720th
January 1942 Battalion Time Line
~~~~~ 720th Military Police Battalion Reunion Association History Project ~~~~~
3rd
This Page Last Updated 8 January 2007  Click on thumbnail photographs to enlarge
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Zone Of The Interior (ZOI) / Continental United States
10 January The 720th Military Police Battalion was constituted by letter, War Department, file AG 320.2. Subject; Activation of Military Police Units, dated 10 January 1942.
20 January The Battalion was activated at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland, Third Army. 1LT Robert C, Dalrymple and 2LT Winston E. Wallace who were transferred from the 703rd MP Battalion, Arlington Cantonment, Virginia, on 14 January, were assigned as the first officers and only members of the new Battalion.
3rd Army

     Both officers spent their first night at the personnel office at Fort Meade reviewing over 5,000 form 20’s (index cards), containing a recruits basic personal and professional experience. From those cards they selected approximately 700 men to report.

     Several days later they were informed that 250 men would be arriving that evening. Since there was no mess equipment or rations assigned to the new Battalion they both spent the remainder of that day preparing requisitions and drawing the needed supplies.

1900 hours (7:00PM) The 250 new MP’s arrived at the Battalion compound. Of the new men there was only one Noncommissioned Officer (NCO), a Corporal, and there were no cooks. After the first Battalion meeting 1LT Dalrymple and 2LT Wallace appointed some acting NCO’s and cooks.

     In the days that followed, more officers, NCO’s and privates started to arrive and fill out the ranks for training. Many of the new MP’s were very experienced having served in the Pennsylvania National Guard.

22 January LTC Larry D. Furey was assigned to, and assumed command of the Battalion. The Battalion was organized under TO&E 7-126 (Tables of Organization and Equipment), dated 1 November 1940, which authorized twenty-nine officers and five hundred and eighteen enlisted men.

     LTC Furey assigned CPT Anderson as the Operations Officer (S3), 1LT Dalrymple as the Battalion Adjutant (S1) and 2LT Wallace as the Assistant Operations Officer.