“411”
Headquarters Company
“Sgt. Major William Dolly, Sgt. William J. Burbridge, and Sgt. William D. Sammon at front line CP recording casualty reports. June 1944, Saipan.”
Official USMC photo by Nick Ragus
“This unit is the brain and nerve center of the battalion,” notes the 1944 manual Organization of the Marine Infantry Regiment. “The headquarters section includes the battalion commander and his staff (both commissioned and enlisted), the medical personnel of the battalion, and certain specialists.”
The battalion staff was divided into designated sections for administration and personnel (Bn-1), intelligence (Bn-2), operations and planning (Bn-3) and supply (Bn-4). The communications platoon and Navy medical section fell under the administrative purview of HQ Company; as the war went on, an 81mm mortar platoon and a unit of assault and demolitions troops were added. To keep everything running smoothly, HQ Company had its own headquarters section of clerks, drivers, cooks, and general duty Marines.
Often derided by front line troops as the domain of “flat-rate bastards” (the rockers on a staff NCO’s chevrons werr flat, rather than curved), HQ Company enabled the battalion to run effectively. As the administrative center of the unit, HQ had a particularly high turnover in personnel. Assignment to HQ Company could be a reward for veterans who’d spent months on the front line – lighter work in relative safety was a tempting prospect. It could be a fast track for career officers, or a gloved rebuke for leaders who under-performed in combat. And it made an ideal billet for new men awaiting assignment, or returning wounded who were no longer able to take the strain of life in the rifle companies.
An assignment to Battalion HQ was not a guarantee of safety. First Battalion, 24th Marines lost two battalion commanders in combat, and several dozen of its men were killed or wounded.
Unless otherwise noted, all descriptions below are from NAVMC-3483, The Organization of the Marine Infantry Regiment (Table of Organization Approved 27 March 1944).
Manual available at archive.org
The adjutant [and section] is responsible for the personnel and the administrative work of the regiment.
Note: The Bn-1 was usually a lieutenant, and his men fell under the overall structure of the Battalion HQ Section. The battalion Sergeant Major, chief clerk, classification specialist, typists, postal clerks, and junior clerks made up the enlisted contingent.
The intelligence section is commanded by the intelligence officer, Bn-2. The men of the section are trained to aid the Bn-2 in keeping the battalion commander informed of the enemy situation by keeping intelligence documents up to date and by acting as scouts or observers.
Personnel:
Intelligence Officer (Bn-2)
Intelligence NCO
Record Clerk
Draftsman
Chief Observer
Chief Scout
7 Observers & Scouts
The operations officer has charge of all training while the unit is not in action, During combat he keeps the commander informed of the condition of the regiment and of the situation as it progresses; drafts and issues orders when instructed to do so by the commander; and continually studies the situation so as to be ready for emergencies or future operations.
The supply section operates directly under the supply officer of the battalion who functions as Bn-4 and as battalion quartermaster. The men of this section receive all supplies delivered to the battalion and operate the service of supply within the battalion.
Personnel:
Quartermaster Officer (Bn-4)
Supply Sergeant
Quartermaster Clerk (Sergeant)
2 Quartermaster Clerks (Corporal)
2 Supply PFC
a. The communication platoon is a part of battalion headquarters. It furnishes the battalion commander with the means of communication to subordinate, adjacent, and higher units and consists of:
Platoon headquarters.
Message center and messenger section.
Wire section.
Radio, visual, and panel section.
b. The platoon headquarters consists of a lieutenant (battalion communications officer) and two men, who supervise and coordinate the work of the sections.
c. The message center and messenger section sets up the message center, which is the agency charged with the receipt, transmission, and delivery of all messages except those by telephone, personal contact, mail, or otherwise specially authorized. The messenger unit includes all messengers within the unit and those sent to the battalion commander by subordinate and supporting units.
d. The wire section sets up the wire net, both within the command post and in advance of any change in the location of the command post.
e. The radio, visual, and panel section provides communication by radio, by visual means (all signals received by the eye, including flags, lamps, and pyrotechnics), and by panels to aircraft.
THE 81mm MORTAR SECTION
a. The 81mm mortar section consists of:
• Section headquarters
• Two mortar squads
b. The section headquarters consists of a sergeant (section leader) and ten men who perform duties as observers, ammunition carriers, or telephone linemen.
c. The 81mm mortar squad consists of a corporal (squad leader) and six men who are the crew for one 81mm mortar.
d. This section has hand carts provided, as well as a jeep and trailer in section headquarters. The men carry individual arms as [specified].
THE 81mm MORTAR PLATOON
a. The 81mm mortar platoon is included in headquarters company of the infantry battalion. It consists of:
• Platoon headquarters.
• Two mortar sections
b. The platoon headquarters consists of two lieutenants and six men [gunnery sergeant, ammunition NCO, message center chief, switchboard operator, two messengers]
c. In addition to the four 81mm mortars carried in the four squads of this platoon, four 60mm mortars are carried in platoon headquarters as alternate weapons.
“Our battalion organization was similar to that called for by the Tables of Organization with one important exception, this exception being the formation of an assault platoon which became a part of Headquarters Company. The personnel for the assault platoon were taken from the rifle companies [in fall 1944] to enable them to have sufficient time for intensive training in assault problems prior to the operation.”
– LtCol. Charles L. Banks, after-action report on Iwo Jima operation, 1945.
The medical section is composed entirely of naval doctors and forty hospital corpsmen. This section is charged with the medical care, treatment, and evacuation of personnel of the battalion. In combat it is customary to attach some of the corpsmen to the rifle units while the remainder maintain the battalion aid station.
Battalion Commanders
HQ Company Commanders
Valor Awards
| Campaign | Medal of Honor | Navy Cross | Silver Star | Legion of Merit | Bronze Star* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Roi-Namur |
|
|
|
||
|
Saipan |
|
William J. Dolly Thomas M. Kerr Paul E. Miller Endecott Osgood Forest C. Schlenker Jack Stein John Waytow |
|||
|
Tinian |
|
|
|
Herbert I. Hines Walter S. Kildow Gene G. Mundy George P. Wheeland |
|
|
Iwo Jima |
|
|
Charles Horwitz Robert Johnston Robert J. Lorenz |
This table only shows decorations awarded for service with HQ Company. Names in italics indicate posthumous award.
* Because no comprehensive list of WWII Bronze Stars is known to exist, this category is incomplete.
Can anyone find more info on my father who fought in Iwo Jima Louis Fortuna
My dad Donald John Impellizzeri (990341) was WIA on March 4 or 5.
He was listed at the time with 3 battalion, 23 regiment 4th div. Replacement draft. Any information would be appreciated.
Good morning,
My dad, PFC Kye Harrs, was at Roi-Namur, TInian, Saipan and Iwo Jima, Charlie Company. He used to tell us stories from these battles as bedtime stories growing up. He also had 2 large books kind of like school yearbooks, one Red and one Green. My dad’s have been lost since my brother passed away and I would love to purchase them for my sons. Can anyone point me to where I might find these?
Thank you for this wonderful website.
Jeanne Harris Cooper