'Miss Drop 44' roster
If you are not listed on here and you are a member, I need details! Name and serial number. (photo will be done by us)
D - Company HQ
Cpt Hunt, Sam
O-316719
Company Commander
Company HQ
First Sgt Horlock, Mark
12562220
Company Top-Kick
Company HQ
Sgt Brown, Harry
14449555
Communications
Company HQ
1st Lt Mackay, Dan
O-414333
2iC
Company HQ
Sgt Sissons, Glynn
20153819
Intelligence
Company HQ
Technician 4th Class Murray, Max
14590352
Operator, radio
Company HQ
Technician 5th Class Howling, Scott
12162028
Operator, radio
Company HQ
Technician 5th Class Saralli, Aaron
41996074
Operator, radio
Company HQ
Note :- the Company HQ should also include 5 riflemen ranked Pvts - these were to be used as replacement where needed. These are not included here, feel free to assume they have already been assigned to sub-units and distriubuted as were needed in combat.
1st Platoon HQ
1st Lt Gurman, Robert
O-231166
Platoon CO
1st Platoon HQ
S/Sgt Borland, Tom
18441944
Platoon Staff Sergeant
1st Platoon HQ
2nd Lt Shack, Rod
O-6722
Platoon 2iC
1st Platoon HQ
Cpl Kent, Billy
20260496
Signal, radio & code
1st Platoon HQ
Technician 5th Class Von Monte, Martin
15466227
Operator, radio
1st Platoon HQ
PFC Davies, Josh
15180399
Rifleman
1st Platoon HQ
Private Hammond, Andrew 'AJ'
20228958
Messenger
1st Platoon HQ
1st Rifle Squad
Sgt Vidler, Jamie
20824688
Squad Leader
1st Platoon / 1st Squad
PFC Abbey, George
17211528
LMG Gunner
1st Platoon / 1st Squad
Pvt Flintham, Alex
20162258
LMG Ammo bearer
1st Platoon / 1st Squad
Pvt Mitchell, Sam
17093521
Rifleman
1st Platoon / 1st Squad
Pvt Balchin, Tom
12138776
Rifleman
1st Platoon / 1st Squad
Cpl Mcfall, Callum
15303297
Assistant Squad Leader
1st Platoon / 1st Squad
PFC Merriman, Marcus
42352221
LMG Assistant Gunner
1st Platoon / 1st Squad
Pvt Capowski, Andrew
15466231
Rifleman
1st Platoon / 1st Squad
Pvt Fowler, Chrisy
32291039
Rifleman
1st Platoon / 1st Squad
Pvt Mackay, Harvey
17394627
Operator, radio
1st Platoon / 1st Squad
60mm Mortar Squad
Sgt Davies, Sam
32624258
Squad Leader
1st Platoon / Mortar Squad
Pvt
vacant - recruiting now
Assistant Gunner
1st Platoon / Mortar Squad
Pvt
vacant - recruiting now
Ammo Bearer
1st Platoon / Mortar Squad
PFC
vacant - recruiting now
Gunner
1st Platoon / Mortar Squad
Private Quine, Tai1
3439014
Ammo Bearer
1st Platoon / Mortar Squad
PFC
vacant - recruiting now
Ammo Bearer
1st Platoon / Mortar Squad
other members of Miss Drop 44
Cpt Hewitt, Jason
0-381452
Surgeon
502nd PIR
Soldat Brun, Heinrich
(also Harry Brown!)
PoW
2nd Lt Guntrip, Sarah
N-792571
Nurse
3rd Auxiliary Surgical Group
2nd Lt Evans, Jode
N-714301
Nurse
3rd Auxiliary Surgical Group
Cpt Abbey, Russell
0-494766
Surgeon
502nd PIR
(Doc Lage)
others!
vacant - recruiting now
We are always recruiting anyone with an interest in similar units that would have have present around Carentan.
If any other groups want to form a squad, or a partial squad inside Miss Drop 44 and be invited to events with us, then please contact us. We are interested in collaborating with other groups that are of suitable calibre to form a a superstructure of good groups that can attend events together; whilst at the same time still retaining the separate group status if you wish. These new groups can start creating the other rifle squads, mortar squads and so on.
