Franklin Evening Star - 28
July 1945
With redeployment in full swing, the Post Transportation Branch now rivals in activity many
metropolitan terminals. On Sunday and Monday of this week 7,994 officers
and enlisted returnees arrived here from the ports and reporting back here after completing furloughs. These figures are only for the Reception Station and do not include the hundreds arriving and departing
daily according to. Maj. Charles C. Boatw right, Post Transportation Officer.
When the Transportation Branch was activated at Atterbury in
June. 194'2 there were two officers, three enlisted men and five civilians
assigned to It. Now there are nine officers. 155 enlisted men, 30 WACs, and 108 civilians engaged in the
various sections of the branch. in addition 92 German prisoners of war are utilized.
"Grand Central Station"
The main administrative office, known as Atterbury's "Grand
Central Station" occupies floor space of 160 by 58 feet, across the street
from the railroad loop. And in spite of the space occupied, it is almost
always crowded. Although the Passenger section has perhaps felt the major; force of increased activity, other
sections have also stepped up activity to handle the flow of men and materiel
arriving or leaving Atterbury in increasing numbers. During the past 30 days the camp handled
182 inbound and 97 outbound trains. Receiving and Shipping Warehouse handles all less than
car load lots of freight, express parcel post inbound and outbound for
all branches and organizations in camp. The Baggage room, located
in the Reception Station area handles all baggage for Atterbury and Wakeman. All packing and crating of shipments to be forwarded from camp are handled by the Packing and
Crating Section. In addition, this section, is responsible for equipping and
dismantling troop train kitchen cars.
The Post Motor Pool which recently came under the jurisdiction of the Transportation
Branch, is responsible for dispatching and servicing approximately 450 vehicles used on the post. These include 27 busses and four trucks used for transporting men and baggage by the Transportation Branch itself.
Passenger Section
While the Passenger Section. headed by Maj. William Gates, was set up to handle 1.500 overseas returnees a day, often twice this number arrive. One day's
shipment recently called for 3,250 transportation requests and 6,280 meal tickets.
To receive this number of men and move them to the Reception Station for processing
and within 24 hours, arrange for their transportation home on furlough, requires the services of 16 routing clerks, 54
typist, and '22 general clerks working in shifts 24 hours a day. Each returnee receives
individual rail or bus transportation and meal tickets to corer the trip.
In addition to handling returnees the section also arranges for shipment
by troop train of selectees from the Reception Center on their way to training
camps and provides transportation In most cases to men arriving at Atterbury for discharge arid to their homes after separation.
Hospital Trains, Too
Past Transportation also arranged for all transportation for Wakeman Hospital Center. This consists of handling
all hospital trains and ward cars arriving here with patients. Several trainloads
of Wacs arrive every month to attend the Medical Detachment Enlisted Technician's School (WAC) here and graduates of the school are out individually ever month. Pullman reservations average about 30 per day for Wakeman General and Wakeman Convalescent Hospitals. These are handled on a priority basis.
All incoming main trains arriving at the loop here are met by personnel from the Passenger Section. The train commander is contacted and instructed to unload
the men. In a matter of minutes the train has been unloaded and the men picked up by busses for transportation to tile Reception Station.
Records arid baggage are moved at the same time. Rations are checked off the kitchen cars and turned over to the Sales Officer or: the Quartermaster Branch. The
cabs are then unloaded of mess' equipment which is taken to the Packing and Crating Warehouse for packing Ling prior to shipment back toy
the station front which it originated. The train is then inspected for damage arid released.
Busses meet all incoming trains at Edinburg and transport smaller groups arid individuals direct to the organizations to which assigned or attached.
Outbound Trains
Outbound passenger main trains are setup 72 hours fn advance and routing and ordering of equipment is arranged with the Traffic Control Office in Washington,
D. C.
When this information is received here, the departure time of the train Is scheduled so that arrival time at the destination will
be during convenient hours. On the day before departure, kitchen cars are assigned and the necessary equipment installed by the Packing and Crating Section, after which
the; are staked with rations and placed in the train according to desires of the train commander.
Troops shipping out are picked up at their barracks by busses,
with their baggage and taken to the loading area. Loading usually starts an hour before departure time and the last man
is usually checked in within 30 minutes. This allows a slight leeway, permitting last minute changes in the schedule. Small groups and individuals are furnished transportation by the office here and then taken by bus to Edinburg where they board regular trains.
Pennsylvania Office
Included in the administration building is a Pennsylvania Railroad
ticket office where eight experienced ticket agents are on duty from 0700 to 2401 daily. Also in the same
office is a Transit Service. Inc.. bus ticket section. These civilian agencies issue tickets in exchange for transportation requests and tile Pennsylvania representatives make train reservations and issue Pullman tickets.
Maj. William Gates is Chief of the Passenger Section; Capt. Harold W. Berry is Chief of the Freight Section, and Lt. Robert E. Heidt
is Executive Officer. Assisting Maj. Gates are Lts. William Cunningliam. Earl M. Wirth. Anthony Claraldt, and Howell Bixler. Assistant Passenger Officers.
Baggage Section
The Baggage Section requires 10 enlisted men to handle the increasing load now arriving and being
shipped from Atterbury daily. At the present time an average of more than 400 pieces are received daily. A crew from the section meets each arriving train and with the aid of details from the trains, unload the baggage cars. Trucks also pick up baggage in Edinburg daily and deliver it to post units. S/Sgt. Maurice Reynolds Is in charge of the section.
All incoming truckloads and less than car load lots of freight,
express, and parcel post are received by the Receiving and Shipping Warehouse where it is checked for shortages and damage and then delivered by truck to the proper organization or branch. Outbound shipments are also picked up by this
section, taken to the warehouse and forwarded from there in carload lots. Lois J. Moore, Columbus, is In
bound freight clerk: Lee B. Collier. Edinburg, is outbound freight
clerk, and Arthur E. Walker, Deputy, is warehouse foreman.
Packing and Crating
The Packing and Crating Section makes the thousands of boxes and packing cases for
shipment of supplies and equipment from Atterbury. All carload shipments forwarded from camp are inspected and approved by this section. The crating of kitchen equipment arriving on Incoming troop trains. for return shipment has added to the work of this section considerably to recent months. Charles P. Ward, Osgood. is superintendent of Packing and Crating.
Post Transportation operates and maintains three locomotives and a railway crane. Two engine crews and
two yard crews work on a 24 hour basis. seven days a week. making up passenger
trains and switching all freight cars arriving at Atterbury.
Lt. William Styring. Jr., is Motor Transport Officer, in charge of the
Post Motor Pool, now a function of Post Transportation. Sgt. Vernon Wallace is motor sergeant and Sgt. Lorna Cunningham is dispatcher.
Bus Station
In addition to the bus ticket office in the Transportation building, the branch also supervise, the public bus station
is at the corner of Schoolhouse Road and Edinburg St.
Cooperating with Transportation is the American Railway Express agency here which has two offices on the post, one in the bus station and another in the Transportation Baggage Section. |
