Camp Ellis

Camp Ellis

Company type	Military installation
Industry	Military training and prisoner-of-war camp
Founded	1942-09-17
Defunct	1949-11-30
Headquarters	Fulton County, Illinois , United States
Area served	United States Army during World War II

Camp Ellis functioned as a United States World War II Army Service Forces Unit Training Center and a prisoner-of-war camp situated in proximity to Bernadotte, Ipava, and Table Grove within Fulton County, Illinois. Construction commenced on 17 September 1942, with the facility becoming operational on 16 April 1943 and formally dedicated on 14 July 1943. The German POWs were secured by the 475th and 476th Military Police Escort Guard Companies. Training programs ceased in November 1944.

History

According to the Pentagon Report on Camp Ellis, the installation was officially occupied beginning 1 February 1943 under the Sixth Service Command. It included a USF Unit Training Center, Engineer and Medical Officers Replacement Pools, a Training Center, and a POW Camp.

On 1 October 1945, Camp Ellis was declared surplus property, encompassing 17,478 acres under War Department ownership at a valuation of $23,076,438. On 29 November 1945, the Shawnee National Forest, Camp Ellis, and an Illinois maneuver area totaling 35,375 acres were transferred to the United States Department of Agriculture.

By 11 December 1945, the entire camp—consisting of 28,557 military housing units and covering 17,455 acres—was withdrawn from surplus status and assigned under an inactive revocable license to the State of Illinois for use as a National Guard Camp. It was categorized as a Class II installation under Army Ground Forces command on 22 March 1946 and later reclassified as Class I under Fifth Army control on 25 September 1946.

Following December 1945, Camp Ellis remained largely dormant except for surplus housing utilization by January 1947. The 5013th ASF stationed at Camp Ellis underwent reorganization under Fifth Army command during late 1947 and mid-1948. On 30 November 1949, all parts of Camp Ellis—except those retained for Illinois National Guard operations—were declared excess to Department of Army needs and authorized for disposal.

The camp received its name in honor of Sergeant Michael B. Ellis, a Medal of Honor awardee from World War I hailing from East Saint Louis, Illinois.

Units served

1. 3052nd Quartermaster Salvage Company
2. 738th Engineer Base Depot Company
3. 567th Engineer Dump Truck Company
4. 539th Salvage Repair Company
5. 475th Military Police Escort Guard Company
6. 476th Military Police Escort Guard Company
7. 4624th Service Unit (WAC), arrived at Camp Ellis on 6 January 1944
8. 1301st Engineer General Service Regiment
9. 1303rd Engineer General Service Regiment, activated on 15 July 1943
10. 123rd Infantry Company A
11. 1317th Engineer General Service Regiment
12. 1332nd Engineer Regiment (African-American Unit)
13. 371st Engineer Construction Battalion
14. 1139th Engineer Combat Group for Training and Deployment
15. Engineer Construction Groups: 1319th, 1332nd, and 1333rd
16. Engineer Survey Companies:1542nd,1549th,and1550th
17. Engineer Construction Groups:1309th,1317th,1319th,and1332nd
18. African American Engineer Dump Truck Companies:567th,569th,573rd,575th,792nd,793rd,891st,and1365th–1367th
19. Engineer Parts & Supply Companies:1767th,1785th,and1786th
20. Transportation Battalion:520th
21. Combat Service Battalion (CSB):548th
22. Quartermaster Company:600th
23. CSB:533rd
24. 123rd Infantry
25. Transportation Battalion:181st (activated on 25 June 1943)
26. Company:16th of the133rd Battalion in the30th Training Regiment; commanded by Capt. WM. J. Courchesne in July1945
27. African-American Quartermaster Service Company:3184 (April1944)
28. Medical Composite Detachment:101st
29. General Dispensary Companies numbered10th through13th
30. General Hospital Companies including103rd;115th–126th; and others up to313th
31. Field Hospital Companies such as49th;54th; continuing through94th
32. Hospital Train Groups including13th;22nd;26th;74th;79th;and80th
33. Medical Base Depot units numbered74th &76th
34. Malarial Control Units numbered72nd &85th
35. Medical Gas Treatment Battalions numbered94th &95th
36. Prisoner of War Prison Guard Detachment:1614th
37. Military Police Unit:1624th
38. Quartermaster Bakery Companies numbered417th–420th and617th; also specialized mobile units like African American-led264th &274th
39. Quartermaster Salvage Collection Companies:237th &239th
40. Signal Operation Companies:244th &246th
41. General Services Regiments:1301st,1303rd,and1306th
42. Quartermaster Fumigation and Bath Mobile Companies including851st–854th,859th,and863rd–866th
43. Quartermaster Laundry Companies numbered459th,461st,and597th–600th

External links

• by Gene Herbener
• Elaineandmike.us: Camp Ellis
• WMBD TV: Bob & Tom’s Excellent Adventures: Camp Ellis