raf benson station warrant officer raf benson station warrant officer

[35] In May 2020, the Rotary Wing Operational Evaluation and Training Unit, which had been at Benson since 1997, adopted the No. [31], In May 2015, it was announced that the Chinook Operational Conversion Flight, comprising six Boeing Chinooks and 150 personnel would transfer from RAF Odiham to Benson, to form a joint Puma and Chinook OCU, training crews on both aircraft types. [53], The station is home to two K8 telephone kiosks which are grade II listed. The Allies seized German jet aircraft, usingthe technology in their own jetprogrammes, May 1945, DemobilisedGerman soldiers boarding lorries to be taken to reconstruction projects, June 1945. The BAOR was responsible for pursuing suspected war criminals in its zone of north-west Germany. 12 OTU were replaced in December 1940 with Vickers Wellington medium bombers. National Army Museum, Royal Hospital Road, London, SW3 4HTRegistered Charity Number: 237902, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, Active Edge: The Army, Germany and the Cold War. 7449th GEN HOSP ETO 29 May 45 England (Provisional German PW Hospital) The initial objective was to establish Army Forces in the British Isles in order to protect them from a possible enemy invasion; another objective was to relieve a number of British troops for operations in the Mediterranean, and to reinforce the Royal Air Force with aircraft and personnel. 160th GEN HOSP ETO Feb 44 England Benson operated under RAF Transport Command throughout the 1950s and 1960s. 198th GEN HOSP ETO 12 Feb 45 France 106th GEN HOSP ETO Nov 44 England 3 ETO 20 Apr 44 Wales 19 May 44 England 44 France Rhineland The majority of the bases are operated by the US Army, but the Marines and USAF also have bases in the country. They werehoused in makeshift camps where they were fed, medically checked and processed. 23d GEN HOSP MTO 28 Oct 43 17 Nov 43 Italy 5 Nov 44 France (transferred from MTO to ETO 20 Nov 44) (returned to ZI Oct 45) 180th MED BN ETO Dec 44 Belgium 39th FLD HOSP ETO 11 Mar 44 England 22 Jun 44 France 30 Sep 44 Belgium 11 Mar 45 Holland 30 Mar 45 Belgium 24 Apr 45 Germany 18 Jun 45 France (first assignment to Ninth US Air Force/IX Army Air Force Service Command (AAF Sta519),as a USAAF Hospital, each of the 3 Platoons operated as separate Air Force Clearing Stations) STATION HOSPITAL 750 beds > 508 Off & EM (other sources 529 Off & EM, 563 Off & EM) 44th EVAC HOSP USFBI 26 Nov 43 ETO 19 Jun 44France 12 Sep 44Belgium 9 Feb 45Germany 23 Sep 45France (medical support to former KZ-Nordhausen inmates from 16 Apr to 4 May 45, to ZI 10 Nov 45, and inactivated 21 Nov 45) Troops arrive at RAF Gatow to reinforce the British garrison,Berlin Blockade, 1949. Meanwhile, the number of Hospital patients in the United States increased from 167,713 on June 30, 1943 to a peak of 303,102 by June 30, 1945 (at this time, the number of authorized beds for all Hospitals in the ZI was only 314,588). 2d EVAC HOSP USANIF 27 Sep 42 6 Nov 42 England 10 Feb 44 Wales 29 Jun 44 France 2 Oct 44 Belgium 31 Mar 45 Germany (constituted with elements of 4th EVAC HOSP, disbanded 24 Aug 42, split in 2 different units, the 2d EVAC HOSP sent to Northern Ireland, 4 Sep 42, and the 48th EVAC HOSP transferred to India 18 Jan 43) HOSP TRAIN No. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. 122d EVAC HOSP ETO 662d MED CLR CO ETO 18 Sep 44 Belgium Shortly thereafter, authority was requested to activate 5 additional Hospital Centers with a certain number of cellular units attached in order to obtain T/O units for operation of the 7 Hospital Groups. Discovery is a catalogue of archival records across the UK and beyond, from which you can search 32 million records. Overall Mission: USAG Stuttgart contains the Patch Army Barracks. Churchill,Truman and Stalin at Potsdam, July 1945. 91st GEN HOSP ETO 29 Apr 44 England 26 Sep 44 France 6 Oct 45 Belgium (priority for treatment of RAMPs effective 23 Apr 45, inactivated Cp. As relations with the Soviet Union deteriorated, it was considered more expedient to make friends with Germany rather than keep prosecuting its people and alienate them from the West. 13, at the Gare St.