If you do NOT see the Table of Contents frame to the left of this page, then
Click here to open 'USArmyGermany' frameset

Verdun Signal Depot
Communications Zone
Looking for more information from military/civilian personnel assigned to or associated with the U.S. Army in Germany from 1945 to 1989. If you have any stories or thoughts on the subject, please contact me.

Depot History 

7768 Sig Det

72nd Ord Bn

Related Links

 
Depot History

Recent satellite view of former Verdun Signal Depot (Wikimapia)
1951 - 1960's
(Source: Email from Frank Santoro)
Verdun Signal Depot (7773 Army Unit)

On November 30, 1951, the Verdun Signal Depot () was originally authorized by the Office of the Chief Signal Officer, Headquarters European Command. Verdun Signal Depot personnel were first authorized as 7768 Signal Detachment, effective December 10, 1951.

Located 2 miles Northwest of Verdun, the depot occupied approximately 20 acres of ground utilized for administration and storage buildings with hard stands for open storage. The Verdun Garrison water supply was located within this station. The station had railroad spurs and a sewage disposal plant. Post, camp and station type facilities, were not included in the station, but were provided by the Verdun Garrison in nearby Maginot () and Gribeauval () Casernes. Family housing facilities were located at the dependent quarters in the Bevaux area. Approximately 200 sets of quarters were constructed, which included a refrigerator and electric stove, but otherwise unfurnished. Each unit contained central heat, hot water heater and bath fixtures.

In January 1958, construction began to add an additional 146 units with a completion date of early 1959.

Main gate, General Depot Verdun (Frank Santoro)
The depot occupied premises originally constructed for a synthetic textile plant in 1928 by the Verdun Textile Society. Due to financial difficulty, equipment was never installed and the buildings remained unoccupied except for short intervals when they were used as a French and later as a German prison.

In 1951 the French Government leased the buildings and grounds to the United States Army for the purpose of housing a signal depot. In order to make the textile plant premises suitable for a signal depot operation, new construction and rehabilitation was initiated on October 15, 1953 and was completed in a little over a year’s time on November 14, 1954.

Gribeauval Caserne
APO 122
Verdun, France

The Verdun Signal Depot is located approximately two miles northwest of Verdun. Post, camp and station type facilities were provided by the Verdun Garrison’s in the nearby Maginot and Gribeauval Caserne’s.

Verdun Town Map, 1958




Gribeauval Caserne
  
Administrative and storage buildings, along with hard stands for open storage utilized the twenty acres of ground storage. Constructed by the Verdun Textile Society in 1928, the buildings never were utilized and remained unoccupied except for short intervals when they were used as a French and later as a German prison. In 1951 the French Government leased the buildings and grounds to the United States Army for the purpose of housing a signal depot. On the 30th of November 1951, the Office of the Chief Signal Officer, European Command authorized the Verdun Signal Depot.

The 7768 Signal Detachment housed in the Gribeauval Caserne was authorized effective the 10th of December 1951. Along with the 7768, the 39th Ordnance occupied housing in the Caserne. In order to make the textile plant premises suitable for Signal Depot operations, new construction and rehabilitation was initiated on the 15th of October 1953 and was completed in a little over a year’s time on the 14th of November 1954.

The French Government reclaimed all the facilities in the 1960’s.

1. Barracks at Gribeauval
2. Gribeauval Caserne
3. IG Inspection

4. Armistice Day parade		  
 		  
 
If you have more information on the history or organization of the Verdun Signal Depot, please contact me.
 
 
(Source: Email from Frank Santoro)
Verdun General Depot

Verdun General Depot, 1958
  
Table of Contents
Page 2 (General Mission)
Page 3 (Specific Mission)
Page 4 (Specific Mission cont'd)
Page 5 (Verdun Depot Org Chart)
Page 6 (Chemical Supply Section Org Chart)
Page 7 (Signal Supply Section Org Chart)
Page 8 (Depot History)
Page 9 (Physical Characteristics)
Page 10 (History of Verdun)
Page 11 (History of Verdun cont'd)
Page 12 (Post Facilities)
Page 13 (calendar)
Page 14 (map)
 
(Source: Map and photos submitted by Angelo Cinti, via Frank Santoro)

1. Map of Signal Depot, mid 1950s (KB)
2. Aerial view of VSD, 1950s (KB)
3. Gribeauval Cas. sign (KB)

4. Cinti and Jones (KB)
5. (KB)
6. (KB)		  
 
(Source: Photos submitted by Leon Purdham, via Frank Santoro)

1. (KB)
2. (KB)

Related Links:
  US Army - Verdun, France - APO 122 - Frank Santoro's website featuring military installations and units in the Verdun, France, area from 1950-1967.  
  Verdun Tour (then and now) - Harry Puncec's photo pages on the Worldisround.com website includes photos of Verdun and surroundings from the WWII and Com Z days - including some of Maginot Caserne.  
  256th Signal Co (SPT) - a website dedicated to those who served with the 256th Signal Co. (SPT) from its beginning in Verdun until being disbanded.  
  Saumur Signal Depot - website developed for the interest of the many soldiers and dependents who were stationed at the US Army 7794th Saumur Signal Depot at Saumur, France.