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27th Transportation Battalion
10th Transportation Group

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.


27th Trans Trk Bn History (1949-1956)

27th Trans Bn (MC) History (1986-present)






SUBORDINATE UNITS
SUBORD UNIT
STATION
CTRY
SUBORD UNIT
STATION
CTRY
10th Trans Co
Ludwigsburg
GE
100th Trans Co
Schweinfurt
GE
12th Trans Co
Kornwestheim
GE
109th Trans Co
Ludwigsburg
GE
24th Trans Co
Bamberg
GE
147th Trans Co
Heilbronn
GE
40th Trans Co
Mannheim
GE
447th Trans Co
Kornwestheim
GE
62th Trans Co
Karlsruhe
GE
Heilbronn
GE
63rd Trans Co
Zirndorf
GE
590th Trans Co
Ludwigsburg
GE
        598th Trans Co Kornwestheim GE
 
27th Transportation Truck Battalion History
1949 - 1956
27th Transportation Bn DUI
(Source: 27th Transportation Battalion, Online unit history, Briggs Library and Information Center, Fort Eustis, VA)
The 27th Transportation Truck Battalion was activated on 20 Jan 1949 at Giessen, in Wetzlar Military Post. This was a result of the build up of Transportation Corps trucking units in Germany during the Berlin Airlift. The battalion supported the major airlift effort by transporting supplies from the seaports to the airfields for flight to Berlin. After the end of the Airlift when the routes to Berlin were reopened, the battalion continued to support the garisson in Berlin by moving supplies by motor convoy through the Soviet Zone of Germany.

On 2 Dec 1949, HHD, 27th Trans Trk Bn was reorganized and redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 27th Transportation Truck Battalion.

On 1 April 1951, the Battalion was moved to Wilkin Barracks, Kornwestheim and the unit was assigned to 7th Army.

In Sept 1951, the Battalion was attached to the 10th Transportation Group (Highway Transport). The 10th was responsible for the second leg of the lines of communications (see map of first leg operated by the 37th Trans Gp) that fell within the 7th Army Area of Operations (probably from a hand-off point at Kaiserslautern or Mannheim to the garrisons and units of the 7th Army in Germany, including Berlin).

In the initial years of the Seventh Army (activated Nov 1950), the new command adopted a very aggressive training program of command and field training exercises and the 27th Trans Bn participated in most, if not all, of them, incl. FTX COMBINE, FTX MONTE CARLO, FTX POWER PLAY, FTX HARVEST MOON, CPX COUNTER THRUST I and II, CPX SUMMERTIME, FTX INDIAN SUMMER, CPX STING RAY, CPX WOLF CALL, FTX CORDON BLEU, and CPX POLO BALL.

In reviewing the USAREUR STATION List for Dec 1952 and the organization of the 148th Trans Bn (a 37th Trans Div asset stationed in Ludwigsburg), I came up with the following possible organization of the 27th Trans Bn for this period. (Would like to hear from anybody who can provide corrections or additional details on the units assigned during this period.)
 
ORGANIZATION (Dec 1952) [1] :

UNIT DESIGNATION

LOCATION COMMENTS
HHC, 27th Trans Trk Bn Wilkin Barracks, Kornwestheim  
10th Trans Trk Co (PET) Flak Kaserne, Ludwigsburg  
62nd Trans Trk Co (PET) Phillips Barracks, Karlsruhe  
147th Trans Trk Co Badenerhof Kaserne, Heilbronn  
447th Trans Trk Co Wilkin Barracks, Kornwestheim  
544th Trans Trk Co Badenerhof Kaserne, Heilbronn  
590th Trans Trk Co Flak Kaserne, Ludwigsburg  
[1] 7th Army Station List, 31 Dec 1952
 
On 6 April 1953, the Battalion was reorganized and redesignated again, this time as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 27th Transportation Battalion (Truck).

The online unit history (Briggs Library and Information Center, Fort Eustis, VA) for the 27th states that two of the truck companies, both National Guard units that were federalized at the outbreak of the Korean War and sent to Germany, were inactivated in September 1953 (prob 1954). They were most likely replaced by Regular Army units.

(I would like to hear from anyone who might have additional details on this issue.)