-Lazare, Paris, France. 500 / 600 patients > 147 Off & EM The last phases of the transition began when 846 NAS moved to RNAS Yeovilton on 26 March 2015. Of these, 667 were convicted ofcrimes and 230 sentenced to death. By 2 Jun 45, Third US Army operated a total of 237 Hospitals in Germany, 3 for RAMPS, 13 for DPs, and the remainder for German PWs (in that period over 3 million enemy PWs were in American hands). STATION HOSPITAL 250 beds > 201 Off & EM (other sources 216 Off & EM) 34th EVAC HOSP ETO 27 Feb 44 England 5 Jul 44 France 2 Feb 45 Luxembourg 30 Mar 45 Germany Between 1 May 15 Jun 45, elements of the 9th 50th 61st 62d- 78th 83d Field Hospitals supported PW enclosures and established new PW Hospital Centers with German medics working under supervision of American Medical Battalions. 810th HOSP CEN (established Jan 45, never operational) Prior to 1 January 1945, Hospital Centers with a single exception were only functioning in the United Kingdom. 108th EVAC HOSP ETO 18 Apr 45 Germany IV Hospital Group (Prov) Cirencester, Glos., UK (ex-15th Hospital Center) STATION HOSPITAL 200 beds > 161 Off & EM Indeed, many of those who did return were jailed or executed in countries like Poland and Yugoslavia. 106 (Photo Reconnaissance) Group in April 1944, with two de Havilland Mosquito and two Spitfire squadrons (No. 1900s v3.0, except where otherwise stated, 4. The key Nazi leaders were to be dealt with jointly by the main Allied powers, while the rest would be punished in those countries where they had committed their atrocities. Look at AIR 2/219, the Roll of Honour for men from the USA and Dominions who served with the British Air Forces in the First World War. 117th EVAC HOSP ETO 6 Nov 44 France 1 Apr 45 Germany 9 Aug 45 Austria (activated 10 Feb 44) (redesignated Detachment A 124th GEN HOSP Linz, Austria 15 Feb 46) (117th EVAC HOSP officially inactivated 25 Feb 46, Linz, Austria) [7] The wing was elevated to the status of No. 127th GEN HOSP ETO 20 Aug 44 France STATION HOSPITAL 500 beds > 364 Off & EM (other sources 370 Off & EM, 407 Off & EM) 76 ETO Rhineland Central Europe 7th MED DEP CO ETO Aug 44 France Their numbers were swelled by thousands of German POWs returning from abroad. III Hospital Group (Prov) Chippenham, Wilts., UK 58 Squadron. Overall Mission: First Built by the Luftwaffe in 1935, the US Army Air Forces took over the operation of the base in 1945, and US Army ground forces took over by mid-1947. 70th STA HOSP MTO 44 Italy ETO 18 Oct 44 France Warrant Officer Martland was given an insight into the current operational and training commitments and met with airmen and women from across the Station. 2d GEN HOSP USANIF 1 Jul 42 USAFBI 17 Jul 42 ETO Jul 44 France 25 Dec 44 Luxembourg 12 Jan 45 France (ex-209th GEN HOSP) (2d GEN HOSP, supplied cadres for other units, such as the 23d STA HOSP) (inactivated ZI 12 Oct 45) M-407 MED DEP ETO 6 Sep 44 France The aircraft can carry up to sixteen passengers or twelve fully equipped troops, or up to two tonnes of freight carried either internally or as an under-slung load. [17], The Queen's Flight received its first BAe 146 in May 1986, with a second in July 1986 and a final aircraft in late 1990. 1 Flying Training School at RAF Shawbury and builds on their existing skills learnt from basic and advanced helicopter training to qualify them on the Puma and Chinook. Eventually, most German refugeesobtained accommodation and work as the economy recovered. It has most recently been one of several staging areas for operations in the Middle East. [17], The 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review recommended that to replace the Navy's ageing Westland Sea King HC4, the RAF's Merlin HC3/3A fleet should be transferred to the Royal Navy's Commando Helicopter Force. 60th MED BN ETO 6 Jun 44 France (component of 6th ESB) 118th EVAC HOSP ETO Apr 45 Germany (responsible for PWs,DPs and RAMPS servicing) In May 1949, the three western occupation zones were merged to form the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany). 