RG 156 - Office of Chief of Ordnance, General Administrative Files -
Anniston Ordnance Depot

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General Administrative Files, 1944-1966 National Archives Identifier 7130369
This series contains general orders, correspondence, reports, brochures, manuals, plans, regulations, standard operating procedures, and photographs of the Anniston Army Depot in Anniston, Alabama. Records in this series concern subjects related to conferences, training, weapons, equipment, facilities, organizational structures, and the management improvement program. The photographs depict workers, ordnance production facilities, and firing ranges.

Box 1

           General Orders – Minutes of Conference

Folders 1-14: General Orders

▪ Assumption of Command of Anniston Ordnance Depot (1953-65)

▪ Fort McPherson, GA Coordinates (1932)

 

Folder 15: Special Orders

▪ Appointments of duties

▪ Examples of women: Margaret Jamison, Member of “Standing Grievance Committee” (17 April 1959) Special Orders Number 17

 

Folder 16: General Correspondence (1956)

▪ Spot Checks and Technical Inspections of Engineer Equipment

▪ Request for Policy; Programs, Problems, and Activities

▪ Ability to Absorb Additional Workload (April 1956)

▪ Engineered Performance Time Standards Program (June 1956)

 

Folder 17: Public Information Activities (1954)

▪ News and photos released to Newspapers, Periodicals, Radio, TV, etc.

- Community related activities (June 1954)

- Invites organizations in the surrounding communities to visit the depot and hold meetings in the depot’s officers’ Club

- Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts, Anniston Kiwanis Club

 

Folders 18-20: Reports of Army Medical Service Activities (1954-58)

 

Folder 21: Brochure on M48 Series Tank (1955-56)

▪ Shipped from Chrysler Tank Plant, Newark, Delaware (Feb 1955)

 

Folder 22: Brochure on Canvas and Leather Shop Facilities (1956)

▪ Includes Production Schedule, Manpower, and Photographs

▪ Uses borrowed employees

▪ Copies of Photos: Exhibit 5 (29 photos)

-Includes women sewing

 

Folder 23: Command Report Final (1954)

▪ Mentions types of entertainment at the post

 

Folder 24: Distribution Area Supply Conference (1953)

▪ Includes minutes of the conference, problems relating to ordnance supply, and letters to the representatives of all Ordnance Stock Control Points and Office

 

Folder 25: Minutes of Conference on Unit Pack Training (1953)

 

Folder 26: Distribution Area Supply Conference (1954) – Letters to Representatives

 

Box 2

Folders 1-3:

▪ Facilities Control Files (1944-45)

▪ 2 Final Project Ownership Maps

▪ Minutes of Conferences (1956-1958)

 

Folders 4-10:

▪ Facilities Control Files 1950-1953

▪ Installation, shipping, layouts

▪ (Folder 4) Dispatching and Routing of Materials Handling Equipment, Management Analysis Branch (1950-1)

- “There is little control over materials after they have left the buildings, and frequently get lost.” (27 Sept 1950)

▪ (Folder 7) Photographs of Warehouse 104

- 9 photos; includes women working

▪ (Folder 9) Layout Model Shop for M-46 Power Train Rebuild (1951-2)

- Envelope with 4 photos (Feb 1953)

-Shows machine and men working (includes African American worker)

 

Box 3

 

Facilities Control Files (1950-1956)

▪ Lists of Buildings and Facilities, Reservation Maps, Site Plans, Inventory

▪ Folder 4:

-Letter to Mayor of Anniston including statistics and facts (Sept 1955)

▪ Folder 6:

-Siting of Yurt Igloos (Jan 1955)




Box 4

 

Facilities Control Files (1951-1961)

▪ Minutes of Meeting, Progress Reports

▪ Fences, Leases, Requests for Land

▪ Layouts and Site Plans

▪ Folder 6:

- Relayout of General Equipment Shop, Bldg. 108 (53-54)

- Copy of Photo (1952)

▪ Folder 9:

- Lease for Agricultural or Grazing Purposes on Coosa River Ordnance Plant Military Reservation

- Made between Plant and Anthony Studdard (individual)

Box 5

 

Manuals (1955-1957)

▪ Folder 1: Supply Manual (General Supplies) 1956

▪ Folders 2-4: Organizational Manuals (Record Set) 1956-7

▪ Folder 5: Anniston Ordnance Depot Supply Manual (Record Set) 1957




Box 6

Organization Manuals (1958-1960)

