Camp Ellis was a United States World War II Army Service Forces Unit Training Center[1] and prisoner-of-war camp between the towns of Bernadotte, Ipava, and Table Grove in Fulton County, Illinois.[2] Construction began on 17 September 1942,[2] and the camp opened on 16 April 1943,[1] with an official dedication 14 July 1943.[2] German prisoners of war were guarded by the 475th and 476th Military Police Escort Guard Companies.[3] Training activities ended in November 1944.[2]
History
editAccording to the Pentagon Report on Camp Ellis, the camp was officially occupied on 1 February 1943 under the Sixth Service Command. It included facilities of: USF Unit Training Center, Engineer and Medical Officers Replacement Pools, Training Center & POW Camp.
Effective as of 1 October 1945 Camp Ellis, Illinois was placed in the Category of surplus (entire camp). 17,478 acres WD owned at cost to Govt (land and buildings of $23,076,438 certified to SPS (WD-#257) 11 October 1945).
The Shawnee National Forest, Camp Ellis, and Illinois maneuver area were transferred to the Department of Agriculture 29 November 1945 (35,375 acres Public Lands).
Effective 11 December 1945, the Camp Ellis Military Reservation, Illinois, entire camp 28,557 military housing, 17,455 acres WD owned, at cost to Govt. (land and buildings) of $23,076,438 was withdrawn from surplus and placed in inactive revocable license to State of Illinois as National Guard Camp-per Monthly Progress Report, OCE, dated 30 January 1946.
Camp Ellis, Military Reservation, Ill., designated as Class II installation, subject to re-entry upon 120 days' notice, under the jurisdiction of the Commanding General, Army Ground Forces, 22 March 1946.
Effective 25 September 1946 reclassified as a Class I installation under jurisdiction of Commanding General, Fifth Army.
Camp Ellis, Table Grove, Ill., inactive 11 December 1945, except housing surplus 8 January 1947.
5013th ASF, Camp Ellis, Ill. reorganized under T/D #205-1013, Fifth Army, Chicago, Ill. December 1947, and 30 June 1948.
Effective 30 November 1949, Camp Ellis, Ill., less certain facilities to be retained for use by Illinois National Guard, was declared excess to requirements of Department of Army and was approved for disposal (DA Cir120), 1 December 1949." Pentagon Report on Camp Ellis[4]
The camp was named after Sergeant Michael B. Ellis, a World War I Medal of Honor recipient from East Saint Louis, Illinois.[1][5]
Units served
edit
- 3052nd Quartermaster Salvage Col Co.
- 738th Engineer Base Depot Company
- 567th Engineer Dump Truck Company
- 539th Salvage Repair Company
- 475th Military Police Escort Guard Company
- 476th Military Police Escort Guard Company
- 4624th Service Unit (WAC) arrive in Camp Ellis 6 January 1944[6]
- 1301st Engineer General Service Regiment
- 1303rd Engineer General Service Regiment Activated on 15 July 1943
- 123rd Infantry Company A
- 1317th Engineer General Service Regiment
- 1332nd Engineer Regiment (African-American Unit)
- 371st Engineer Construction Battalion
- 1139th Engineer Combat Group Training and Deployment
- 1319th, 1332nd, 1333rd Engineer Construction Groups
- 1542nd, 1549thm 1550th Engineer Survey Company
- 1309th, 1317th, 1319th, 1332nd Engineer Construction Group
- 567th, 569th, 573rd, 575th, 792nd, 793rd, 891st, 1365th, 1366th, & 1367th Engineer Dump Truck Companies (African American units)
- 1542nd, 15419th, 1550th Engineer Survey Companies
- 1767th, 1785th, 1786th Engineer Parts & Supply Companies
- 520th Transportation Battalion
- 548th CSB
- 600th Quartermaster Company
- 533rd CSB
- 123rd Infantry
- 181st Transportation Battalion Activated 25 June 1943
- 16th Company, 133rd Battalion, 30th Training Regiment. Capt. WM. J. Courchesne, Comdg., 1st Sgt. J. V. Salyard. July 1945[7]
- 3184 QUARTERMASTER SERVICE COMPANY APRIL 1944 (African-American Unit Cpl. Howard W. Jones)
- 101st Medical Composite Detachment
- 10th, 11th, 12th & 13th General Dispensary Companies
- 103rd, 137th, 115th, 116th, 119th, 121st, 122nd, 123rd, 124th, 125th, 126th, 129th, 137th, 197th, 198th, 199th, 200th, 201st, 202nd, 227th, 228th, 229th, 230th, 231st, 311th, 312th, & 313th General Hospital Companies
- 49th, 54th, 60th, 61st, 62nd, 63rd, 65th, 66th, 67th, 69th, 73rd, 75th, 81st, 83rd, 85th, 88th, 90th, 92nd, 93rd, 94th Field Hospital Companies
- 13th, 22nd, 26th, 74th, 79th, & 80th Hospital Train Group
- 74th & 76th Medical Base Depot units
- 72nd & 85th Malarial Control Units
- 94th & 95th Medical Gas Treatment Battalions
- 1614th Prisoner of War, Prison Guard Detachment https://easleypioneermuseumil.historyarchives.online/viewer?i=f&by=1945&bdd=1940&d=07271945-07271945&fn=camp_ellis_news_usa_illinois_camp_ellis_19450727_english_1&df=1&dt=10&cid=3150
- 1624th Military Police Unit
- 417th, 418th, 419th, 420th, 617th Quartermaster Bakery Companies
- 237th & 239th Quartermaster Salvage Collection Companies
- 244th & 246th Signal Operation Companies
- 264th & 274th Quartermaster Bakery Companies - Special Mobile (African American Unit)
- 1301st, 1303rd, 1306th General Services Regiments
- 851st, 852nd, 853rd, 854th, 859th, 863rd, 864th, 865th, 866th, Quartermaster Fumigation and Bath Mobile Companies
- 459th, 461st, 597th, 598th, 599th, 600th Quartermaster Laundry Companies
References
edit- ^ a b c "Army Service Forces Unit Training Center: Camp Ellis, Illinois". p. 2. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 7 September 2007.
- ^ a b c d "History". Fulton County Tourism Council. 16 August 2007. Archived from the original on 15 September 2007. Retrieved 7 September 2007.
- ^ "Units that Served / Trained at Camp Ellis". 26 August 2007. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 7 September 2007.
- ^ Bornder, Marjorie Rich. Camp Ellis, Illinois: From Cornfields to Marching Feet. Henington Publishing Company: Texas. 130-131. Print.
- ^ "The Story of Camp Ellis". p. 4. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 7 September 2007.
- ^ "First WAC Company Arrives at Ellis". Vol. 1, no. 40. United States Army. Camp Ellis News. 21 January 1944.
- ^ company class photo