California Militia and National Guard Unit Histories

1st Evacuation Regiment
(California State Guard)

 

Woodies going to War! An inspection of the 1st Evacuation Regiment, February 1942

Also known as the 1st Evacuation Corps, the "Station Wagon Brigade" was formed in response to the fears that the anticipated Japanese invasion would require a massive evacuation of Southern California. Sort of like the “taxicab army” of the First World War, it was planned to organize and use civilian station wagons to evacuate families and individuals without personal transportation. In February 1942, the regiment conducted a major training exercise when it convoyed from its home station to a movie set located in Calabasas. The set portrayed "Fort Abraham Lincoln", in the Errol Flynn movie, They Died With Their Boots On.

 

Many Hollywood actors and musicians were among the Regiment’s members:

• Rudie Vallee, band leader and singer.
• Ceasar Romero, the Joker in the original Batman TV series.
• Cliff Arquette, who made appearances on Jack Paar's Tonight Show as Charlie Weaver.
• Buster Keaton, who served with Company B, 159th Infantry Regiment, 40th Division in World War I.
• Robert Young, lead actor in Marcus Welby, MD.
• Donald Crisp, formerly served with the British Army's 10th Hussars during the Boer War and the British Intelligence Corps during World War I.
• Lewis Stone, then appearing as Judge Hardy in the Andy Hardy films, was their commander with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Lt. Col. Stone was a veteran of both the Spanish American War and World War I.

 

The regiment was mustered out of service as a State Guard unit on 27 March 1942 in accordance with General Orders Number 20, California Adjutant General's Office. However, it was immediately reestablished as a licensed militia company in the California State Militia with the Adjutant General issuing a license on 16 May 1942. The regiment continued to serve until Governor Earl Warren's reorganization of the State Guard and the deactivation of the State Militia. The regiment had its license revoked and was officially disbanded on 31 July 1943 in accordance with Adjutant General's Office General Orders No. 202.

Officers of the regiment wore the insignia of World War I Motor Transport Corps as a branch insignia.

 

 

Online images from Life Magazine

 

 

 

 

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Updated 19 July 2017