88th Infantry Division MP Platoon Trieste, Italy
Gorizia, Italy, APO 88, (Up to 15 Sep 47). Trieste, Italy, APO 88. (from 1 May 47 until redesignation as the 281st MP Co, APO 209, sometime in Oct or Nov 47).
88th
Infantry Division Military Police Platoon (88th MP Plt). This
information is NOT the history of the 88th MP Plt, but a recounting
of the events that took place when WWII, was over in the European, which took
place at 1400 hours on May 2, 1945.
The Division CP was relocated from Cividale to Gorizia.
British troops entered Trieste on May 2 and 3 and forced surrender of the
remaining German forces.
Tito, of Yugoslavia, had set up a provisional government
in Trieste.
He was warned
by
Field Marshal Alexander that control of the area would be decided by a Peace
Conference.
Ultimately,
the Morgan line was set up and the disputed area was divided into Zone A,
administered by
the Allied Military Government (AMG) and Zone B was governed by Yugoslavia.
The Venezia Giulia Civil Police and the
88th MP Plt maintained civil order and public security in Gorizia ,
while troops from the 349th Inf., Regt. performed MP duties in
Trieste. Upon
reassignment of the 349th Inf. Regt. to Austria,
men from K Co., 3rd Bn., 351stst
Inf. Regt. performed MP duties in Trieste and Zone A.
In May of 1947 men and equipment assigned to the 88th MP
Plt. were relocated from Gorizia to
Trieste, as a result of the ratification of the peace agreement, and sometime
in October or November1947, the unit was redesignated as the “281st
Military Police Company, “ and assumed all military police duties.
CPT. William A. Walsworth was the commanding officer.