct 43 England (reorganized in England, redesignated 231st STA HOSP 3 May 44 the old 77th STA HOSP, Reconditioning Center No.1, became the 825th CONV CEN 1 Dec 44) The latter was co-founded in Hanover by Major John Chaloner who was assigned to the Public Relations and Information Services Control, a unit rebuilding the German media industry underthe supervision of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. By the end of 1947, 20,0000 cars had been made. Each of the major powers was the sole political and legal authority in its zone. 49th STA HOSP IBC Sep 42 ETO 9 Jul 43 England But growing East-West tensions soon evolved into the Cold War. 1st GEN HOSP USAFBI 28 Dec 43 ETO 16 Jun 44 England Sep 44 France (activated 10 Jun 43, returned to ZI Oct 45) The station warrant officer ( SWO, often pronounced as a word) is the senior warrant officer on a British Royal Air Force station. This is the only known Second World War nominal roll for the RAF in The National Archives. By March 15, 1943, the War Department had already shipped overseas, 140 Station, 27 General, 14 Field, 2 Convalescent, 3 Surgical, and 23 EvacuationHospitals. [34], BAe 146 aircraft of No. 7428th GEN HOSP ETO 15 Jun 45 France (Provisional German PW Hospital) Consult our Royal Air Force operations guide for detailed advice. 3 ETO 20 Apr 44 Wales 19 May 44 England 44 France Rhineland RAF Benson - The Chief of the Air Staff's Warrant Officer - Facebook STATION HOSPITAL 350 beds > 266 Off & EM It took over aspects of local government, policing, housing and transport. In response to West Germany joiningNato, the Communist states of Eastern Europe formed the Warsaw Pact under Soviet tutelage. Late 1940, the Medical Department dispatched an official Observer (Col. Raymond W. Bliss) to report on Hospitalization and Evacuation methods. There was now a growing concern in the West that the Soviets would attempt to impose by force their solution to the German question. 38th STA HOSP USAFBI 5 May 42 ETO Jun 44 England 4 Aug 45 France Overall Mission: USAG Baumholder is the site of the largest concentration of US Army personnel outside of the United States. 4, became the 828th CONV CEN 1 Dec 44) 347th STA HOSP ETO 17 Jun 44 England 42d GEN HOSP ETO France (activated 20 Apr 42) It was made responsible for the occupation and administration of the British Zone in north-west Germany. HOSP TRAIN No. RAF service records created since the beginning of the Second World War remain in the custody of the Ministry of Defence and are accessible only to the service personnel themselves or their next of kin. It was disbanded in 1960 when RAF squadrons became responsible for the collection and ferrying of their own aircraft. Phone: 01491 827245. Last edited on 16 December 2021, at 15:33, introducing citations to additional sources, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Station_warrant_officer&oldid=1060607991, This page was last edited on 16 December 2021, at 15:33. 44th GEN HOSP ETO France (activated 15 Jan 43) It was later home to squadrons flying the Supermarine Spitfire and de Havilland Mosquito which operated in the photographic reconnaissance role. Royal Air Force Benson or RAF Benson ( IATA: BEX, ICAO: EGUB) is a Royal Air Force (RAF) station located at Benson, near Wallingford, in South Oxfordshire, England. M-402 MED DEP ETO Oct 44 France (largest Medical Depot in France) 12 21 May 44 England ETO Normandy Northern France Rhineland Theyweretasked with guard duties in the camps set up to deal with the tide of humanity moving through Germany. These projects effectively triggered activation of US Convalescent Hospitals in the ETO, later transformed into Convalescent Centers. The Station Warrant Officer is the station commander's righthand man, with Mac fulfilling this role for the last three years. 101st GEN HOSP ETO 28 Apr 45 England 25 Aug 45 Germany 45th EVAC HOSP USAFBI 24 Nov 43 ETO 16 Jun 44 France 16 Sep 44 Belgium 5 Mar 45 Germany 10 Nov 45 France (operated as Station Hospital at KZ-Buchenwald starting 28 Apr 45) (returned to ZI and arrived at Cp Myles Standish, ZI, 20 Nov 45) The base also contains the Panzer Kaserne Marine Base, as well as elements of the US Navy. 77th FLD HOSP ETO 8 Apr 45 France (admitted RAMPs for treatment May 45) HOSP TRAIN No. The new organization could however borrow any additional personnel needed for the performance of its functions from the General Hospitals assigned to the Center. The Institut Saint-Joseph, at Mont-de-la-Salle, run by the Catholic community of the Frres des Ecoles Chrtiennes was taken over by the US Army and converted into a General Hospital. 