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Account of JohnJoe Moreys 449th Military Police action on Utah Beach,Normandy on June 6 1944. The invasion of Normandy was enormous. Aside from its historicalimpact and effect on the course of World War II, it was a massiveeffort that encompassed many thousands of Soldiers, Sailors, andAirmen among the Allies. As with other major battles and invasionsduring World War II, the Military Police Corps not only participatedbut had an active role in ensuring victory. Planning for the invasion, military strategists strived to ensuresuccess on all levels. Military police missions such as circulationcontrol, force protection, and enemy prisoner of war (EPW) managementwould require numerous military police units. Based upon their need,there would be a large number of military police involved in thelandings at Normandy. Consider just the divisional military policeunits included in the assault forces for 6 June 1944--1st MilitaryPolice Platoon, 1st Infantry Division; 29th Military Police Platoon,29th Infantry Division; 4th Military Police Platoon, 4th InfantryDivision; 90th Military Police Platoon, 90th Infantry Division; andthe military police platoons of the 82d and the 101st AirborneDivisions. (Although listed as divisional military police platoons,these units were larger and actually closer to company strength.) Military police units at the corps level tasked for the invasionincluded Companies A and B of the 507th Military Police Battalion,with B Company becoming VII Corps' Military Police Company. The 518thMilitary Police Battalion's companies would be divided between the Vand VII Corps. The 428th Military Police Escort Guard Company would beassigned to V Corps for the invasion and later attached to variousdivisions within V Corps. Company C of the 509th Military PoliceBattalion, a First Army military police unit, would also take part inthe invasion. Some First Army and V and VII Corps military policeSoldiers were freed from their normal assignments and attached to arelatively new type of unit, engineer special brigades (ESBs). Although named engineer special brigades, these units were composed ofmany different branches of service needed for the assault. Some of thespecialties found within ESBs were engineers, amphibious truckcompanies, signal units, chemical decontamination sections,quartermaster units, and military police units. Military police unitsassigned to the ESBs included the 449th Military Police Company, whichwas attached to the 1st ESB and took part in the D-Day invasion. The301st and 595th Escort Guard Companies were also attached to the 1stESB and would arrive a few days later to assist in EPW control. TheProvisional Engineer Special Brigade Group contained the 5th and 6thESBs as well as Companies C and D of the 783d Military PoliceBattalion and the 302d Military Police Escort Guard Company. The 210thMilitary Police Company was attached to the 5th ESB, and the 214thMilitary Police Company was attached to the 6th ESB. Other escortguard military police companies attached to the ESBs would servefollowing the initial landings. Through amphibious training and conditioning, these Soldiers honedtheir military policing skills on beaches in the United States andEngland as they waited for the assault. Attachment to an ESB meantconstant training and also a frontline position against a heavilydefended beach. Units attached to the ESBs also wore a conspicuous arcon their helmet, which a few veterans have referred to as the"high-water mark." Similar to the brassard and ubiquitous "MP," thiswas another symbol for instant recognition. Though the patternsdiffered between the ESBs and their landing areas, the arc signifiedpersonnel who were authorized to remain on the beach. ESB memberswould remain on the beach under fire while clearing mines, traffic,EPWs, and any other obstacles necessary for the invasion to succeed. The first and third platoons and a portion of the second platoon ofthe 214th Military Police Company were directly attached to the 149thEngineer Battalion. The remainder of the second platoon was attachedto the 74th Ordnance Battalion. The military police trained withinthese units for the coming battle. On 6 June 1944, the Soldiers of the214th Military Police Company were en route to Omaha Beach when theyhad to abandon their transport. Their landing craft was hit, first bymines and then by German artillery. Evacuating the burning craft, theSoldiers made their way to the "Dog White" section of the beach inneck-deep water. Once on the beach, brigade members realized that theprevious assault group of infantry and Rangers was pinned down bydevastating enemy fire. Bolstering the first assault group's forces,ESB Soldiers from all branches helped push the enemy back. Members ofthe 214th Military Police Company immediately took over trafficcontrol and evacuated the wounded under enemy fire. Despite thedanger, only four members of the company were wounded on the beach. Asthe fighting moved inland, the 214th established traffic controlpoints and, by 13 June 1944, created a brigade stockade for EPWs. Fortheir part in the assault, Staff Sergeant William T. Orr and SergeantJames S. Powell of the 214th Military Police Company were awarded theSilver Star for gallantry in action against the enemy. Also recognizedwithin the 214th were First Lieutenant