California Militia and National Guard Unit Histories

History of the California State Militia, 1942-1943

 

 

Shoulder sleeve insignia of the California State Militia, 1942-1943

 

 

History of the California State Militia

by Sgt. Maj. (CA) Daniel M. Sebby, Military Historian, California Military Department

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Californians were anxious about the defense of their state from possible attacks by the Japanese. This was concern was heightened during Christmas week of 1941 when submarines of the Imperial Japanese Navy began attacking commercial shipping along the West Coast of the United States and Canada. Several ships were attacked, and many were sunk. Later in February 1942, the IJN returned to California waters to again attack commercial shipping and launch a gunfire attack on the Ellwood Oil Fields, north of Santa Barbara. These attacks, coupled with the panic caused by a possible INJ overflight of Los Angeles on the night of 24-25 February 1942, caused many officials to believe that California was about to be invaded.

Although California already had the California State Guard, the force that replaced the then Federalized California National Guard, that had 13 infantry regiments and supporting troops, these troops were primarily in major metropolitan areas and then only two of these were in Northern California. These left large portions of rural California where there were no Army, Marine Corps or State Guard land forces to guard important infrastructure and lines of communications. Governor Olson envisioned a 100,000-member force of rural Californians guarding bridges, telephone and power lines, natural gas, oil and water pipelines and other infrastructure from sabotage and possible invasion.

On 24 April 1942, Governor Culbert Olson authorized the formation of a tertiary state defense force known as the California State Militia (CSM). Like the antebellum and Civil War-era California Militia (1849-1866), the CSM would consist of locally raised independent licensed military units. The CSM numbered over 300 units ranging in size from a rifle squad to an reinforced infantry battalion. These were almost universally infantry formations known as "Rifles" (i.e., Red Bluff Rifles, Arvin Rifles, etc.). There were also a handful of cavalry troops and even a coast artillery searchlight battery.

Although primarily a rural defense force, the State Militia allowed units to be formed in the same areas of operation that California State Guard regiments operated in. The CSM also allowed may ethnic units to be formed from the African-American, Hispanic, Chinese, Korean and Filipino communities, as well as at least one unit of Free French nationals known as the California Foreign Legion.

It appears that units, although formed and functioning, did not receive their licenses from the Adjutant General until the fall of 1942. Units were formed by American Legion and VFW posts, county sheriffs, city and county defense councils and groups of concerned citizens. In one case, the Army Air Forces' Sacramento Air Depot at McClellen Field organized many of its civilian workers into four rifles companies to augment its air base defense forces.

Unfortunately, the CSM suffered from a lack of funding and equipment and was almost universally self-equipped by unit members. There was no standard issued weapons and "rifle" units using personal hunting rifles and shotguns was the norm. One member of the St. Helena Rifles even reported for duty with a Civil War-era .50 caliber Spencer Repeating Rifle and bayonet. The proscribed uniform of the CSM was the standard Army khaki uniform with a one-inch wide navy blue band on the cuffs of their shirts and jackets. Officers had navy blue shoulder straps on their shirts and coats and the "CAL." Or "C.S.M." insignia in place of the Army's "U.S.". In practice, it's not know if this was regulation was generally followed.

In 1942, the California State Guard underwent a reorganization that dropped the 1st Quartermaster Regiment, 1st Engineer Regiment, 1st Evacuation Regiment and several smaller support units from their order of battle. Many of these units were almost immediately reestablished in the State Militia as licensed units. These were almost universally in Los Angeles County.

In 1943, Earl Warren became Governor and Commander in Chief of the state's military forces and ordered a review of the roles and missions of both the CSG and CSM. This resulted in a reorganization and expansion of the CSG into many rural communities and replacing its active defense mission to one of internal security. Many CSM units were transferred to the new CSG force structure while the rest were disbanded. On 1 October 1943, the Adjutant General revoked all outstanding licenses and the California State Militia ceased to exist.

The history of the California State Militia has never been documented officially. All that exists are some mentions in the 1946 History of the California State Guard, a handful of primary source documents and about 2,000 news articles on the internet. If you know of any information or images of the CSM, please contact the author at daniel.sebby@militarymuseum.org.

 

 

Other Online Historical Resources

 

Rules and Regulations: California State Militia and Licensed Military Companies (1942)

 

 

Units of the California State Militia, 24 April 1942-1 October 1943

Alameda County

• Hayward
  • Hayward Rifles
• Livermore
  • Livermore Valley Rifles

Yuba County

• Arboga
  • Arboga Rifles
• Marysville
  • 4th Observation Squadron
• Yuba City
  • Barry Volunteers
    

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Updated 8 May 2020