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On D-Day: The Military Police Platoon landed on the RED Beach sector of UTAH beach in
five groups.
- At 06h 09m 30s BST: The Provost Marshal, one officer and twenty-five enlisted men.
- At 06h 14m 00s BST: One officer and twenty-six enlisted men.
- At 07h 22m 00s BST: One officer and twenty-five enlisted men.
- At 08h 05m 30s BST: Twenty-five enlisted men.
- At 09h 15m 00s BST: Forty-eight enlisted men.
Immediately upon landing traffic control was established to direct and guide vehicles away from the beach.
these proceedures were carried out by the platoon from time of landing right up to the fall
of Cherbourg.
The initial prisoner of war collection point was established at 08h 10m 00s BST through which 9,975 PoWs
were processed until its closure. The MP Platoon was responcible for evacuating PoWs from the line
regiments back to the Division Collecting Point. In addition to PoW and Traffic duties the Platoon also
asisted the 4th Division Civilian Affairs Section. Here they aided materially in the evacuation,
housing, feeding and rehabilitation of refugees.
Other dutied performed during the month of june included;
- Guard duty at the Divisional Command Post
- Special Traffic Escorts
- Military Duty in towns and cities
- Road Patrols
- Apprehension of civilian suspects
- Straggler Control
The following is the After Action Review, drafted on 16th july 1945, by the Commander 4th MP Platoon,
Major Dowler.
MP PLATOON INADEQUATE FOR DIVISION
1. Although our T/O authorized us only 70 EM, the Commanding General of the 4th Army increased our
strength to 150 EM sometime before D-Day, when it became evident the original T/O would not
provide sufficient manpower to suit the needs of a division during the amphibious landing and
subsequent ground fighting. Later the T/O was raised to 102 EM, and provided for one Major and three
Lieutenants, still not enough for the unit to operate at peek efficiency.
2. According to the original schedule we were to mess with the Div HQ Co, but after we reached
France and until the war ended the HQ Co mess personnel had a hard job feeding its own men
much less our unit. We set up a mess of our own with the approval of the CG, 4th Div, who also
provided us with mess equipment. A mess NCO was selected and the cooks and KP's were chosen from
available personnel in out outfit. This cut down the available manpower for regular MP duties.
3. We provided MP guards for the 4th Division's German P/W stockadem, a detail which required three
eight-hour shifts per day. The original T/O fails to conside that the man have to stand this
guard 24 hours a day. We also had under guard an average of 15 GI general prisoners awaiting
court martial. The trials often were delayed three to four weeks.
AMG DRAIN ON MP PERSONNEL
4. The loan of MP personnel to AMG officers in the control and administration of captured communities
also greatly decreased the number of men available for regular duties. We supplied AMG with men
for enforcement of curfew laws, guarding supplies and for duty at hospitals. On one occasion I had
men strung out for 100 miles along the route of advance.
5. Although we were able to supply payroll guards, there were many MP control measures we could not
undertake because of lack of personnel. Among them were looting control, internal security, personal
security and mail protection. Army mail clerks and others served as there own guards.
UNIT NEEDS MORE VEHICLES
6. The 1st Army provided the platoon with six motorcycles and six bicycles to augment our quota of
authorized vehicles prior to D-Day, but even this proved woefully inadequate. to our supply of
four weapons carriers and 23 jeeps, there were two 1-ton trailers, one for supply and one for kitchen
equipment, one 2-ton 8-wheel trailer and three small German trucks. Every vehicle was filled to capacity
each time we moved.
TOMMY GUNS FOR P/W GUARDS NEEDED
7. We were not provided with the Thompson sub-machine gun, but we were able, to procure unofficially
, about 15 of them for use guarding P/W. None of the men preferred the carbine or M1 to the
tommy gun.
NIGHT STICK DISLIKED BY MEN
8. My men never liked to carry night sticks while patrolling any town, either in the U.S. or in
Europe. When one or two of them walked down the street with their night sticks swinging the
average GI looked upon them with resentment. The MPs, in turn, believed the sight of their clubs
sometimes provoked fights and brawls. Soldiers apparently were less alarmed by the sight of a
more deadly weapon, a .45 pistol or .38 revolver, on the MP's belt. For these reasons I ordered the clubs
discarded soon after we went overseas.
