ETO, Logistical Build-Up in the British Isles

SEGTIOW 19
SOBTIXG SHEDS
70. Sasis of Rcsuircncnt. As soon as substmtid quantities of
Uritcd Statcs SUpDlica began wriving in the Britisb Islea, the ~ lan
for gctting this ratcriel fron ship-aid0 to the proper depots was found
to be un.rorkabla.
me original plan had bccn for SOS Supply 5orvicss to designate
the deetinntions of e.11 aupclies on each ship prior to the arrival of
the dip.' The baais of this action was to be RZvance copies of the shipla
wonifeat, prcceded by loding cableo. However, lhipsl manifests and other
advicce vcrc found to be not in sufficient dotail to permit the pre-
dceignation of cargo to tho cxtont nccessary to make the plan workable.
A contributiig factor in thc failure of the plan was the inability,
espcciallp in 19k2 tud early 1943, of British dock workera, unfamiliar
with United Statza aupnlica and markings, to follow aamrrately
such detailed shipping instivctions BB could be given.
Another factor contributing to the coofusion was tho relatively
largo percentago a i contciners that were inadequately markod os to contents,
or were not marlecd e.$ all. An indication of tne extant of this
failing is the fact that in 1942 the New York Port viaa receiving for
ahiprant approximatdy 24,000 pieces of unmarlced cargo daily.
Thc remilt vas:the shipping of unaortcd mp9lics fron dooks to
such depots ea at thc tinc had capacity to reccive them. Those depots,
after eortine thc mp2lics And placing them in their inventoqj, were
frequently directed to ship large quantities of them to other depots
to.BeLa~~ stock6 or to mcet immediate requirements. Phis intsr-dapot
shipment of wpliae gray to bo a scrioua burden on the dapot and tramportation
systama which werc already working to capacity.
Thcre werc threc possible solutions to this problem, a31 of
whhiah wcrc cxploitcd: first, better documcntotlon by the Zone of the
Interior; second, iacrsasing the Gfficibnoy of cargo identification by
dock workers; thtrd, thc use of sorting ahode within the port area.
(mc uno of sorting sheds had not provioualy been coaptmplrrtad).
71: Function of Sortinn Sheds. Tliia vas described by SOS a@
roll.ow: IISorting ahcde at or ncar ports &e used to clessi?., identify
and Bort iiicoming supplies, particularly sizad ltcms of Clotking and
peckqcs which cannot -09 clcnrly idontificd from the manifsate. The
purpoec is to assurc groper dfatribution of supplica to inland dopots,
end to clininatc trannhipneit between depots, thcmby rodwin& thc nubcr
of rail wagons in uec.111
As indicctcd by thc c,borc 8te.tcmcr.t; sorting shods wcrc used
Ol!lY for such itcas as could not bc idcntiflcd and scgrogatod at Bhipaidc.
Never morn than 3$ of U.S. tonnago hpndlod monthly by British
railweye m a fron sorting sheds2.
The routing of aupplics through sortiw shcds involvcd a camplctc
edditiocd handling an oaupmed with supplice that could be dire+
1. SWr2rr:r cntitlcd t'dpprooiation of Installetions PrOgra", fWe 1943,
by Chicf of Servicc, SOS. Smary publiahcd in 50s ET0 lf0verall
Plan", dated x) June 1943.
2. krious (monthly) Progcese Reports md Statistical SU"ariC8 published
by SOS, ETO.
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