The online history goes on to say that, 1 October 1953, the Battalion was comprised of the following units:
 
ORGANIZATION (Oct 1953):

UNIT DESIGNATION

LOCATION COMMENTS
HHD, 27th Trans Bn Ludwigsburg [1]  
10th Trans Co (Med Trk) Ludwigsburg [1]  
24th Trans Co (Med Trk) Bamberg [1]  
63rd Trans Co (POL) Zirndorf [1]  
100th Trans Co (Med Trk) Schweinfurt [1]  
544th Trans Co (POL) Heilbronn [1]  
590th Trans Co (Lt Trk) Ludwigsburg [1]  
[1] STATION LIST, 31 Dec 1955
 
If accurate, this would indicate that there were several probable changes in that period:
HHC, 27th Trans Bn moved to Ludwigsburg; the 10th Truck Co was reorganized from a Heavy Truck to a Medium Truck outfit; the 12th, 447th and 598th Truck Co's was reassigned to different units or redesignated; the 24th , 63rd, 100th and 544th Truck Co's were assigned to the 27th.
 
The 24th, 63rd and 100th Trans Co's were located in the Bamberg-Nuernberg-Schweinfurt area and the 27th formed Detachment 1-A under the command of Major Wilbur T. Daly, Jr., Deputy Commander of the 27th, to help administer and supervise truck operations of these units. Det 1-A remained in operation until 5 December 1955 when Seventh Army relieved the battalion of the 24th, 63rd, 100th, and 544th Transportation Companies and attached the 40th (Petroleum) and the 62nd Transportation Companies at Karlsruhe to it.
 
In September 1954 (?), two National Guard truck companies that were part of the 27th Trans Bn were apparently inactivated and replaced by Regular Army units.

Webmaster note (February 2020): further research indicates that the two companies that were inactivated were the
147th Trans Truck Company and the 447th Trans Truck Company. (Can anybody confirm this and provide further details?)
 
ORGANIZATION (Dec 1955):

UNIT DESIGNATION

LOCATION COMMENTS
HHD, 27th Trans Bn Ludwigsburg [1]  
10th Trans Co (Med Trk) Ludwigsburg [1]  
40th Trans Co (POL) Mannheim [1]  
62nd Trans Co (Med Trk) Karlsruhe [1]  
109th Trans Co (POL) Ludwigsburg [1]  
590th Trans Co (Lt Trk) Ludwigsburg [1]  
[1] STATION LIST, 31 Dec 1955
 
As part of Operation GYROSCOPE, the 27th Trans Bn was to be replaced by the 4th Transportation Battalion out of Fort Eustis, VA. Date of rotation was scheduled for 15 April 1956. The advance planning group of the 4th arrived in Europe on 15 November 1955 and the 27th sent a planning group to Fort Eustis, Virginia on 7 January 1956.

The advance party of the 27th departed on 16 February and the main body departed on the USNS Randall through the Port of Bremerhaven on 18 April 1956, arriving in New York on 27 April 1956.

Thus ended this chapter of the 27th Trans Bn's history in Germany.
 
If you have more information on the history or organization of the 27th Transportation Truck Bn, please contact me.

 
1954
(Source: STARS & STRIPES, December 15 1954)
27th Transportation Battalion, Kornwestheim. CO is Lt Col Robert L. Pelloux.

ORGANIZATION (Dec 1954):

UNIT DESIGNATION

LOCATION COMMENTS
HHD, 27th Trans Bn Stuttgart [1]  
Detachment Bamberg [1]  
10th Trans Co (Med Trk) (26' S&P) Stuttgart [1]  
24th Trans Co (Lt Trk) Bamberg [1]  
63rd Trans Co (Lt Trk) Nuernberg [1]  
100th Trans Co (Lt Trk) Wuerzburg [1]  
544th Trans Co (Lt Trk) Heilbronn [1]  
590th Trans Co (Lt Trk) Stuttgart [1]  
[1] STATION LIST, 16 August 1954
 
The 10th Trans Co is responsible for providing transportation of heavy equipment - it is equipped with 45 12-ton trailer trucks. On main highways, the 12-ton trailer truck can transport a maximum load of 18 tons; in cross-country hauls the maximum load is cut down to 12 tons. 700 five-gallon gas cans can make a load or 624 cases of C-rations.