O. L. Davis, Staff SergeantDonald Wesslund, Private William J. Dollar, and Private George F. LordJr., who were awarded the Bronze Star Medal. The 210th Military Police Company landed on the "Easy Red" section ofOmaha Beach. During the first days of the landings, the Soldiers ofthe 210th Military Police Company helped medics and provided securityfor the 5th ESB headquarters, in addition to their primary task oftraffic control. In the days following 6 and 7 June 1944, the 210thexpanded its duties into law enforcement to prevent pilfering andapprehend Soldiers who had gone absent without leave. Two militarypolice Soldiers from the 210th were wounded on 7 June 1944 andevacuated to England for hospitalization. The 210th would continue tohave casualties from beach operations in the weeks following theinitial assault. At the time, the 302d Military Police Escort Guard Company was notconsidered a frontline unit since 57 percent of its members were"limited service" personnel averaging 28 years of age. However, the302d landed on Omaha Beach on the afternoon of 6 June 1944 with itselements scattered on the "Easy Red" and "Easy Green" sections of thebeach. During the first few days of the assault, the 302d had numerouscasualties from artillery and mortar fire but persevered andestablished a stockade for EPWs. By 20 June 1944, the stockade hadreceived and processed 3,290 EPWs. The 449th Military Police Company took part in practice invasionoperations for six months with the 1st ESB. During breaks in training,the military police Soldiers would also perform military police dutiesin nearby English towns. The 449th also had the added responsibilityof guarding the top secret planning room for the 1st ESB portion ofthe invasion. The 449th landed on Utah Beach at approximately 0800hours on 6 June 1944. Although enemy resistance was lighter than onOmaha Beach, there was a constant threat of artillery and sniper fire.To counter these dangers, the 449th kept men and vehicles moving offthe beach to make room for incoming waves of Soldiers and supplies.The military police Soldiers also oversaw EPW operations and withinfour days had supervised the removal of 4,000 EPWs to England.Casualties for the 449th during beach operations consisted of sevenmilitary police Soldiers wounded and one killed. The following 449thmembers were awarded the Bronze Star Medal: Lieutenant E. J.Barattino, Technician Fourth Class D. Feingold, Corporal E. G.Streich, Corporal J. Feinstein, and Private H. Kuperberg. In the days immediately following the initial assault, other ESBmilitary police units landed at Normandy. The 301st and 595th EscortGuard Companies maintained beach evacuation pens filled with GermanEPWs and processed the stream of new prisoners. Companies C and D ofthe 783d Military Police Battalion assisted in directing theconsiderable amounts of beach traffic four days after 6 June 1944. In the coming months, beach operations became more routine and lessdangerous. Battle lines moved inland and many military police unitsfollowed. Most military police units attached to the ESBs werereassigned, but they continued processing many thousands of EPWs andalso kept supply lines operational. Although the beachhead was secure,the war in Europe loomed ahead. Social Security # : 527-01-2556 last residence: Prescott, Yavapai AZ 86301 Here's bits of what I had written at the time I was in Arizonavisiting the swingles for the first time, apparently I took notes (norecollection of ever doing it but its my writing so apparently I did,LOL) When he first moved to the States he went to Denver to Dave Reidy.Dave Reidy then moved to Prescott, Arizona and bought the St. MichaelsHotel there. Uncle John Joe worked there for a while. He then worked in the Post Office for a year. Did very well in theexams there but was bored with the work and left. He also worked for a plumbing company. He worked for Steel Co. in Long beach California for twenty sevenyears. He also taught art for a while in California. He was offered a lot of money to paint in California but refused as henever wanted to have to paint, he wanted to paint only when he feltlike it. He was engaged to a girl called Margeurite but she had a nervousbreakdown (another typical Morey romance, LOL - just added that bitnow, LOL). She died very young. Then he dated Regina Dalton for a while. (Regina is the sister ofMary Ellen Swingle). It was when he was out on a date with her thathe had his car accident which is how he ended up living with theswingles for several months while he recovered from the accident. Loved to play chess with the swingle kids and everyone loved his senseof humor. Only spoke of the war when he had a lot to drink and then he wouldtalk of the beach in Normandy and the men all dying around him. He had a mark on the back of his head and said that the black and tanscame through Foynes one day and he was lying a ditch and they kickedhim and hit him with a rifle and that's how he got the scar. When he got older he really wanted to go to Ireland but felt there wasno place for him there. He always spoke of Noreen a lot. Was in Prescott when he died. He was knocking on his landladys doorand when she answered it she found him unconscious and he died beforethe paramedics arrived. Amen Us Army Serial Number: 39830237. Enlistment Date: 12 Aug 1942. Place Of Enlistment: Salt Lake City, Utah
Charles
Hansen