96th GEN HOSP ETO 9 Jan 44 England (possessed psychiatric facilities for prolonged treatment and rehabilitation of patients) M-412 MED DEP ETO 44 France 8278th GEN HOSP ETO 22 Apr 45 France (Provisional German PW Hospital) 71st MED BASE DEP CO ETO 20 Nov 44 France, 1st AUX SURG GP ETO Apr 44 England 6th CONV HOSP ETO Belgium Germany 666th MED CLR CO ETO 44 France, 384th MED COLL CO ETO 19 Sep 44 Belgium 102d EVAC HOSP ETO 20 Apr 44 England 24 Jul 44 France 2 Oct 44 Belgium 19 Nov 44 Luxembourg 22 Dec 44 Belgium 5 Feb 45 Germany (activated 18 Mar 43) (inactivated 9 Jul 45) US President Harry Trumans intention to support any nations threatened by Communism (the so-called Truman Doctrine of 1947) raised the stakes even higher. 28th STA HOSP USANIF 26 Oct 43 ETO 44 England 44 France (admitted RAMPs for treatment Apr/May 45) [22], June 1997 saw the Westland Puma HC1 introduced at Benson, when No. 542 Squadron and No. . 1900s Warrant officer (United Kingdom) - Wikipedia Myles Standish, 21 Nov 45) 64th FLD HOSP ETO 18 Nov 44 England France Germany (to SWPA 16 Aug 45, diverted at sea to ZI 25 Aug 45) The western Allies also had to assist millions of German refugees. 104th EVAC HOSP ETO 14 Jul 44 France Central Europe 231st COMP MED BN ETO Jan 45 Southern France 27th EVAC HOSP MTO 20 Apr 44 Algeria 22 May 44 Italy 1 Sep 44 Southern France 26 Mar 45 Germany(constituted with elements of 42d EVAC HOSP) (to ETO control 1 Nov 44, shipped to ZI 28 Nov 45, inactivated 10 Dec 45 ZI) In western Germany, the British and Americans unified their zones in 1947 so as to betterco-operate politically and economically. Contact the Chaplaincy Office: Phone: 01491 837766 Ext: 6234 Church services and meetings Various weekly services and sessions are available, both religious and spiritual; however, there is currently no Sunday service. 56th GEN HOSP ETO 17 Oct 43 England 1 Nov 44 Belgium (activated 1 Feb 41) Many goods were supplied to illegal traders by Allied servicemen. The new command, reporting to the British Army's Land Command, combined the battlefield support helicopters operated by the RAF, Fleet Air Arm and Army Air Corps. 165th MED BN ETO Dec 44 Belgium 23 14 Sep 43 England 24 Mar 44 Scotland ETO Sep 44 France -Central Europe (partly destroyed by German bombing, at the Gare St. Lazare, Paris, 26 Dec 44) 606 (Chiltern) Squadron (RAuxAF) is a reserve unit that provides personnel in ground-support roles to assist the Support Helicopter Force. Official Site: https://www.spangdahlem.af.mil/. Official Site: https://home.army.mil/bavaria/index.php. HOSP TRAIN No. 46th FLD HOSP ETO 44 England France Belgium It carries the markings of Flight Lieutenant Duncan McCuaig who died while conducting a photographic reconnaissance mission over Bremen in Germany as part of Operation Crossbow. The Warrant Officer of the Royal Air Force ( WORAF) (previously known as the Chief of the Air Staff's Warrant Officer) is the senior RAF appointment for a warrant officer (WO), and therefore the most senior non-commissioned appointment in the Royal Air Force (RAF). [10], By December 1944, Benson had two runways extending to 609 metres (666yd; 1,998ft) which had been constructed using concrete and wood-chips. HOSP TRAIN No. Official Site: https://home.army.mil/stuttgart/index.php. 279th GEN HOSP ETO 18 Sep 45 Germany Browse by reference through PMG 44 to find records of pensions paid to relatives of deceased RAF officers from 1916 to 1920. 63d FLD HOSP ETO Nov 44 England France Feb 45 Germany (returned to ZI 1 Feb 45) 811th HOSP CEN (established Jan 45, never operational) 297th GEN HOSP USAFBI Jun 43 ETO 30 May 44 England (activated 10 Jun 43) 35th MED DEP CO ETO 31 Dec 44 Holland 100th EVAC HOSP ETO 24 Feb 44 England 23 Jul 44 France 9 Oct 44 Luxembourg 13 Oct 44 Belgium 6 Feb 45 Holland 23 Mar 45 Germany (activated Feb 43 ZI) Within the War Department, and among some elements of the SOS, such as the Quartermaster Corps and the Medical Department, functions, responsibilities, authority, control, and matters of activation, training, and supply became critical subjects for constant review among AGF and SOS staff, leading to disputes about general planning for Hospitalization and Evacuation! The last Werewolf activities petered out in early 1947, with its operatives having failed to mobilise a war-weary population to support their doomed struggle. 