ETO, Logistical Build-Up in the British Isles

BE ST BI C TED
Continent, this division of resphneibillty came to be a major oroblen
a d oae that VBB to be cheaged n&fhi ti1m befoke &I efficient Drocdwe
WPB deviBed.
41. I $O.nc~l.l8iOlX.
a. Where allied foicce opemtc in n comon area usipg comon
ports or 1inPS of CoLwuicntion, it is dcalrable to den standardization
arA cmmn use of petrolcuil aroducts. This is particularly iqortrL:
for pro6ucts requlrin(; 'bulk storage.
b. There is IO justifimtion for having ilore Thheeter of SO5
stcff r&ncies icvolved in t:ic supply sad dlstrihtion of potrolem products,
tirar. of other types of suplies.
k. Difficultlee of thc Orinid System. ?hen the mo begma receivilx
sU?PlICB frou the V;lited Statea in 1942, the syetea of docunentetlon
nr?s imdesuntc to pamit the deterxination of arrpply.destimtion before
&pa wcrc uulozded. %e systeu of docuncntction veried betweeii Supply
Services in thc Zona of the Interior. :kmifests end other dete.ilcd
1ondir.e dntn weye frequentl;J not received in Chc Britiah Isles until after
&lip hrd nrrivcd. Eve:! when they did arrive on tix, cargo doscriptions
narc oft=: ir. such general term PB to -Ace p1arU:ing for di6-
tribution kn proper depts Prrpossible. Entries on the nenifest such a6
DIOOO boxos of Qwrterxnstar Class f Buppliesfl were not uncosmon.
The sitlwtion YAB further co;lplicptod by FC inedequnts description
of contents on supply contelncrs. A large proportion of the:J bore
no r.le&ings nt oll.
The dlfficultics Lhat resulted at ports n?lc: Cepote a8 vel1 a8
the ex'ire. burdon ,pk.ced on bhe trrnsportntion eysten of the Eritish Isles
is described in detsil under the heading of Sortlx Shade (Section 19,
Che.pter 6).
l'hcsc difficulties, iylus the fact thot the 3ritiah trmsnorte-
$103 aystcu w s unnblc to hent3J.e rupplies fro3 the anticipated miof
ly Vnitcd Stetca cprgo 6hip6 per tLontlr, end et thc sme tin6 continue
to :love the 1mge tonnrgcs of inter-depot-shiprents resulting largely
fro:. irrpropcr dom-xntction cad narkiilp, uede AC i;l?roved procc&ure a
:.lost pressing bbjsctive.
k3, Yrolution of EI Pew System of Docunent6l;ioc. Tho SO$ in the
ciiitcd Strtcs took prospt action to develog.aore 6etnileb mif*eats tlmd
to EffCCt etendcrdisatian of docuentetion arlong its Various supoly eervicce.
Action IVFB plao trlioa to iqsove and ctandRrdize the Ymrking of
CoLtelncrs. By the niddlo of 1943 the quality of docunenbation And zerkix
hd subebrw.tinllg inprove$.
as latc as ~ >ICfirst qumter of 1943, Oilla LIS$ of the rcanifests
aUd B illa of Lnding vcrc being received five or wre days before the arrival
of the 6!1iQr And 2L5 Were not received at all. EOveVBr, during
1. Study ent$$led IITi;io RacEipt of knifeeta fSAd/Dr Bills of Lndi&'
jrepared bp Progress Division, 605, Y.6, 6 mril 1943. besad on 99
SllipE arriving in U.K. brtween 1 Jemry hd 3 tierob 1943.
R&S-T-&I-C-T-E-D
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