Evening star., 1942-02-02
Supply Units Prove
Mett|e in Providing
For Army in Iceland
Quortermoster Corps
Must Bring In Everything
Soldier in Field Uses
BY DREW MIDDLETON.
Wide World News.

Wide World News.
WITH THE U. S. QUARTER
MASTER CORPS IN THE FIELD,
ICELAND. - Pilots, tank crews,
doughboys and gunners get the
cheers but the Quartermaster Corps
the diligent, largely anonymous
army without banners-has won
signal victory in its fight to supply
and maintain the American Army
in Iceland.
Today and every day. despite
snow, cold, wind, rain and gloom
Of night, the Quartermaster Corps
sends IS pounds Of supplies, in
cluding fuel, to each soldier on the
island. That may not sound like
much, but figure it on terms Of
1000 men. That's 12h tons. Figure
1t on q basis Of poor roads, insufn-
cient docking facilities, and . sup
ply line 5000 miles long.
The task has been great, not 10
much because Of the number Of
men involved, but because Of Ice
land itself. In 1917, when the United
States Army went to France, there
were British and French supplies
at hand. there were adequate dock
ing facilities in three large ports.
In China, Hawaii, the Philippines
there were permanent garrisons
which lived in some measure on the
country they guarded.
Must Bring Everything.
But everything must be brought
TO Iceland everything. There
was no lumber, no coal, no excess
food. The British had little enough
Of their own. There was one port,
Reykjavik. through which the
Cuartermaster Corps could unload.
Tho roads were horrible.
Somehow the Quartermaster
Corps, which includes port arrange
ment in its myriad assignments, did
the Job.
Every soldier must be q fighting
soldier in modern warfare, where
the rear areas are as open to at
tack by bombers, parachutists or
air infantry as the front. The
Quartermaster Corps Is trained to
fight as infantry, to act rs reserve
battalions for the fighting troops.
Gen. Gort's dispatches from
France and Flanders singled out "a
mobile bath unit" which took part
In the defense Of st. Pol near Arras.
There are similar reports Of fighting
done by cooks and cobblers In other
campaigns.
Want Crack 1T Enemy.
The Quartermaster Corps troops
here are rs eager for . crack at the
enemy as the infantry, artillery or
marines. Which Is plenty eager.
IF you want anything done, call
the quartermaster" is an Army
proverb. A trip through the multiple
shops and depots Of the corps shows
it is true no matter how much
sweating doughboys envy the life OF
ease which they firmly believe the
corps leads.
The versatility Of the corps is
attested by the names Of some of
the units In Iceland. There are,
among others, the following units:
motor repair, shoe repair, laundry,
refrigerator, depot company, light
maintenance, aviation supply, bak-
cry.
-Four Morticians In Unit.
Then. too, there are the cooks and
the men who run the "Pxs," the
post exchanges where soldiers dock
to buy everything from beer to
razors. Some other quartermaster
units, such as grave registration,
are not here although there are four
morticians in the units.
The Quartermaster Corps handles
all supplies exclusive Of ammuni-
tion and technical equipment for
special services.
Seventy-five items are listed as
"major items" by the Quartermaster
Corps. The list begins with "ani-
mails" which are non-existent in this
motorized command, although some
of the corps old timers have cast
envious eyes on the stout Icelandic
ponies for pack transport, and ends
with Observation-Disclosures"
Only Miss Two Items.
Between this alpha and omega
are such articles q seals, ofncial,
War Department" Is types Of ma
chimes from horses, clipping" to
coffee, grinding" There are hun
dreds Of minor items ranging from
matches to mosquito netting.
OF Carroll's ships and shoes and
sealing wax and cabbages and kings"
the first and the last are the only