World War II's command headquarters for
General George S. Patton's huge Desert Training Center, established
for the training of troops in desert warfare, was estahlished
sometime in 1942. It was located not far south of Indio, Riverside
County, near the present junction of U.S. 10 and State Route195,
where the Cottonwood Springs Road runs up through the Joshua
Tree National Monument.
History
In early March of 1942 the War Department
ordered Major General George Smith Patton, Jr., U.S. Army, to
locate, create, equip, and command a desert training center in
California to prepare troops to fight the Nazis in North Africa.
These Army ground and air forces were to become skilled in desert
warfare.
The area chosen in the Mojave Desert was ultimately 350 miles
wide and 250 miles deep. On 20 June 1942 the War Department acquired
the land from the Department of the Interior by Public Land Order
No. 1. The area included several sections in Riverside County,
ranging from Indio, California to Arizona and from Las Vegas
to Yuma. On May 12, 1942, by announcement of General Orders No.
7, the Desert Training Center was named Camp Young. On January
27, 1943, by announcement of General Orders No. 8, Camp Young
"proper" (3,279.89 acres) became the Headquarters of
the Desert Training Center/California-Arizona
Maneuver Area (DTC/CAMA). By November 1943 CAMA had enlarged
and included Camp Young, Camp Coxcomb,
Camp Iron Mountain, Camp
Granite, Camp Essex (later renamed
Camp Clipper), Camp Ibis, Camp
Hyder, Camp Horn, Camp Laguna, Camp
Pilot Knob, Camp Bouse and several bombing and artillery
ranges.
CAMA was divided into a Communication
Zone and a Combat Zone. The Communications Zone surrounds and
entirely encloses the Combat Zone. Those areas within the perimeter
of the Communication Zone are not really maneuver areas. Camp
Young was located outside the Combat Zone, within the Communication
Zone (Desert Area Recreation Survey, Geography of Desert Training
Center 1943).
Between 800,000 and 1,000,000 soldiers
prepared for warfare at the CAMA. Camp Young was the administrative
headquarters and the focal point of the maneuvers area for General
Patton's 3rd Armored Division. The overwhelming focus of the
training was on tank warfare. Camp Young remained the focal point
for the CAMA until the closure of the center in 1944. In January
1943 per General Order No. 9, First Headquarters Special Troops
was organized to supervise training and administer non-divisional
units, except Field-Artillery, in the desert. Due to the large
area of the CAMA, three additional Special Troops Headquarters
were created to control and supervise. The 601st Engineer Camouflage
Battalion was assigned to Camp Young December 1942. Also, stationed
at Camp Young was the IV Corps Command Headquarters. From October
1943 to January 1944 the primary mission of the headquarters
transitioned from purely training activities to almost 100% Preparation
and Movement of units for Overseas Shipment (POM).
A series of 13 ranges was constructed
south and west of Camp Young. The ranges were designed for small
caliber arms and for mortar fire including 37mm, 75mm, and 155mm
(Camp Young Range n.d.). Shavers Army
Airfield (a small runway) was built east of and adjacent
to Camp Young.
Almost all the land acquired for the California
- Arizona Maneuver Area was declared surplus by the War Department
on 16 March 1944. The land acquired for the Camp Young site was
relinquished on 14 January 1947 to the Department of the Interior
by Public Land Order No. 342. The Camp Young site consists of
3,279.89 acres.
Known
Units at Camp Young
252nd Italian Quartermaster Salvage Repair
Company.
California State Military
Department