152nd Depot Brigade

Purpose

Depot Brigades (D.B.) organized for World War I included: 151st (Camp Devens); 152nd (Camp Upton); 153rd (Camp Dix); 154th (Camp Meade); 155th (Camp Lee); 156th (Camp Jackson); 157th (Camp Gordon); 158th (Camp Sherman); 159th (Camp Taylor); 160th (Camp Custer); 161st (Camp Grant); 162nd (Camp Pike); 163rd (Camp Dodge); 164th (Camp Funston); 165th (Camp Travis); 166th (Camp Lewis); and 167th (Camp McClellan).

The role of the Depot Brigades was to receive and organize recruits, provide them with uniforms, equipment and initial military training, and then send them to France to fight on the front lines. The Depot Brigades also received soldiers returning home at the end of the war and completed their out processing and discharges.

Depot Brigades were organized into numbered battalions (1st Battalion, 2nd Battalion, etc.), which in turn were organized into numbered companies.

History

Camp Upton was constructed as a training base for World War I. Work took place from June to September, 1917. The 152nd Depot Brigade was organized in 1917, shortly after construction of Camp Upton was completed.

Commanders

Individuals known to have commanded the 152nd Depot Brigade include: Major General George Windle Read (August to December, 1917); Brigadier General John E. Woodward (December 9 to 19, 1917); Brigadier General George Henson Estes, Jr. (March 6 to April 10, 1918); Brigadier General George Davis Moore (April 30 to May 15, 1918); Brigadier General Edward Sigerfoos; and Brigadier General William J. Nicholson.

Association with prominent individuals

Irving Berlin wrote the musical revue Yip Yip Yaphank, including the song Oh! How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning while assigned to a unit of the 152nd Depot Brigade at Camp Upton in 1918.

Deactivation

The Depot Brigades, including the 152nd, were deactivated in the Spring of 1919, after completing out processing and discharges for soldiers returning home at the end of the war.