Welcome to the WWII Forums! Log in or Sign up to interact with the community.

U.S. Army MOS Codes - WWII Era

Discussion in 'Military Service Records & Genealogical Research' started by TD-Tommy776, Sep 28, 2012.

  1. TD-Tommy776

    TD-Tommy776 Man of Constant Sorrow

    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2011
    Messages:
    7,217
    Likes Received:
    1,270
    Location:
    The Land of 10,000 Loons
    I stumbled across the website Military Yearbook Project today while I was searching for an easy way to look up Army MOS Codes from WWII. Fortunately, they have a great webpage with links to additional info regarding many of the MOS Codes. The list is organized alphabetically. Here's a brief description of the webpage:


    Army MOS Codes - WWII Era (link fixed)
     
  2. LRusso216

    LRusso216 Graybeard Staff Member

    Joined:
    Jan 5, 2009
    Messages:
    14,288
    Likes Received:
    2,605
    Location:
    Pennsylvania
    A good resource,Tom. Right into my bookmarks. I wish, however, that they were numerical. Those of us who never served don't know for sure what the various names for jobs were. Nonetheless, it does make it easier. Thanks.
     
  3. Slipdigit

    Slipdigit Good Ol' Boy Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

    Joined:
    May 21, 2007
    Messages:
    18,045
    Likes Received:
    2,364
    Location:
    Alabama
    I copied them off to an Excel file, Lou. I'll send them to you when I get it cleaned up a bit more.
     
  4. TD-Tommy776

    TD-Tommy776 Man of Constant Sorrow

    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2011
    Messages:
    7,217
    Likes Received:
    1,270
    Location:
    The Land of 10,000 Loons
    I agree with you, Lou. It would be better if it were numeric. However, I just used the "find" function to search for the numeric code I needed.

    Here's an anomaly I'm trying to solve. I have a copy of Special Order #61 dated 2 Mar 1942 which assigned a list of recruits to the Anti-tank Company of the 129th Infantry. The SO clearly lists my great uncle's MOS as 106. I have been unable to find any Army MOS with the number 106. However, it occurred to me that the clerk might have incorrectly typed his MOS. After a bit of searching, I found MOS #168 Printer. If you click on the 168, you get a short list of types of printing jobs. One of those jobs is Linotype Operator. My great uncle was trained in linotype operation.

    So, my question is did the Army list new recruits with an MOS that matched their civilian occupation until they were later assigned another MOS (in my great uncle's case, 745 Rifleman)?
     
  5. LRusso216

    LRusso216 Graybeard Staff Member

    Joined:
    Jan 5, 2009
    Messages:
    14,288
    Likes Received:
    2,605
    Location:
    Pennsylvania
    Thanks, Jeff. I never thought of that. :rolleyes:
     
  6. Earthican

    Earthican Member

    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2011
    Messages:
    743
    Likes Received:
    158
    That's correct, according to "The Procurement and Training of Ground Combat Troops" (Green Book, page 7 ish) upon induction soldiers would be interviewed for possible MOS assignment. MOS's below 500 had civilian equivalents while those above did not.

    I recall Slaymaker's hope of being assigned to the cavalry horse breaking operations following a basic training with the 129th Infantry.


    Occasionally I have wondered how the Reception Centers parceled out the men they received from their area Draft Boards. It seems a system was set-up such that it could run without central control (makes sense since they did not have the IT to do central booking). Apparently units and replacement training centers put in requisitions for manpower and, depending on the tables for the MOS's required and the MOS's they had assigned, RC's filled requisitions. Perhaps there was a central center that directed the requisitions to particular Reception Centers based the allocated number of men to be selected by the community Draft Boards.

    In regimental and division histories they often cite the regions where they got many of their trainees. I imagine for transportation efficiency, an RC could fill a train load of men and send them to one location.
     
  7. TD-Tommy776

    TD-Tommy776 Man of Constant Sorrow

    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2011
    Messages:
    7,217
    Likes Received:
    1,270
    Location:
    The Land of 10,000 Loons
    Ah, yes. Thanks, E. I hadn't thought of consulting the Green Books. (Saying that is tantamount to heresy here, isn't it? ;) )

    Nor did they have software that would prevent them from typing in an invalid MOS code. I could also imagine that if someone had an invalid MOS code in their records, it was destined to be changed to 745 (Rifleman). Probably not much call for linotype operators in an infantry regiment.
     
  8. Biak

    Biak Boy from Illinois Staff Member

    Joined:
    Nov 15, 2009
    Messages:
    9,077
    Likes Received:
    2,473
    I've been looking for the same thing for a while now and just found this link: ENJOY !

    TM12-406

    MOS Codes and Title (828 KB)
    Reference List of Consolidated Changes to TM 12-406 (0.99 MB)
    Changes No. 7, c7 (1.52 MB)
    Changes No. 6, c6 (1.75 MB)
    Changes No. 5, c5 (1.66 MB)
    Changes No. 4, c4 (3.26 MB)
    Changes No. 3, c3 (4.36 MB)
    Changes No. 2, c2 (3.25 MB)
    Changes No. 1, c1 (5.60 MB)
    Title Page (231 KB)
    Verso (179 KB)
    Contents (151 KB)
    Section
    I. Introduction, p.3 (3.3 MB)
    II. Numerical List of Military Occupational Specialties, p.9 (6.0 MB)

