281st MP Co. Rome, Italy

APO 794 (from 4 Dec 44 until sometime in Oct or Nov 47, when the Rome  location was closed out).Rome, Italy   

281^st Military Police Company, Rome, Italy.  In 1941 a cadre was formed comprising men from the 2^nd Inf. Regt., Ft. Brady, Mi., to become Co A, 702^nd MP Bn.  In 1942 the unit was redesignated the 888^th MP Co (Avn) and assigned the 8^th Air Force.  In June 1942 the unit was deployed to Gourock, Scotland, then assigned to Polbrook Airport, England and in December the unit shipped from Liverpool to Oran, Algeria, where it was assigned to Hqs. 2^nd Corps.  The unit set up shop and started performing MP duties in Oran and Algiers.  They experienced many difficulties because of improper equipment, such as rifles being issued rather than pistols; scout cars made available instead of jeeps; replacements not being trained MP’s; black market trafficking; high rates of V D and poor race relations in the ranks.   In Feb 1943 the unit was redesignated the “281^st MP Co.” and continued to perform MP duties.  In December 1944 it was reassigned to Rome, Italy and performed MP duties such as: town patrol,  provided security to Stragglers Point, the 73^rd Hospital Prison Ward, the US Embassy, the US Rest Center and hotels occupied by American civilians, etc.  In 1945 the unit became a part of the Mediterranean Theater of Operations, United States Army (MTOUSA).   Sometime in October or November 1947 the unit  was closed out in Rome and reassigned – on paper - to the TRUST Command (Trieste United States Troops),  in direct conjunction and coordination with the reassignment and redesignation of the 88^th MP Plt., to become the 281^st MP Co, APO 209, Free Territory of Trieste (FTT), TRUST.