Safety and Security Issues
|
The 702d Railway Grand Division, which was later merged into the 3d Military Railway Service
headquarters, found itself plunged into many unfamiliar and unexpected responsibilities. Among
these was security of train operations against sabotage, banditry, and pilferage. The original Tables of
Organization had called for only Military Police Battalions on the presumption that security was a
British obligation. When it became clear that railroad security required supplementation by the
Americans, the Military Railway Service established, at its headquarters in February 1943, a Security
Section to work under the American provost marshall’s office and in collaboration with British and
Soviet field security forces.
Security measures in Iran extended beyond precautions against pilferage and black market activities. Nazi interest in Iran for purposes of securing access to Iran’s oil fields was undeniable. A pro-German attitude was prevalent in many quarters and there was an undercurrent of resentment toward allied intrusion in Iran.
Next, Winding Down - The Last Months in the PGC
|
