I am my unit's historian and looking for information on the 563d Quartermaster Service Battalion. The only information I have been able to find on this forum is that it was a segregated non-divisional unit part of the XV corps in N. Ireland prior to the Normandy invasion. My units official lineage reads as such for the WW2 era: Constituted on 25 February 1943 in the Army of the United States as 563D Quartermaster Service Battalion Activated 1 May 1943 at Fort Lewis, Washington Inactivated 8 November 1945 at Fort Francis E. Warren, Wyoming I contacted the quartermaster museum at Ft Lee, VA and was provided situational reports from 31 October 1944 - 30 April 1945. Neither Ft Lewis, Washington or F.E. Warren AFB have any historical records pertaining to the 563d QM Bn. From what I have found, the Unit arrived in Donaghcloney, N. Ireland in February 1944 and was there through at least 31 March 1944. The 563d moved to Hannington after that and was reported there as late as June 1944. My reports start in late October 1944 when the 563d is in Francorchamps, Belgium attached to the U.S. First Army and they remain there until the beginning of December 1944 when they move in to secure a fuel sight before the beginning of the Battle of the Bulge when the unit moved to Charleroi, as reported on 31 December 1944. Over the next few months, the 563d returned to Francorchamps before moving east into Germany. The listing of personnel provided by the unit's reports TO&E state: Officers - 5, WOs - 2, Enlisted 21 The following are chain of command from 16 October 1944 - 2 March 1945: Bn Cdr - Lawrence .A. Cullison, MAJ, QMC BN XO - James I. Wake, CPT, QMC Adjutant - James R. Newell, 1LT, QMC Personnel Officer - Warren E. Humphrey, WOJG, USA Supply Officer - Eddie C. McGirt, WOJG, USA Bn Surgeon - Walter J. Peters, CPT, MC Bn Dentist - Philip J. Moschella, CPT, DC From 3 March through the end of the reports 30 April 1945: Bn Cdr - Truman E. Deyo, MAJ, QMC BN XO - Henry R. Kimberley Jr., CPT, QMC Adjutant - James R. Newell, 1LT, QMC Personnel Officer - Warren E. Humphrey, WOJG, USA Supply Officer - Eddie C. McGirt, WOJG, USA Inspecting Officer - Clifford P. Bacon, CPT, QMC Chaplain - Russell C. Archer, CPT, CH I also have a listing of the companies that were under the command of the 563d from 31 October 1944 - 30 April 1945. And will provide them if necessary. I haven't found a lot other than most of the companies were either attached or detached over the same span of time. I am looking for any information on the officers of this unit, photographs, and movements from June 1944 through 14 October 1944 and from 1 May 1945 through 8 October 1945 when the Unit left Europe for Ft F.E. Warren, Wyoming.
Welcome to the forum. Seems like you've done a lot of research so far. I wish you well with your appeal for information and photos.
On of the other issues I have run into is a lot of records were lost in the 1972 St Louis HRC fire. I did manage to locate through a google search of "563d QM Bn" the location of two Soldiers who were with the 563d: Simon Osborne of Hamilton County OH and Junius M. Carter of Iberville Parish, Lousiana.
There is a picture and letter stating the names and identifying all the member of the 563d QM Hailhead unit from 1946.... stationed in Japan... Item Number 300732403441 http://www.ebay.com/itm/300732403441?ssPageName=STRK:MESCX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1554.l2649#ht_710wt_1155 WWII 563d