11 ETO 31 May 44 England 4 Aug 44 France Rhineland Ardennes-Alsace 45 France (first improvised HOSP TRAIN, consisting of French freight cars fitted with litter brackets, ran between St. L and Cherbourg, 4 Aug 44) The first US Army Military Mission to England set up its Headquarters in London, on May 19, 1941. 227th GEN HOSP ETO Dec 44 France In the British zone, the ArmyassistedUNRRA byproviding transportation, supplies and security. [8], Benson's long association with royalty began in September 1940, when the King's Flight relocated to the station. In charge was Maj. Gen. James E. Chaney (US Air Corps) who headed the delegation formerly designated Special Observers Group (SPOBS). In 1945, British troops occupied Germany alongside their wartime Soviet allies. 83 ETO Rhineland Ardennes-Alsace, 3d STA HOSP USAFBI 30 Jun 42 44 France 28 Apr 45 Belgium(activated 18 Mar 42) Official Site: https://installations.militaryonesource.mil/in-depth-overview/usag-rheinland-pfalz-baumholder. 6 7 Mar 44 England At the end of the war, the Allies also had to deal with millions of displaced persons (DPs). The very first were set up in March 1944 in the Western, Eastern, and Southern Base Sections. Later that month the vessel was destroyed by the Allies in the North Atlantic. 8278th GEN HOSP ETO 22 Apr 45 France (Provisional German PW Hospital) 43d GEN HOSP MTO 44 Algeria ETO 19 Sep 44 (activated 1 Sep 42) (transferred to Southern France, where it operated under ETO jurisdiction) 103d EVAC HOSP ETO 20 Jul 44 France 6 Mar 45 Germany [29], During July 2015, 845 Naval Air Squadron reformed and replaced No. 104th EVAC HOSP ETO 14 Jul 44 France Central Europe Your email address will not be published. For more information about the RAF, you may wish to: Visit The National Archives bookshop for a range of publications on Royal Air Force personnel and the associated records. 182d GEN HOSP ETO 5 Apr 44 England (assisted by the 682d General Hospital Complementary Unit, active from 16 May 44 to 31 Oct 45 in the UK, designated Prison Hospital for all US Army Prisoners in the Western Base from 7 Jun 44 onwards, closed down 11 Jun 45, but only effective 16 Jun 45, later successively assigned to 804th HOSP CEN, 12th HOSP CEN, 802d HOSP CEN, 905th HOSP CEN, and 805th HOSP CEN in the UK) Officers and men of both services who continued service after this date transferred into the newly formed RAF and were joined by new entrants. The station warrant officer (SWO, often pronounced as a word) is the senior warrant officer on a British Royal Air Force station. 215 Squadron. The last German DP camps closed in the early 1950s. 109th EVAC HOSP ETO 2 Jun 44 England 21 Jul 44 France Conflict in Europe. 298th GEN HOSP USAFBI 11 Nov 42 ETO 29 Jul 44 France 20 Nov 44 Belgium (activated 27 Jun 42) (inactivated 5 Oct 45) Consult our Royal Air Force operations guide for detailed advice. 95th EVAC HOSP ETO 1 Nov 44 France (ex-74th SURG HOSP) . It was later joined by the 28th General Hospital which went into operation in the city early October.The staff of the 15th Gen Hosp held regular meetings with the medical faculty of the local University, to discuss latest developments in the medical field and help them further on with their medical-related activities. 77th FLD HOSP ETO 8 Apr 45 France (admitted RAMPs for treatment May 45) 808th HOSP CEN Aachen, Germany Another last-ditch Nazi resistance effort, the Werewolf plan, was also something of a damp squib. Indexes and keys to AIR 1 are available with the printed version of our catalogue at The National Archives at Kew. Overall Mission: Ramstein Air Base is the headquarters for USAF operations in Europe and Africa. 