Bedford in Bedford County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Military Police (MP) Platoons

Normandy, France, June - August 1944

— National D-Day Memorial —

Military Police (MP) Platoons Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Brandon D Cross

1. Military Police (MP) Platoons Marker

Inscription.

Military Police (MP) Platoons. Normandy, France, June - August 1944. Military Police (MP) Platoons Normandy, France, June - August 1944 . The Military Police Corps is the uniformed law enforcement branch of the United States Army. At Normandy, as for other combat operations, MP platoons had the mission of circulation and traffic control, force protection, and prisoner-of-war management. Each of the D-Day assault divisions had an organic, almost company-sized, military police unit called the MP Platoon that would accompany it to Normandy. Tasked with making order out of chaos on the Allied beaches, these MPs faced the same tortuous trip to the beaches, the same terrifying struggle to shore, and the same withering barrage of shot and shell. More than a few of them were among the Big Red One's D-Day losses, and the same was true of the 29th Infantry Division's 29th MP Platoon. The 29th MP Platoon's D-Day after action report records that "at H+70 minutes, two officers, and thirty four enlisted men, an advance traffic section," reached Omaha Beach on time "but due to poor visibility debarked approximately two miles east" of their designated landing zone. Despite being in the wrong place, the 29th MPs lent their support to the 16th Regimental Combat Team of the 1st Division and began their war. The report continues: "the military police fought with the infantry in their advance from the beach to their objectives until following morning" and on D+1 rejoined their unit "to control the traffic on the beach, beach exits, and the roads leading to the vehicle transit areas in the zone of the 29th Infantry Division." Elsewhere, the MP platoons of the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions jumped in with the infantry and fought alongside them until they were able to regroup and begin performing their assigned policing missions further inland. The soldiers of the 4th MP Platoon landed at Utah Beach with the 4th Infantry Division. Lighter enemy resistance there enabled them to get on with executing their assigned mission, but like the MPs serving in the other assault divisions, they encountered many situations that compelled them to fight as infantry. Along with the separate MP units of V Corps, VII Corps, and 1st Army, the MP platoons at Normandy distinguished themselves by the valor, fidelity, and sacrifice that hallmarked their service. , Emplaced in homage to Peter A. Thomas who served in the Big Red One’s 1st MP Platoon from dawn of D+1 through V-E Day. Given by a friend.

Military Police (MP) Platoons
Normandy, France, June - August 1944
The Military Police Corps is the uniformed law enforcement branch of the United States Army. At Normandy, as for other combat operations, MP platoons had the mission of circulation and traffic control, force protection, and prisoner-of-war management. Each of the D-Day assault divisions had an organic, almost company-sized, military police unit called the MP Platoon that would accompany it to Normandy. Tasked with making order out of chaos on the Allied beaches, these MPs faced the same tortuous trip to the beaches, the same terrifying struggle to shore, and the same withering barrage of shot and shell. More than a few of them were among the Big Red One's D-Day losses, and the same was true of the 29th Infantry Division's 29th MP Platoon.

The 29th MP Platoon's D-Day after action report records that "at H+70 minutes, two officers, and thirty four enlisted men, an advance traffic section," reached Omaha Beach on time "but due to poor visibility debarked approximately two miles east" of their designated landing zone. Despite being in the wrong place, the 29th MPs lent their support to the 16th Regimental Combat Team of the 1st Division and began their war. The report continues: "the military police fought with the

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infantry in their advance from the beach to their objectives until following morning" and on D+1 rejoined their unit "to control the traffic on the beach, beach exits, and the roads leading to the vehicle transit areas in the zone of the 29th Infantry Division."

Elsewhere, the MP platoons of the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions jumped in with the infantry and fought alongside them until they were able to regroup and begin performing their assigned policing missions further inland. The soldiers of the 4th MP Platoon landed at Utah Beach with the 4th Infantry Division. Lighter enemy resistance there enabled them to get on with executing their assigned mission, but like the MPs serving in the other assault divisions, they encountered many situations that compelled them to fight as infantry. Along with the separate MP units of V Corps, VII Corps, and 1st Army, the MP platoons at Normandy distinguished themselves by the valor, fidelity, and sacrifice that hallmarked their service.

Emplaced in homage to Peter A. Thomas who served in the Big Red One’s 1st MP Platoon from dawn of D+1 through V-E Day. Given by a friend.

Erected by National D-Day Memorial.

Topics and series. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: Law Enforcement • War, World II

Photographed By Brandon D Cross

2. Military Police (MP) Platoons Marker

. In addition, it is included in the U.S. National D-Day Memorial series list. A significant historical date for this entry is June 6, 1944.

Location. 37° 19.853′ N, 79° 32.158′ W. Marker is in Bedford, Virginia, in Bedford County. Memorial can be reached from Overlord Circle, 0.4 miles west of Burks Hill Road. The Marker is located on the grounds of the National D-Day Memorial. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3 Overlord Circle, Bedford VA 24523, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. 238th Engineer Combat Battalion (here, next to this marker); First Infantry Division (here, next to this marker); Fifth Ranger Battalion (here, next to this marker); 320th Anti-Aircraft Balloon Battalion (here, next to this marker); Second Ranger Battalion (here, next to this marker); The Glider Pilot Regiment (here, next to this marker); Sixth Naval Beach Battalion (here, next to this marker); 5th Engineer Special Brigade (here, next to this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bedford.

Also see . . .
1. Military Police and engineer special brigades: the Normandy Invasion. (Submitted on February 4, 2024, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)
2. National D-Day Memorial. (Submitted on February 4, 2024, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)

Credits. This page was last revised on February 4, 2024. It was originally submitted on February 4, 2024, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 51 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 4, 2024, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.