CO of the 10th Trans Company is Capt A.J. Janots.

 
27th Transportation Battalion (Mov Con) History
 
1986 - present
27th Trans Bn MC insignia
 
(Source: 27th Transportation Battaion, Online unit history, Briggs Library and Information Center, Fort Eustis, VA)

The 27th Transportation Battalion was reactivated at Bremerhaven, Germany on 17 February 1986 as the 27th Trans Bn (Movement Control).

It came under the control of the 1st Transportation Movement Control Agency (TMCA), headquartered in Oberursel, Germany. The 1st TAMCA served as the theater movements manager in the European theater of operations. The 27th Transportation Battalion (MC) assumed the responsibilities of the former 1st Movements Region which was inactivated on the same day.

For details on the history of the unit after the end of the Cold War, see the online unit history.

 
ORGANIZATION - 1986

UNIT DESIGNATION

LOCATION COMMENTS
     
     
     
     
     
     
 
(Source: Email from Phil Philipps, Germany)
The 626th MCT (Movement Control Team) is the former 15th MCT (was renamed some time in the mid 1990's). The 626th MCT is located at Fliegerhorst Kaserne in Hanau, Germany. It is run by German civilian employees (Local Nationals) with 1 Traffic Manager, 1 Container Chief, 1 Freight Chief and 1 Chief Rail Movement Mangagement Team (RMMT). The is also other assistants. The BMCT Hanau was/is run by 1 Chief BMCT and 2 assistants who are all Local Nationals.

Here are some scanned pictures from my time with the BMCT Hanau. I also wanted to thank you for this website! This is great and far better than any museum that I've been at. Thanks for preserving the past and keeping it alive!

The 27th Trans + 626th MCT + BMCT (Hanau includes Buedingen) as well as BMCT Mainz/Wiesbaden (they are combined and located in Mainz-Kastel), Baumholder(covers Idar-Oberstein area) , Giessen (also covers Friedberg area), Darmstadt. All those BMCTs fall under 626th MCT.

As of right now (spoke with a former workmate) 626th falls now under 39th Trans in Kaiserslautern since 27th Trans will deactivate January or February of 2007.

BMCT Hanau
Fliegerhorst Ksn, Hanau

 

1. 626th MCT, Fliegerhorst Ksn

2. 626th MCT

3. The former CMR


4. 1980 award for TMO Frankfurt

5. Old Berlin Avn Det chopper


 
 
If you have more information on the history or organization of the 27th Transportation Bn (Movement Control), contact me.

 
544th Transportation Truck Company
27th Transportation Battalion

Posing for the camera next to the company sign at Badenerhof (Webmaster's collection)

A member of the 544th in front of the unit's barracks (Webmaster's collection)

Group photo in the unit's vehicle park (Webmaster's collection)
1953
(Source: Webmaster's collection)
The 544th Transportation Truck Company was stationed at Badenerhof Kaserne in Heilbronn and attached to the 112th Infantry Regiment, 28th Inf Div, at Wharton Barracks.

1. Members of the 544th

2. Posing next to an MP jeep

3. 147th Trans Co sign
 

20th Transportation Battalion
1958
(Source: 20th Transportation Battaion (Inf Div, 1957-1959)

544th Trans Co Roster
  The 544th Transportation Company is the newest addition to the 20th Transportation Battalion family of units. When the 151st gyroscoped to the United States December 20, 1958, the 544th took over its mission at Baumholder.

The 544th has a fine record which begins with its activation during World War II, during which it particapated in four campaigns. After that conflict came to a close, the company remained on active status and held various assignments both in Europe and in the United States.

In the first six months that it has been a part of the 20th Transportation Batnation, the 544th Transportation Company's drivers have added over 200,000 accident-free miles to their truck speedometers.

Another capacity in which the 544th Transportation Company has done well is in the field of German-American relations. The members of the company have voluntarily assumed the sponsorship of Saint Irminen's Orphanage at Trier, Germany.


The 544th Transportation Company is commanded by Captain Donald W. Plants.

For the period ending May 31 1959, the company has received five concecutive 8th Infantry Division Certificates of Achievement for one hundred percent participation in the division savings program.

  Learning from instruction and self-study.

 
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