Getting the Message
Through, A Branch History of the U.S. Army Signal
Corps, Chapter VII, World War II: Establishing the Circuits
of Victory
by Rebecca Robbins Rainsy To handle the wartime flood of personnel, the Signal Corps opened a second replacement training center in February 1942 at Camp Crowder, Missouri, near the town of Neosho in the southwestern corner of the state. Camp Crowder now received most of the Army's signal recruits, including those entering through the Affiliated Plan, who traveled there to receive basic training. Recruits spent three weeks learning the basics of soldiering: drill; equipment, clothing, and tent pitching; first aid; defense against chemical attack; articles of war; basic signal communication; interior guard duty; military discipline; and rifle marksmanship. In July 1942 the Midwestern Signal Corps School opened its doors at Camp Crowder, with a capacity of 6,000 students, and the following month the Corps' first unit training center also opened there. The headquarters established in October 1942 to administer this group of schools was designated the Central Signal Corps Training Center. |
by George Raynor Thompson Signal units by the hundreds were activated — companies and battalions for operations and construction as in former wars, and also new and previously unheard-of types, such as aircraft-warning companies and battalions (for radar-warning services to the Army Air Forces), and radio-intelligence and SIAM companies to support the Signal Corps' large radio security and intelligence responsibilities. Then there were JASCOs, — joint-assault signal companies — created to meet the amphibious-assault communications needs of joint Army/Navy operations. Unit requirements were so
pressing, and often arose so suddenly, that students
were taken out of the schools, their course work
incomplete, to fill requirements in signal companies and
battalions. These units were trained more in huge unit
training centers, especially at Camp Crowder, or they
continued training in assignments overseas, on the job. (emphasis added) |
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Map of Camp Crowder | |
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A Camera
Trip Through Camp Crowder, Missouri (PDF formatted
for Adobe Reader 7.0 or higher) Requires Adobe Reader 7.0 or higher ![]() |
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![]() Roman Grill |
The map and magazine are from the collection of the late Roman Grill. Roman Grill trained as Camp Crowder in 1943. He served in 16th Fighter Control Squadron, 6th United States Army Air Force, Albrook Field, Panama Canal Zone. His grandson and great-grandson shared these items. |
![]() Roman Grill at Camp Crowder
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A
Rookie in Crowder by Pvt. Ned Eller, 1942.
Souvenir booklet of basic training in thirteen comic
strips.
This is a scan of a copy of “A Rookie at Crowder” rescued from a garage sale by Chris McCluer of Mission, Kansas. He recognized that veterans and their families would appreciate its depiction of World War II Army basic training and donated it to the Signal Corps section of this family history web site. |
Training
at Camp Crowder by John
P. Redmond of Co. A., 49th Signal Heavy Construction
Battalion. |
Felix A. Cizewski & Camp Crowder |
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Manuals,
Pamphlets and Other Items Dated before or during Felix A. Cizewski's training at Camp Crowder |
27th Signal Training
Battalion |
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Company D |
Roster: Text |
28th Signal Training Battalion |
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Company D |
Personnel 4th Platoon 1551 (1945) |
29th Signal Training
Battalion |
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Company A |
Roster Text |
33rd Signal Training Battalion | |
Eighth Regiment |
Company
D's Christmas Day, 1942 Program and Menu including
roster. Source: Trainee Martin W. Webber's son Tom |
Training
Unit Yearbook Common Pages |
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93rd
Signal Battalion |
Organization Day Program and
Menu |
Acknowledgement: Scanning and formatting of Camp Crowder Unit Yearbook Common and Unit Pages was done by Kirk Gustafson of WW2 Signal Corps Reenactors, Researchers, and Collectors Worldwide |
Our Camp
Crowder related pages are dedicated
to the memory of Private Armon Kalashian who
died in 1943 while in training at Camp Crowder.
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All
material not in the public domain © 2010
- 2019 Leonard
H. Cizewski Last Major Update:December 16, 2019 Minor Revision or Correction: July 6, 2021 Last Reviewed: Posted: August 11, 2011 |
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.WebPage
Acknowledgement:
Scanning and formatting of Camp Crowder Unit Yearbook Common and Unit Pages was done by Kirk Gustafson of WW2 Signal Corps Reenactors, Researchers, and Collectors Worldwide Website |