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6950 Prisoner of War Overhead Detachment and 500th Medical Collection Company

Discussion in 'Information Requests' started by Stevin, Apr 3, 2004.

  1. Stevin

    Stevin Ace

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    Has anyone heard of a similar unit. Obviously it had to do with POWs, but does anybody know what they actually did??

    Pvt. Abbott from Mississppi was with this unit and was killed in a non-hostile incident on April 25, 1945. He is buried in Margraten.

    This is one of a few quite obscure units I have come across lately.

    Same goes for the 500th Medical Collection Company. Anybody know what they did EXACTLY? I only found a on-line reference on the Indiana Historical Society website.

    And for a last Q; What did a (US) Port Company do???

    Thanks in advance all!

    Stevin
     
    Stevin, Apr 3, 2004
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  2. K.L.Ensley

    K.L.Ensley recruit

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    Pvt. Abbott (Thomas Jefferson) was my maternal grandfather. All that I have been able to find about him (other than the information you have outlined above) is that he was killed by stepping on a mine. I have never been able to find out any relevant information regarding his unit.

    I found your post quite shocking, in that you specifically mentioned my grandfather. May I ask why you referenced him in your post? I, too, am looking for any information regarding the 6950 POW Overhead Detachment.
     
    K.L.Ensley, Jun 4, 2007
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  3. Slipdigit

    Slipdigit Good Ol' Boy Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    I'll have to dig out a book that has been packed away, but I am almost certain that a Medical Collection Company consists of ambulances. It make day or two and somebody else may have the definative answer by then.
     
    Slipdigit, Jun 4, 2007
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  4. Slipdigit

    Slipdigit Good Ol' Boy Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    I found this:

    http://history.amedd.army.mil/booksdocs/wwii/EPWs/EPWs.htm

    Search for text 'overhead' on the page and find this:

    Planned capacity of Central Prisoner of War Enclosures in France.— Even at the beginning, Central Prisoner of War Enclosures were too few, too small, and understaffed. This led to overcrowding (fig. 34) and impeded the application of preventive medicine measures as well as the processing and handling of prisoners. The following report and comments give information about the deficient planning and its consequences.


    Theater planning for the handling of enemy prisoners of war was rather unrealistic. It left much to be desired and apparently ignored the difficulty experienced in North Africa in handling a large influx of POW's. This cannot be completely laid to inadequacies in the Theater Provost Marshal's Office which was planning within the restrictions imposed by the overall concept of the operation. For instance, the planners asked for 49 Military Police Escort Guard Companies; only 19 were authorized by the War Department. As there was no T/O&E for a Prisoner of War Camp Overhead Detachment, the Theater Provost Marshal planned a provisional one and got authority to activate eight of them, one for a POW camp in England and seven for use in France. Each of these POW Camp Overhead Detachments was estimated by the planners to be able to handle 6,000 POW's. Thus the planning was geared to accommodate at any one time a total of 48,000 POW' in the eight camps. The capture rate for the first 90 days was estimated at 1,000 a day. This would require that about one-half of the number captured during the first 90 days would have to be shipped out of the theater.

    I have suspicions that they were small, temporary MP units formed to guard POWs in the ComZ who were in transit camps in route to permanent camps in England or CONUS or possibly overflow camps for these transit camps.

    On down on the page, there is interesting reading on my country's mistreatment of German PoWs.
     
    Slipdigit, Jun 4, 2007
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  5. Otto

    Otto Spambot Nemesis Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    KL, Stevin runs a fantastic website about the Allied casualties in the Netherlands. I'll send him an email and tell him to take another gander at this thread, he'll probably be able to help you a least a little.

    Thanks also to Slipdigit for the great information. What a helpful collection of Rogues we have here!
     
    Otto, Jun 4, 2007
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  6. K.L.Ensley

    K.L.Ensley recruit

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    Very interesting! Thank you for all of the information and prompt responses!
     
    K.L.Ensley, Jun 4, 2007
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  7. Slipdigit

    Slipdigit Good Ol' Boy Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    Port Company information.

    http://www.qmfound.com/black_service_units_in_combat.htm

    From the webpage:

    Looks like they were mostly stevedores, man-handling equipment over the beach.
     
    Slipdigit, Jun 4, 2007
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  8. Stevin

    Stevin Ace

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    Otto, thanks for letting me know about the posts to this thread. Very much appreciated.

    There is not much I can add to this at this point. Many thanks to Slipdigit for the information. It has helped me a lot!!! Gives me a few more ideas for further investigation.

    Pvt Abbott is buried at Margraten and therefor of interest to me, as I wish to include him on my website. Many thanks to K L Ensley for the additional information. I will be in contact!

