25/09/2026
U.S. 372nd Engineer General Service Regiment - 1st October 1943
Many people know that Island Farm was a German pow camp, however not much research has been carried out on the American units who were stationed at Island Farm before it became a pow camp.
Consequently, I’ve been on a bit of a mission and recently acquired a collection of papers from the USA. They have provided a wealth of information that is applicable to the American unit who “readied” the camp for the main American forces who will soon be arriving at Island Farm.
The photo is of a single page that provides so much information! So let’s break it down…
Under the heading “ORGANIZATION” is the text: 372 ND ENGR GS REGT SOS ETOUSA CE”
372nd Engineer General Service Regiment
This is the specific unit. "General Service" meant they were the heavy construction specialists of the U.S Army, capable of building anything from barracks to bridges.
SOS: Services of Supply
This was the massive branch of the U.S. Army responsible for all logistics, construction, and transportation. Before a unit was attached to a specific "Combat" Army (like Patton’s Third Army), it fell under SOS. This confirms that in October 1943, their primary mission at Island Farm was logistical support and construction rather than frontline combat.
ETOUSA: European Theatre of Operations, United States Army
This was the overarching administrative command for all U.S. forces in Europe. It tells you that the 372nd was officially part of the buildup in the UK preparing for the eventual invasion of the continent.
CE: Corps of Engineers
This denotes the "Arm or Service" to which the unit and its officers belonged. You can see this suffix next to the names of officers like Lt. Harder and Colonel Underwood to indicate they were career or specialized Engineers.
In 1943, the Services of Supply (SOS) for the U.S. Army in the United Kingdom was divided into several geographical "Base Sections" to manage the massive influx of men and equipment.
The Headquarters for South Wales: The 372nd Engineer General Service Regiment at Island Farm reported to the Western Base Section.
Headquarters Location:
The overall Western Base Section HQ was located in Chester (at Eaton Hall), but they had a major district headquarters much closer in Abergavenny (specifically at the Angel Hotel and other requisitioned buildings).
The Chain of Command:
The 372nd would have received its high-level orders and supplies through the Abergavenny 29 District Headquarters.
Regional Connection:
While they were building Island Farm in Bridgend, their administrative and logistical "lifeline" was the SOS hub in Abergavenny.
What were "ASGE Tasks"?:
In the Colonel's report, he mentions the unit was busy with "ASGE tasks."
This is an acronym you won't find in many standard history books, but in the context of the Corps of Engineers in 1943, it stands for: Air Service General Engineering.
The Meaning: Even though the 372nd was an Army unit, they were being "loaned" to the Eighth Air Force (the heavy bombers) to help build and maintain the massive infrastructure they needed.
The Work:
This likely involved building airfields, "hardstands" (concrete parking areas for planes), and am******on storage depots at various sites across South Wales.
Interesting Note on Colonel Underwood: The Colonel Henry M. Underwood mentioned in the report was a highly experienced officer. By the time he was at Bridgend, he was essentially the "Project Manager" for all the major U.S. construction in the entire Glamorgan area.