51st FLD HOSP ETO 9 Mar 44 England 8 Jun 44 France 5 Sep 44 Belgium 1 Oct 44 Germany 27 Dec 44 Belgium 4 Feb 45 Germany 3 Dec 45 France 35th MED DEP CO ETO 31 Dec 44 Holland 68th MED GP ETO 10 Jun 44 France Sep 44 Belgium Apr 45 Germany Hospital Train No. A Nurse of the 15th General Hospital is checking the blood pressure of one of her patients. [17], With the departure of the Argosys, the only flying unit which remained at Benson was the Queen's Flight. HOSP TRAIN No. If you do not know his number, browse through the name indexes in AIR 78 to find it. 167th GEN HOSP ETO 21 Oct 44 France (upon arrival in England 23 Sep 44, the organization directly crossed the English Channel into France) (the Hospital closed 1 Jun 45 and eventually staged at Calas, Southern France for Redeployment) HOSP TRAIN No. 11th MED DEP CO ETO Nov 44 France (operated M-402, later M-407) 114th EVAC HOSP ETO 2 Mar 45 Germany (activated 17 Feb 44 ZI)(inactivated 25 Jan 46 in Germany) It took over aspects of local government, policing, housing and transport. 15th General Hospital, at Lige, Belgium. 252d GEN HOSP ETO Feb 45 France HOSP TRAIN No. 14th FLD HOSP ETO 44 These projects effectively triggered activation of US Convalescent Hospitals in the ETO, later transformed into Convalescent Centers. 66th MED DEP CO ETO Dec 44 Belgium (operated M-409), 91st MED GAS TREAT BN ETO Jul 44 France 16 Dec 44 Belgium Mar 45 Germany It is a front-line station and home to the RAF's fleet of Westland Puma HC2 support helicopters, used primarily for the transportation of troops & equipment. The records in AIR 79 usually contain the following information: RAF service numbers between 313001 and 316000 indicate that the airmen previously served with the Royal Navy and then subsequently the Royal Naval Air Service, before transferring to the RAF. 127th STA HOSP ETO Apr 44 England Germany (second Hospital in charge of blood collection at Salisbury Blood Collection & Processing Plant, 26 Aug 44) HOSP TRAIN No. 115 Squadron and supported by the Andover Training Flight, the Andover Serving Flight and the Support Command Flight Checking Unit, the Andovers were used in the radio and navigation-aid calibration role. HOSP TRAIN No. 16th GEN HOSP ETO 7 Jul 44 England 24 Jun 45 France Belgium In any case, the Allies took the threat seriously and had interned around 100,000 civilian suspects by the end of 1945. The wartime Reichsmark (RM)was almost worthless, so goods like cigarettes and coffee served asmakeshift currency. 36th STA HOSP USANIF 12 Sep 43 England (opened a special center for psychotics and non-combat related mental disorder in 1943) But this only provided limited assistance. Here follows a tentative list of Military Hospitals active in the European Theater of Operations: The Medical Department was impressed by the effectiveness of the British Convalescent & Rehabilitation system, and as a result of their survey, it ordered the building of special reconditioning camps. [6] The unit was the first to discover the Germany Navy battleship Bismarck, near Bergen in May 1941. From 1946, military involvement in the trade was partlycurtailed by issuing troops with British Armed Forces Special Vouchers. But this policyproved unenforceable. [21] By July 2003, approximately 1,400 military personnel, 166 Ministry of Defence civilians and 150 contractors were employed at Benson. [17] The Support Command Flight Checking Unit disbanded in early 1987, with its role transferred to No. [5][7], Benson was selected in 1941 as the home station of No. Indexes and keys to AIR 1 are available with the printed version of our catalogue at The National Archives at Kew. From that moment to this their continued aggression has brought misery to millions., Field Marshal Montgomery's non-fraternisation letter, March 1945, Notice from Montgomery relaxing fraternisation rules, July 1945. HOSP TRAIN No. Indeed, with around 800,000 Commonwealth soldiers in Germany by the end of 1945, finding barracks and camps for them all in a ruined country was major headache. 137th GEN HOSP ETO 44 England [47], No. 33 Squadron & No. 267 Squadron, both operating from Benson until the early 1970s. 121st EVAC HOSP ETO Germany Austria (responsible for medical treatment of former inmates at KZ-Flossenburg) 38 Group was subsumed into RAF Strike Command and relocated to RAF Upavon, whereas the TCW moved to nearby RAF Brize Norton. 