384th BGHA - 1140th Military Police Company

1140th Military Police Company

The 1140th Military Police Company (MPC) were one of the Group's many support units, whose work on the ground made the aerial missions possible.

In January of 1943, the 1140th MPC were activated at Robins Field in Georgia, and after being transferred to Daniel Field, also in Georgia, and Camp Kilmer in New Jersey, they joined the Group at Grafton Underwood on July 18, 1943, arriving on the RMS Aquitania.

1st Lt. Lester L. Osborn was the 1140th MPC's commanding officer upon their arrival. A year later, after 1st Lt. Osborn's discharge, 1st Lt. Francis Patrick Plunkett took over command.

In its first few months at Grafton Underwood, the 1140th MPC consisted of three officers and 85 enlisted men. In January of 1944, part of the unit, Detachment A, transferred to AAF Station 109 in Podington, Bedfordshire, England. After this, the remaining detachment at Grafton Underwood consisted of one officer and 50 enlisted men.

Among the men who served in the 1140th MPC were the Barnes brothers. PFC Everett DeWitt served as a military motorcycle policeman, while his brother, Pvt. Edward Allen Jr., served as a truck driver. Over 70 years later, the brothers were among the 154 veterans who signed the 384th Bomb Group Heritage Association's wing panel project in 2014.

The 1140th MPC operated much like a civilian police department, running daily patrols of the base, with security being their primary task. They also maintained guard details at all station entrances 24/7. Some of their jobs included:

Gate Duty: Processing everyone coming and going on base, and monitoring passes.

Guard Duty: Guarding the briefing room and specific aircraft on the runway.

Field Security: Guarding crashed aircraft.

Law Enforcement: Investigating crimes both on and off the base.

Air Raid Signals and Lighting: Operating the warning system and controlling the master switches to turn off all base lights in an emergency.

Safety Regulation: Conducting traffic control, enforcing speed limits, and inspecting the base for unauthorized appliances that used up electricity such as heaters, radios, hot plates, etc.

Bicycle Control: Managing the base's bicycle population by registering the bikes and verifying their ownership.

The 1140th Military Police Company was officially disbanded on April 15, 1945.

Information and photos courtesy of 384thBombGroup.com⇗