173d GEN HOSP ETO 15 Feb 45 France There is never an easy way to deal with the loss of a loved one. 42 MTO Rome-Arno Southern France ETO 10 Sep 44 Rhineland Central Europe 196th GEN HOSP ETO 30 Apr 45 France [1] 136th STA HOSP USAFBI 27 Aug 43 (remained in the United Kingdom for the duration of its overseas service) 132d EVAC HOSP ETO France 7451st GEN HOSP ETO 1 Jun 45 England (Provisional German PW Hospital) 306th STA HOSP USAFBI 24 Nov 43 18 Mar 44 England (operated as Reception Unit for incoming troops arriving in the UK, no longer effective as Hospital) (assigned to 15th HOSP CEN 22 Dec 44) (primarily caring for wounded German PWs from 3 Jul 44 to 8 May 45) 163d GEN HOSP ETO 5 Oct 44 England (closed for operations 30 Nov 45, final closure early 1946) The base currently houses Aviation regiments of the US Army. Nato Allied Air Command also operates out of Ramstein AB and is considered the largest US military base in Germany. The Allies were nowfaced with occupying a conquered and destroyed nation. 28 Squadron, which is the combined Puma and Boeing Chinook HC6A training unit. 226th GEN HOSP ETO 5 Mar 45 France M-406T MED DEP ETO 26 Aug 44 France (mainly used by the Red Ball Express) British soldiers often bought goods cheaply in staff canteens and NAAFI shops, which were reserved for their use only, and sold them on the black market for RMs. Official Site: https://home.army.mil/ansbach/, Related Article Military Bases In Texas. Between November 1945 and October 1946, the Nuremberg military tribunal tried 24 leading Nazis and charged them with crimes against peace, war crimes and crimes against humanity. 178th GEN HOSP ETO Aug 44 France 250th STA HOSP ETO 18 Jan 44 England 24 Apr 45 France 23 Jun 45 Germany (merged with 249th STATION HOSPITAL in the ZI 1 Aug 43) This aircraft replaced a genuine Spitfire PR.Mk XIX that was being restored to flying status. 120th EVAC HOSP ETO 21 Dec 44 England 6 Mar 45 France 30 Mar 45 Germany (took over SS-barracks and arranged for medical treatment of former inmates, political prisoners, and slave-laborers at KZ-Buchenwald, as from 5 Apr 45 onwards, assigned to provide medical care of DPs in certain areas of Germany, as from 29 Apr 45, relieved by 7th FLD HOSP 2 Jun 45) The latter concern employed locals to makeradio setsmanufactured primarily from components salvaged from German military equipment. 74 ETO Rhineland The majority of the bases are operated by the US Army, but the Marines and USAF also have bases in the country. HOSP TRAIN No. While the British got on with administering their zone, relations with the Soviet Union within the Allied Control Council gradually declined. 34 ETO Rhineland Ardennes-Alsace 78th STA HOSP MTO 44 Italy ETO 13 Sep 44 France 80 ETO Rhineland 66th MED DEP CO ETO Dec 44 Belgium (operated M-409), 91st MED GAS TREAT BN ETO Jul 44 France 16 Dec 44 Belgium Mar 45 Germany 32 (The Royal) Squadron temporarily relocated to Benson between 15 April 2019 and late October 2019 due to the resurfacing of the runway at RAF Northolt. This made the accommodation shortage even worse and also caused a reduction in the food ration in early 1946. 365th STA HOSP ETO 26 Jun 44 France In mid-February 1945, to achieve greater efficiency, the Seine Section streamlined and decentralized Hospital Train loading and unloading procedures to the Gare de lEst (Paris) and used the Gare St.- Lazare (Paris) only for loading outgoing trains bound for the Cherbourg area. [12], Post-war demobilisation saw the disbandment of No. With the construction of a similar, but more advanced facility in Wiesbaden, Dagger Complex was downgraded to a data center, and is scheduled to be closed in the coming years. However, a request can be made by the family for a Royal Air Force representative through their local station Warrant Officer who will do their best to arrange one where circumstances allow. 179th MED BN ETO Dec 44 Belgium 134th GEN HOSP ETO Apr 44 England [11], During the war Vera Lynn, known as 'the forces Sweetheart', visited Benson to entertain the troops, reportedly singing "The White Cliffs of Dover" at the station. 177th GEN HOSP ETO Oct 44 France [6][17], Thereafter, Benson became the focus of the RAF's medium-range tactical transport fleet, operating the Armstrong Whitworth Argosy C.1. 10th STA HOSP USANIF 26 Jan 42 USAFBI (activated 10 Feb 41) 97th GEN HOSP ETO 3 Apr 44 England 4 Jul 45 France 30 Jul 45 Germany (part of US Occupation Forces in Germany) 8271st GEN HOSP ETO 3 Mar 45 England (Provisional German PW Hospital) 160th GEN HOSP ETO Feb 44 England The Western Allies responded by airlifting supplies to the people of West Berlin. 150th STA HOSP ETO England 38 Group was subsumed into RAF Strike Command and relocated to RAF Upavon, whereas the TCW moved to nearby RAF Brize Norton. 21 Apr 2023 12:03:28 251st GEN HOSP ETO 24 Apr 45 France 33 Squadron and No. He worked with recently released German prisoner of war Rudolf Augstein.