Hi Jim:

 

Ah, they did have adjutants at the battalion/regimental level. To my knowledge, G designations begin at divisional level and S designations were below.

Marion,

You are correct. That will teach me to work off the top of my head when I should go check the records. The S-1 was indeed the Adjutant, and at the battalion level was also the commander of the battalion headquarters company. I assume this is the same for the regimental level.

I was not confused about the difference between the G and S levels. I simply assumed that was a given.

Thanks for the correction.

Jim

Marion,

 

You are correct. That will teach me to work off the top of my head when I should go check the records. The S-1 was indeed the Adjutant, and at the battalion level was also the commander of the battalion headquarters company. I assume this is the same for the regimental level.

Hi Jim:

 

This confusion over the words "Personnel" vs "Adjustant" appears to stem from the terminology found in the FMs themselves. For example the FM for the armored infantry battalion uses the term "Personnel Adjutant." I suppose the term has simply been shortened to "Personnel" in some of the official and non-official literature. Hence the interchangeability of these two terms.

 

I was not confused about the difference between the G and S levels. I simply assumed it was a given.

 

Thanks for the correction.

 

Jim

Hello everyone.

Since I had never seen the term "Adjutant" used to designate the G-1/S-1 in any of the primary source documents I've read over the years I decided to look a little further into the matter.

Here is a little more information about the use of the term "Personnel" to refer to the G-1/S-1 staff position.

338.3.1 Records of European Theater of Operations U.S. Army

(ETOUSA)/U.S. Forces European Theater (USFET)

Textual Records (reallocated to RG 498): Decimal correspondence, interrogation reports, personnel rosters, awards files, and other records, 1941-47, of the General Staff Secretary; the following general staff sections: G-1 (Personnel), G-2 (Intelligence), G-3 (Operations), and G-4 (Logistics); the following special staff sections for administrative matters: Adjutant General (including the Postal Division), Civil Affairs, Finance, Historical, Judge Advocate General, Provost Marshal, and Public Relations; the following special staff sections for technical matters: Engineer, Ordnance, Quartermaster, Signal, Surgeon General (Medical), and Transportation; the General Board; the General Purchasing Agency; Theater Service Forces European Theater; and Communications Zone ETOUSA. Escape and evasion reports of the MIS-X (Military Intelligence Service, Escape and Evasion Section) Detachment, 1943-45.

[url=" http://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/338.html#338.3. 1"[/url]

A check of the glossaries contained in several US Army in WWII publications of the US Army Center of Military History ("Green Books") shows the use of the term "Personnel" for the G-1 staff position for divisional and higher headquarters.

Of course, the S-1 term is the same as the G-1, but for units small than divisions.

Hopefully this clarifies that "Personnel" was the standard term for G-1/S-1 rather than "Adjutant."

Always great to have further clarification. My forum members like to stay on top of things.