544 Squadron in August and October 1945 respectively, with No. 27 ETO 14 Aug 44 France (FIRST Hospital Train to reach the continent, disembarked in France 14 Aug 44, carrying the 43d GEN HOSP on board, also the very FIRST one to reach Paris 2 Sep 44, with part of the 203d GEN HOSP) Help with bereavement. 176th GEN HOSP ETO Oct 44 France It employs around 70 personnel and trains RAF, Royal Navy, British Army, NATO and foreign crews. 40th GEN HOSP ETO Nov 44 France (returned to ZI Aug 45) 12 OTU), tasked with training pilots, observers and air gunners on the Fairey Battle and Avro Anson. 2 Sep 44, French civilian Litter Bearers get ready to unloadarriving patients. 8 13 Mar 44 England 801st HOSP CEN Taunton (previously I Hospital Group, Provisional) Cold War 56th FLD HOSP ETO 11 Mar 44 England 7 Apr 45 Belgium8 Apr 45 Germany (first assignment to Ninth US Air Force, as a USAAF Hospital, each of the 3 Platoons operated as separate Air Force Clearing Stations Lt. Col. Coughlin > CO, coordinated and supervisedall 9 Platoons of the 3 Ninth Air Force Field Hospitalsin order to achievesimilar personnel organization, equal material proportions, and identical functions in medical practice) 5th AUX SURG GP ETO 44 France, 33d MED BN ETO May 44 England RAF Benson has two chaplains who share the chaplaincy duties. Former party and SS members were removed from positions of power and influence, and Nazi organisations were abolished. 812th HOSP CEN Cherbourg, France (established Nov 44) Alternatively, search The National Archives library catalogue to see what is available to consult at Kew. 28 Squadron which disbanded. research. sanitation, laundry, finance, postal, signal, security, motor transport, laboratory, bakery, etc.) The SWO is responsible for discipline and is therefore comparable to the regimental sergeant major in a British Army unit. [27] However, in November of that year, the Puma force was brought together when No. Use this guide for advice on how to find records of airmen and officers of the Royal Air Force (RAF). 230th GEN HOSP ETO 7 May 45 France The National Police Air Service and the Thames Valley Air Ambulance are also based at the station, both operating Airbus H135 helicopters. 66th MED GP ETO Sep 44 France Mar 45 Germany For example, a packet of NAAFI-issued cigarettes, which cost 1-2 shillings (5-10p), could be sold for 160RM on the black market, worth 4 at the official rate of exchange of 40RM to 1. 6th FLD HOSP Alaska (Kiska) Aug 43 ZI 20 Feb 44 ETO Jun-Jul 44 England (operated as Air Holding Unit at Prestwick, AAF-500, until 18 Aug 45) 112th GEN HOSP ETO 8 Jul 44 England (activated 23 Dec 43, returned to ZI 15 Jun 45, inactivated 4 Oct 45) 82 ETO Rhineland Ardennes-Alsace Hospital Centers were designed to save personnel and administrative resources. The CCG tried to stamp out the black market by investigating suspects, raiding markets and checking traffic at road blocks. Europe 317th STA HOSP USANIF 18 Jul 44 England 20 Jun 45 Germany (redesignated 416th STA HOSP 1 Apr 45) Unfortunately, we are unable to provide a guard of honour. 23d STA HOSP ETO 10 Nov 44 France (inactivated ZI Sep 45) The E.T.O. Plans to activate 14 Hospital Centers on the continent were therefore launched, based on T/O 8-500 dated 1 January 1945 and T/O 8-500 amended 18 January 1945, with authorized reduced personnel! Revised plans were negotiated with the British Ministry of Works, and the new overall plan now called to resume construction of twelve 834-bed Sta Hosp, five 1,084-bed Gen Hosp, and thirty convertible Troop Camps; the first were mostly semicylindrical metal Nissen-Hut constructions with, if necessary, tented expansion wards; the second either existing or new fixed brick installations; while the last were either existing Emergency Medical Services buildings (EMS), British Militia camps, or dual-purpose installations. Subsequently to operation of the three first Hospital Centers, a reorganization of the United Kingdom Base was formulated 1 September 1944, whereby the Base Sections were now designated Districts, such as the Southern Western and Eastern Districts. In western Germany, the British and Americans unified their zones in 1947 so as to betterco-operate politically and economically. 