The United States Marine Corps in the World War

Chapter XXVII.

QUARTERMASTER’S DEPARTMENT.

Brig. Gen. Charles L. McCawley, was the Quartermaster of the United States Marine Corps, with station at Headquarters, during the entire war. Brig. Gen. McCawley, in company with the Major General Commandant, sailed from the United States on board the Leviathan September 29, 1918, arriving at Brest, France, October 7, 1918. After an extended visit to the Marines as an observer Brig. Gen. McCawley sailed from Brest on board the De Kalb December 9, 1918, arriving in the United States, December 16, 1918.

Upon the increase of the Marine Corps from 17,400 to 30,000 and later to 75,500, it became necessary to increase the commissioned, warrant, and enlisted personnel of the quartermaster’s department, in order that it might successfully meet the heavy demands made upon it by the war and by the large increase in strength.

The increase in the commissioned personnel was made largely by the promotion of experienced quartermaster clerks and quartermaster sergeants to commissioned rank, and the vacancies in the grade of quartermaster sergeant were filled, as far as possible, from selected enlisted men.

Later a school for the instruction of quartermaster sergeants was organized at Marine barracks, Norfolk, and three classes were graduated therefrom.

It was necessary to make large increases in the personnel at headquarters to handle the question of supply, transportation, construction, and finance. The table below shows the strength in the office of the quartermaster on January 1, 1917, and June 30, 1918:

ADDITIONAL STOREHOUSES AND COOPERATION WITH GOVERNMENT AGENCIES.

Due to changes in the method of purchasing rations, caused by existing conditions, it became necessary to establish commissary storehouses at San Francisco, Charleston, and Baltimore, at which to maintain reserve supply stores. The Baltimore storehouse was later moved to Philadelphia. At the beginning of the war the Marine Corps had in its depots at Philadelphia, Pa., and San Francisco, Calif., a small surplus stock, which had been accumulated from the regular appropriations, sufficient to outfit 8,500 men; consequently when the war was declared against Germany and the corps was increased, first to 1,323 officers and 30,000 men (act May 22, 1917), and secondly to 3,341 officers and 75,500 men (act July 1, 1918), it was necessary to provide simultaneously clothing, equipage, food, and shelter for these men. The question of shelter is discussed in the following pages. In connection with the purchase of these supplies it must be remembered that the Army, Navy, and Allies were in the market for similar articles, and in order to determine supply and allocate demands the President first appointed a Council of National Defense, which was later superseded by the War Industries Board. The quartermaster’s department had representatives in daily attendance at the various meetings of the committees of the Council of National Defense, and later the War Industries Board. All of the above-mentioned supplies, as far as practicable, were purchased in the usual manner, by the bid and tender plan, only those articles on which no bids were received or those controlled by the War Industries Board being allocated.

There was installed in the office of the quartermaster a “follow-up” system, where record was made of all orders, contracts, purchase orders, and requests for transfer of supplies from other departments. The function of this section was to see that the supplies were delivered in accordance with contract obligations and trace delinquent deliveries. The section has proven its value, and satisfactory deliveries have been obtained, with few exceptions. From these records the quartermaster has available at all times the status of all outstanding orders as well as a concise record of completed contracts.

CANTONMENTS.

To furnish accommodations for the increased personnel, cantonments on a large scale were built at Quantico, Va., and Parris Island, S. C., and on a smaller scale at Mare Island, Calif. This work was expeditiously handled and afforded suitable temporary accommodations during the war.

DEPOT OF SUPPLIES, PHILADELPHIA, PA.

During the period of the war the depot outfitted and equipped 36 expeditionary units for service in France and the West Indies, and over 31,000,000 pounds of various kinds of supplies were shipped on Government bills of lading. The depot departments were so organized that it was only necessary to expand each division of the office forces and increase the number of employees and machines in the manufacturing departments in order to meet the increased demands during the war. The personnel of the depot on June 30, 1919, was as follows: Thirteen commissioned officers, 7 warrant officers, 2 civilians, 102 enlisted men of the regular service, 21 reservists, and 1,095 other employees of all classes, making a total personnel of 1,240.

DEPOT OF SUPPLIES, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF.

The activities of this depot were increased during the war by the greater number of recruits to be outfitted on the west coast, and by the establishment of the subsistence branch of the depot at San Francisco. This depot has supplied all posts on the west coast, and furnished the supplies for the troops in the Orient.

DEPOT OF SUPPLIES, CHARLESTON, S. C.

This depot was established soon after the declaration of war for the purpose of supplying all posts south of Norfolk, including the West Indies. The storage facilities consist of 7 warehouses and a total floor space of 124,778 square feet. A total of about 14,287 tons of stores were shipped from this depot during the fiscal year 1919, these stores being valued at approximately $12,000,000; during the same period approximately 18,000 tons of stores were received, at an estimated value of $15,000,000. Practically all shipments of supplies of every description for troops in the West Indies are made from this depot.

EXPENDITURES.

The expenditures of the quartermaster’s department for the fiscal years ending June 30ths, 1917, 1918, and 1919, were as shown below, exclusive of appropriations for public works, under the Navy Department, from which figures the enormous increase in the activities and responsibilities of this department, caused by the war and by the increase in strength, is evident: