8530th Civilian Support Group (Smoke Dragons) Patch, old German Made

German Labor Service units (Source: Das USAREUR Echo, Oct 1988; German-language newspaper of the Civilian Support Agency) It all started 40 years ago . . . In August of 1948, German labor offices in the State of Hesse (part of the US Zone of Occupation) hired about 500 German men to provide support to US forces in the ongoing Berlin Airlift. These men were assembled at Ludendorff Kaserne (later to become known as Downs Barracks) in Fulda and divided into two groups to form (on Aug 15, 1948) the first German Labor Service companies - the 7441st LS and 2905th LS Companies. The units were transferred to Frankfurt and billeted in a former German garments factory. They wore US uniforms, dyed black, and received lodging and meals as well as toiletry articles - a luxury in war-ravaged Germany. The personnel numbers of these "Männer der ersten Stunde" were in the 75000 and 76000 range. By October 1988, when this article was written, there were only five members still active throughout the Civilian Support Agency who still carried personnel numbers in that range. (Up until this point, members of the Labor Service units that had been serving in the US Zone had been manned by former Displaced Persons of nationalities other than German - primarily from the Baltic states and Poland.) By September 1948, both units were located at Lager Eschborn, outside of Frankfurt. In October, the personnel strength of each of the two units exceeded 300 men. In the next following months, six additional units were formed: UNIT DESIGN. STATION MONTH ACTIV. 1st company 7441st LS Co Eschborn Aug 1948 2nd company 2905th LS Co Eschborn Aug 1948 3rd company 2958th LS Co Eschborn Feb 1949 4th company 4543rd LS Co Frankfurt-Zeilsheim Mar 1949 5th company 4052nd LS Co Frankfurt-Zeilsheim Mar 1949 6th company 8512thLS Co Frankfurt-Zeilsheim Apr 1949 7th company 4060th LS Co Frankfurt-Zeilsheim May 1949 8th company 8958th LS Co Eschborn Jun 1949