71st MED BASE DEP CO ETO 20 Nov 44 France, 1st AUX SURG GP ETO Apr 44 England It carries the markings of Flight Lieutenant Duncan McCuaig who died while conducting a photographic reconnaissance mission over Bremen in Germany as part of Operation Crossbow. 155th GEN HOSP USAFBI Sep 43 ETO 29 Jul 44 England (inactivated 21 Sep 45) The 130th General Hospital, at Ciney, Belgium, in winter. This meant they had a different currency from the locals, and the only one accepted in NAAFI canteens and various messes. 221st GEN HOSP ETO 12 Feb 45 France 59th EVAC HOSP MTO 25 Aug 44 Southern France 26 Mar 45 Germany (after serving in French Morocco, Tunisia, Sicily, Italy, and Southern France, the unit was transferred from NATOUSA to ETOUSA, 1 Nov 44; on 10 May 45, part of the Hospital staff was detailed to the recently liberated KZ-Dachau, where the 59th EVAC HOSP C.O. 279th GEN HOSP ETO 18 Sep 45 Germany 1 for Officers, active 19 Apr 43 1 Sep 43, ceased operations 30 Dec 44, remained in France and moved to Germany 2 Jun 45) (reopened 23 Jul 45 in Germany) Sports 5th EVAC HOSP ETO 18 Dec 43 England 15 Jun 44 France 18 Sep 44 Belgium 11 Mar 45 Germany (activated 15 Jun 42) (operatedfeeding point for transient RAMPS at Gotha) (inactivated 5 Mar 46 ZI) 41 MTO Naples-Foggia Rome-Arno North Apennines ETO Ardennes-Alsace 27 Squadron at Odiham moved in during February 1998. 16 7 May 44 England 30 May 44 Wales ETO Northern France Rhineland 62d GEN HOSP USAFBI 8 Mar 44 3 Sep 44 France (ceased operations Jul 45) 803d HOSP CEN Devizes (previously III Hospital Group, Provisional) The Soviets, taking advantage of their zone's position surrounding the German capital,severed road and rail links between western Germany and Berlin. But by the end of1945, over six million refugees had been repatriated by the military of the four occupied zones and UNRRA. HOSP TRAIN No. 15 30 May 44 Wales ETO Northern France Rhineland Ardennes-Alsace Central Europe [51], Flying and notable non-flying units based at RAF Benson. They also oversee training activities for the surrounding garrisons. 35th EVAC HOSP ETO 19 Feb 44 England 24 Jun 44 France 28 Dec 44 Luxembourg 6 Mar 45 Germany 21st GEN HOSP USAFBI 20 Oct 42 MTO 44 Italy ETO 4 Oct 44 France 28 Oct 44 Belgium 7 Jan 45 Germany (to ZI 28 Oct 45, inactivated 7 Nov 45) By May 1945, when the peak in Hospital beds overseas was reached, there were 335,000 fixed beds and about 87,000 mobile beds in all Theaters. But the wider black market was only fully ended by West Germanys economic recovery and byissuing a stable and trusted new currency, theDeutsche Mark (DM). [6], Benson retained a photographic reconnaissance role into the early 1950s. 120th STA HOSP USAFBI 1 Sep 43 England 8 May 45 France 4 Aug 45 Germany 541 Squadrons following in September 1946. 230 Squadron relocated from JHC Flying Station Aldergrove to Benson. 27th EVAC HOSP MTO 20 Apr 44 Algeria 22 May 44 Italy 1 Sep 44 Southern France 26 Mar 45 Germany(constituted with elements of 42d EVAC HOSP) (to ETO control 1 Nov 44, shipped to ZI 28 Nov 45, inactivated 10 Dec 45 ZI) [16] No. 165th GEN HOSP ETO Sep 44 France (closed 30 Sep 45, returned to ZI) 106th EVAC HOSP ETO 21 Jul 44 France Germany 65th GEN HOSP USAFBI 13 Oct 43 (activated 15 Jul 42) You can, however, consult: See also our guides to British prisoners of war c1790-1919 and British prisoners of the Second World War and the Korean War. Formation badge of the Control Commission Germany, 1945, Civilians evacuate theirrequisitionedhomes, Elmshorn, 1945. Six Hospital Center Headquarters were activated in the Southwest Pacific, such as the 26th 27th 28th 821st HC). 305th GEN HOSP ETO Apr 45 France 11th EVAC HOSP ETO 16 Aug 44 S. France 29 Mar 45 Germany 819th HOSP CEN Bar-le-Duc, France (established Dec 44) 540, No. The American medical build-up gathered momentum in summer andfall of 1942 with the steady increase of US troops in the European Theater .