▪ Folders 1-4:

- Organization Manual (1958)

- Supply Manual (1960)

 

Box 7

Manuals (1961-1963)

 

Folders 1-3:

▪ Organizational Manuals

 

Box 8

Operating Files – Newspapers (1956-1964)

 

Folders 1-4:

▪ Operating Program Briefing Files

▪ Organizational Manuals (1964-66)

Folders 5-7:

▪ Planning and Construction

▪ Emergency/Mobilization Plans

Folder 8:

▪ Newspapers (1956)

▪ Employee Information Letter (1956)

- Story of “Sick Leave”  (9 February 1956)

- Information on uniforms of Guards, Firefighters, and Nurses; uniforms are tax free (15 April 1956)

 

Box 9

Operations Planning Files, Supplies, Maintenance, Depot Missions, Organization, Disposition, Mission Activities, Progress Reports

 

Folder 1:

▪ Missions, Ordnance Corps (1955)

▪ Extract from “Ordnance” Magazine (May-June 1954)

-“The Ordnance Mission Today” provides a great overview of the mission after World War II

Folders 4-5:

▪ 1954-55 “A Report of Service to the Anniston Ordnance Depot, Anniston, Alabama”

-Contract statistician (Harold E. Klontz, Ph.D. Professor of Business Statistics, Alabama Polytechnic Institute) employed to analyze and improve service

 

Box 10

Organization Planning Files – Program Analysis Reports to Regulations (1954-1964)

 

Folder 7:

▪ Management Improvement Program Report (1955)

-2 Photos: Ammunition storage in igloos

 

Folders 8-10:

▪ Depot Regulations (1954)

- Prohibited Activities and Articles – fishing

- Housing regulations – pets (female dogs not allowed to run around while in heat)

 

Box 11

Regulations and Standing Operating Procedures (1953-1965)

 

Accidents involving ammunition (regulations)

 

Box 12-16

Standard Operating Procedures (1954-1964)

 

Box 17

Standard Operating Procedures (1964-1965) and Still Picture Files (1953-1955)

 

Folder 5:

▪ Still Picture Files (1953) Dock Cranes, Delta Shipyard, New Orleans, LA

▪ 6 photos of 35, 45, and 50 ton cranes (from report of visit to shipyard)

 

Folder 6:

▪Still Picture Files (1954-1955) Coordinate Planning for G5 Building Program

▪ 1 photo of men working with conveyors

▪ Drawings and blueprints

 

Folder 7:

▪ Still Picture Files (1952-1953) Layout MIS of Engine and Power Train Assemblies; Bldg. 127

▪ 19 photos – men working, machines and parts (with duplicates)

 

Box 18

Still Picture Files and Training Operations Files (1954-1961)

 

Folder 1:

▪ Still Picture Files (1954-1956) Water Target for Small Arms Function Firing, Project M-519

▪ Received Augusta Arsenal’s small arms mission after the mission closed (went to Augusta in 1944 to gather all data)

▪ 11 photos of old small arms shop (2), old function firing range (2), new small arms shop (7); Also features African American workers

▪ Drawings and layouts

 

Folder 2:

▪ Still Picture Files (1954-1955) Management Improvement Program Report

▪ 4 photos of Assembly Line, Building 362, Men working with conveyors

 

Folder 3:

▪ Still Picture Files (1956) Trip Reports (1956)

▪ Trip report on renovation team in Pakistan (11 July 1956)

- Dispose of hazardous ammunition, set up renovation lines and operations, train troops in renovation of ammunition

- 27 photos: dumping of unserviceable ammunition at sea, fuze operation, 75MM shell operations, 155MM shell operations

- Pakistan workers included

- Visits to Pensacola, Pittsburgh, Raritan NJ, Rock Island, Savanna IL, Sunny Point, Tooele, Third Army (Fort McPherson, GA), Tuscaloosa, Washington DC

 

Box 19

Standard Operating Procedures and Operating Program Progress Report Files (1955-1960)

 

Folder 2:

▪ Standing Operating Procedures (1953-1954)

▪ Demilitarization, removal, detonation, burning

 

Box 20

Training Operations Files (1960-1963)

 

Folders 1-3:

▪ Emergency Test and Exercise Files (1960-1963)