There are so many 502 re-enactors/living historians that want to advance to the next step and this seems a good way of the groups evolving but keeping the friendships and groups you have already made intact, unbroken with the added advantage of becoming bigger and better.
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The TO&E below is the Feb 1942 table with the Feb 1943 amendments added in.
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Miss Drop 44 is based around Company HQ (column 3), Platoon HQ (column 4); and with the first rifle squad (column 5).
As lots of people are not familiar with these tables, I will break it down and explain what information can be obtained from these. Including who got what weapons. Firstly and importantly, NO M1911 automatic pistols are at Company level and below. These were all withdrawn in the Feb 43 changes. M1A1 Thompsons have also been removed, not even the S/Sgt now has his Thompson. Yes, you'll have seen both Thompsons and M1911s in photographs. This table is for Infantry Rifle Company, Parachute. That doesn't include signals, engineers etc. Of course people did their own things, took things they weren't supposed to have, obtained things, found things... This is about what you are supposed to have.
Company HQ
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Two officers, Caption and 1st Lt
First Sgt.
2x Sgts - 1x Communication Sgt - 1x S2 Sgt (Intelligence)
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11 Enlistedmen - 1x T4, 2x T5 as radio operators - 3x messengers (runners) and the rest (5) as riflemen; also to be used as replacements for other squads to keep them up to full strength.
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A total of 14 enlisted men / 2 officers.
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The First Sgt and other officers get a M1A1 Carbine.
The other 13 enlistedmen were issued M1 Garands.
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The Company HQ was also issued 6 M3 Grease Guns and 1 Rocket Launcher. Which lucky soles had the job of carrying these extra weapons could be anyone guess. This is why you do see random people armed with M3 Grease Guns, you can spot them in the photographs of them walking to the planes, including a Captain who has dumped his Carbine in favour of the M3.
This cut down table only now shows the Platoon HQ, each company had 3 platoons. Each platoon had an HQ, 2 rifle squads and a mortar squad.
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The platoon HQ has 2 officers, each armed with an M1A1 Carbine.
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S/Sgt armed with M1 Garand
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Corporal in charge of the communications
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A radio operator ranked at Technician 5th class
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Two messengers (runners) a PFC and a PVT.
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Under the part that states Technician grade 4, technician grade 5 etc, it says there are 3 paratroopers. Then the section under that specifies what those roles are. There are only 7 people total in the Platoon HQ, but lots of people make mistakes and add up all the numbers and can get around 14 members!
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Total enlisted men 5 / total officers (at the top) 2.
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At the bottom, it states how many parachutes and the list of weapons issued to platoon HQ. Sometimes, usually in the case of HQ's there are more weapons than men. So some unlucky guy in the platoon HQ had to lug about a bazooka as well.
This was done for both additional support weapons on the ground and as replacements should the others get damaged or lost.
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This next table is a cut down version of the TO&E that now only shows the rifle squads and mortar squad.
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Each squad being lead by a Sgt - the table shows Sgt 1, then below states the role of that Sgt 'Squad leader'.
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Assisting the Sgt is a Cpl, his role is stated below as Squad leader, assistant.
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Next is 10 enlisted men ranging in rank from Pvt to PFC and this also give the impression that some of these will be Technical grade ranks. However, none of these roles are Technical roles, in the list of roles, if one does require a technical rank, then it is marked in column 2 (which can't be see in this cut down table. Use the complete table at the top to understand this. The ranks Pvt and PFC in the whole company are almost equal - 46 PFCs and 45 Pvt.
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Out of the 12 members, 11 get issued M1 Garands and the
only one who was issued an M1A1 Carbine was the .30 cal gunner. As carrying a .30 LMG and an M1 Garand would probably be a bit too much and too awkward.
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The Mortar team comprises of 6 members
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'Squad Leader' is a Sgt
the rest of the squad is a mixture of Pvts and PFCs.
1 Gunner
1 Gunner Assistant
3 Ammunition Bearers
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All are issued M1 Garands, except for the Gunner and Gunners Assistant who were issued M1A1 Carbines.
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