Information on 4rd Radio Squadron, Mobile

[Mikkel Plannthin]

I am researching a Dane-American who served in the 4rd Radio Squadron, Mobile, Det B. I fairly certain that he gathered signals intelligence (voice) from German sources.

While I can find useful information on these units in general and on 3rd Radio Squadron, Mobile, the 4th seems more incognito as regards to available sources. Their unit history at the US National Archives is still closed/classified.

Does anyone know of sources as to the unit's activities in Europe 1944-45?

Kind regards

Mikkel Plannthin

[Larry deZeng]

Mikkel,

I suspect information about the 4th RS(M) has been declassified by now. It may be that NARA just hasn't gotten around to declassifying its files yet.

If you go to the link below and fill out the inquiry form, there's a very good chance they may be able to help you.

https://www.nsa.gov/Helpful-Links/Contact-NSA/

L. deZ.

[Mikkel Plannthin]

Larry,
Thank you very much.

I wrote the National Archives (US) to ask. I am not sure it its actually closed or just not available online.

I'll try the NSA as well.

The rabbit whole I dived into in the Signal Corps and the development of a US version of the 'Y' sections in the UK was quite fascinating. I am still not quite at home, when it's USAAF after more than 20 years of research for Danes in the RAF. But I am in the proces of writing biographies for some 60 Danish nationals who enlisted in the US Army and were assigned to USAAF units.

Mikkel

[DavidIsby]

I was told, years ago, that the historical record of these units that served with the Fifth Air Force was destroyed by NSA in the 1970s. The source had written a paper on them using material in the reocrds of comparable Australian units that carried out the same missions.

[Leendert]

To narrow down a search: where was this Detachment located? I gathered that the 4th Radio Squadron as a whole was mostly a training unit at Camp Pinedale, CA.
There was a 4th Radio Security Section at RAF Bushby Park, but not sure if this was part of the 4th Radio.
The 3rd Radio Squadron had detachments on the Continent after the Normandy invasion indeed.

There are records of Camp Pinedale thru Airforcehistoryindex.org.

Regards,
Leendert

[Larry deZeng]

The suffix Mobile in it's designation would strongly suggest that it was a field unit that had its own radio trucks, mobile repair shops, etc., and moved around a lot on the Continent.

There is also a website or Facebook group for ASA (Army Security Agency) veterans and another for USAFSS (U.S. Air Force Security Service) veterans, or at least there were 6 or 7 years ago when I last looked. You almost certainly could find people there who could answer questions about the 4th Radio Squadron Mobile.

L. deZ.

[Mikkel Plannthin]

Thank you all.

I have tried to gather what I know about the man here
Cpl Arndt Rudjard Kjaer

In April 1944 a newspaper reports him (and thus the unit) to be at MacDill Field in Florida:

Detachment “B”, AAF 4th Radio Squadron Mobile (RSM) at MacDill Field, Tampa, Florida.

When newspapers report his marriage in August 1944, it is stated that he is "somewhere in England". I presume with this unit.

AFHRA information gives Camp Pinedale, CA, as location, cf. https://jandd.usafunithistory.com/PD...,%20MOBILE.pdf

this corresponds with information from Larry Tart, the author of "Freedom Through Vigilance", cf.
https://larrytart.com/FTV/chapter1.html

I have the same impression as Larry, that it was a field unit, what worked as near as the front as possible. On the other hand, general descriptions of these units in ETO (especially 3rd RSM) suggest that they provided intelligence for the Command HQs, ie units that were not at the front line as such.

Again, thank you for your comments.

Mikkel

[Leendert]

The 4th RSM at MacDill Field (also) appears in a partial online book ("John Okada, The Life and Rediscovered Work etc.") where he (Okada) is assigned to voice-intercept training with the 'radio intelligence unit' of the 4th RSM. This was Det. B?

From there, person in question was sent overseas for duty with the 8th RSM at Guam.

Could it therefore be possible that Cpl. Kjaer followed the same route, but then to a unit in the ETO?

Regards,
Leendert

[Mikkel Plannthin]

Leendert,

It's possible. I only have pieces of information at present.

I have to try and get the service information about him.

Mikkel