    Otto, thanks again for dragging me back here. It has been too long. Reading posts I realize...how much I miss it.... ;)
     
    Stevin, Jun 12, 2007
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  9. Ralph84

    Ralph84 Member

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    Thomas J. Abbott
    ID: 34732145
    Entered the Service From: Mississippi
    Rank: Private

    Service: U.S. Army, 6950th Prisoner of War Overhead Detachment

    Died: Wednesday, April 25, 1945
    Buried at: Netherlands American Cemetery
    [COLOR=#6a8836][B]Location: [COLOR=black]Margraten, Netherlands[/COLOR][/B] [/COLOR]
    [FONT=Verdana][FONT=Verdana][SIZE=2][COLOR=#000000][B][COLOR=#6a8300]Plot: [/COLOR]M [COLOR=#6a8300]Row: [/COLOR]7 [COLOR=#6a8300]Grave: [/COLOR]12 [/B][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/FONT]
    [COLOR=#000000][/COLOR]
    [COLOR=#000000][/COLOR]
    NARA:[url]http://aad.archives.gov/aad/record-detail.jsp?dt=893&mtch=1&cat=WR26&tf=F&sc=24994,24995,24996,24998,24997,24993,24981,24983&bc=sl,fd&txt_24994=34732145+&op_24994=0&nfo_24994=V,8,1900&rpp=10&pg=1&rid=5116221[/url]
     
    Ralph84, Dec 29, 2009
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  10. smitty

    smitty recruit

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    Hi I just found this forum and saw your post regarding the Overhead Detachment. My Great Uncle was a Capt in the 2029th Overhad Det and stationed in an Allied encampment in France. My Father inherited a book he brought back and it details the growth of this camp. It appears to have been commishioned by the US Army but much of the work done by the German PW's. There are numerous drawings, paintings, etc and the front cover of the book has a hand carved wood panel. It really is an interesting read too. Here is a link to the book if you'd like to give it a look. brandonrowe's Photo Galleries at pbase.com_
     
    smitty, Feb 22, 2010
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  11. Guus van Moerkerk

    Guus van Moerkerk recruit

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    Steven I Guus van Moerkerk have addopted the grave from your granddad Abbott Thomas J for 10 years now, my email adress is:
    guusvanmoerkerk@ziggo.nl I live in Valkenburg Netherlands that is about 4 kilometers from Margraten, I hope you will like that, greets Guus.
     
    Guus van Moerkerk, Jan 27, 2013
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  12. Slipdigit

    Slipdigit Good Ol' Boy Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    Guus,

    Steven (Stevin) lives in the Netherlands. It is KL Ensley in post #2 above who is the grandson of Pvt Abbott. Stevin has not posted here in a while, although he was quite active for a several years. KL Ensley only made two posts, both in 2007.

    I can contact either member through their email and ask them to contact you, if you would like.
     
    Slipdigit, Jan 27, 2013
    #12
  13. K.L.Ensley

    K.L.Ensley recruit

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    Thank you Guus van Moerkerk for adopting the grave of my grandfather. I hope to one day visit his grave in Margraten.

    Today is veterans day in the USA and I've been thinking about my grandfather a bit here lately. Thanks to all the veterans living and dead that made the sacrifices to serve our country.
     
    K.L.Ensley, Nov 11, 2013
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  14. Roger M

    Roger M New Member

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    My father was part of the 6951 Guard Bn (OH). Detachment F. Location was Prisoner of War Temporary Enclosure A-2 (near Remagen, Germany). There were several similar units (6988, Det G; 6989 Det H; 6990 Det I; 6991 Det K and others). Guarding prisoners and managing the entire operation. I secured the Unit Daily Journal for the 6951 PWTE operation through NARA. Provides few names but a wealth of information about what went on each day. This camp was opened mid- April 1945 and handed over to the French in late June 1945. It operated under the 15th Army, 106th Infantry Division, 159th Infantry Regiment. There were numerous similar camps along the Rhine. I believe that the 106th ID, under the 15th Army, was responsible for all of them. Recommend you check the following sites: www.indianamilitary.org (click on 106th INF DIV button and go to Reports) and www.106thinfantry.webs.com (click on Pow Duty 1945 button). There are AARs for the 159th IR, maps, photographs and narrative.
    Unfortunately, I don't think either of those sites include info specifically to the 6950 OH Detachment.....but, Jim West (Indiana Military Org) and/or Carl Wouters (106thinfantry.webs.com) may be able to give you more leads. Carl is located in Belgium and a premier researcher and specializes in the 106th Division.
     
    Roger M, Oct 13, 2020
    #14
  15. Roger M

    Roger M New Member

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    Check this link....AAR for 159th. Makes reference to 6950 OH Guard Bn (Prov)

    S-E-C-R-E-T
     
    Roger M, Oct 13, 2020
    #15

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