    III. Codes, Titles, and Specifications, p.25 (23.9 MB)
    Codes, Titles, and Specifications Continues, p.75 (24.6 MB)
    Codes, Titles, and Specifications Continues, p.125 (24.2 MB)
    Codes, Titles, and Specifications Continues, p.175 (24.2 MB)
    IV. Coding Organization Level, p.228 (2.28 MB)
    V. Alphabetical Index of Military Occupational Specialties, p.232 (9.35 MB)
    Appendix
    I. Conversion of Deleted Codes, p.250 (2.04 MB)
    II. Classification of Medical Corps Officers, p.259 (3.66 MB)
    III. Coding of Warrant Officers, p.267 (1.13 MB)
     
    Otto and TD-Tommy776 like this.
  9. TD-Tommy776

    TD-Tommy776 Man of Constant Sorrow

    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2011
    Messages:
    7,217
    Likes Received:
    1,270
    Location:
    The Land of 10,000 Loons
    Good addition to the thread, Rog. Officers have occupational specialties, too. :D
     
  10. TD-Tommy776

    TD-Tommy776 Man of Constant Sorrow

    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2011
    Messages:
    7,217
    Likes Received:
    1,270
    Location:
    The Land of 10,000 Loons
  11. LRusso216

    LRusso216 Graybeard Staff Member

    Joined:
    Jan 5, 2009
    Messages:
    14,288
    Likes Received:
    2,605
    Location:
    Pennsylvania
    Nice. Just bookmarked the whole page. There are many different sources listed, so I thought it best to use the all.
     
  12. Otto

    Otto Spambot Nemesis Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

    Joined:
    Jan 1, 2000
    Messages:
    9,781
    Likes Received:
    1,818
    Location:
    DFW, Texas
    I took the opportunity to add some of these MOS codes to WW2.ORG. Eventually, I'll be completing the entire list with links to job descriptions.
    http://ww2.org/index.php?title=US_Army_MOS_Codes_(TM_12-427)

    The links in Biak's post in this thread is the reason why I'm doing this. They are dead despite being from a .mil website and only a three years old. I hate dead links to WW2 information, so now we have it hosted locally. I'll note that the article has a link to a .PDF of the original TM_12-427 document, also hosted locally.

    I haven't done any digging yet. Does anybody know offhand what documents preceded and proceeded the MOS listing in TM 12-427? I'll add those after I'm done with this manual.
     
  13. lwd

    lwd Ace

    Joined:
    Jul 24, 2007
    Messages:
    12,322
    Likes Received:
    1,245
    Location:
    Michigan
    A lot of DoD websites have been reformatted, reorganized, and/or revised in the last few years. In many cases (particularly for historical information) it's still out there but finding it again may not be trivial.
     
    Otto likes this.
  14. Otto

    Otto Spambot Nemesis Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

    Joined:
    Jan 1, 2000
    Messages:
    9,781
    Likes Received:
    1,818
    Location:
    DFW, Texas
    Incredibly frustrating to see links broken and moved. you are correct lwd, re-finding this info can be quite difficult.

    I am however, trying to make finding it trivial once again:
    http://ww2.org/index.php?title=US_Army_MOS_Codes_(TM_12-427)
    I've made some updates to the entry which includes some corrections, as well as a link to the original document.

    Any help or feedback is appreciated.
     
  15. TD-Tommy776

    TD-Tommy776 Man of Constant Sorrow

    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2011
    Messages:
    7,217
    Likes Received:
    1,270
    Location:
    The Land of 10,000 Loons
    I just fixed the link in post #1. The link in post #10 still works.

    I'm glad you made the decision to take on the WW2.ORG project, Otto. It will be nice to be able to bookmark and link to a source that will be there 6 months or more down the road.
     
    Otto likes this.
  16. Otto

    Otto Spambot Nemesis Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

    Joined:
    Jan 1, 2000
    Messages:
    9,781
    Likes Received:
    1,818
    Location:
    DFW, Texas
    I appreciate the repairs Tommy, but they still had the info at their primary URL so no complaints from my end. Links to WWII sites going dead outright is the single most infuriating thing I come across on the web, which is why the WW2 Open Research Group was founded. Still a lot to do with US WWII MOS info however, officers are another document altogether, and the period leading up to July 1944 is also a hole that needs filling.

    WW2.ORG is just in it's fetal stages, but eventually we will have a definitive resource for any WWII US MOS codes, along with heaps of info on other areas from all nations.
     
  17. Otto

    Otto Spambot Nemesis Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

    Joined:
    Jan 1, 2000
    Messages:
    9,781
    Likes Received:
    1,818
    Location:
    DFW, Texas
  18. Otto

    Otto Spambot Nemesis Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

    Joined:
    Jan 1, 2000
    Messages:
    9,781
    Likes Received:
    1,818
    Location:
    DFW, Texas
    Up to # 737 now. Cutting and pasting is slow work, but well worth it once complete.
     
  19. OpanaPointer

    OpanaPointer I Point at Opana Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

    Joined:
    Jun 5, 2008
    Messages:
    18,248
    Likes Received:
    5,669
    I can convert pdfs to HTML "quick and nasty". Probably be easier than copying-and-pasting?
     
    Otto likes this.
  20. Otto

    Otto Spambot Nemesis Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

    Joined:
    Jan 1, 2000
    Messages:
    9,781
    Likes Received:
    1,818
    Location:
    DFW, Texas
    Appreciate the offer OP. I'm entering the info into the wiki format so it would need to be edited anyway. Once loaded in this gormat it is dynamically sortable in real time and easily linkable.

    There are already lists out there that I could easily use, but I'm staying true to the original printed format, which is all caps, so its taking a bit longer.
     

Share This Page