The establishment of field groups was also part of the BEB's new research program of the 

 postwar 1940's.* Originally, it was envisioned that there would be four such groups: One 

 each for the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coasts, and the fourth for the shores of the Great 

 Lakes and other areas where needed. Their work was to include hydrographic surveying, 

 beach research, and data collection, as well as involvement in the wave gage program which 

 had commenced about the same time. Although this entire plan was not put into operation 

 due to lack of sufficient funding, two field groups, with Jay V. Hall, Jr., in charge, were 

 organized under the Field Research Section of the Engineering and Research Branch of the 

 agency. These operated effectively for several years. 



In early January 1947, the first group was sent to Pensacola, Florida,^'* where it 

 remained for several months on Santa Rosa Island. This initial field activity at Pensacola 

 involved a proof test of the water transparency method of depth determination and thus 

 differed from the work done at other locations by the field groups. In the year that 

 followed, these men worked at several sites along the Atlantic coast, including Manasquan, 

 New Jersey, and Hollywood Beach, Florida. In February 1948, the group was sent to the 

 west coast to set up operations at Long Beach, California. They remained in this general area 

 for about the next 3 years, gathering a variety of data at beaches along a 130-mile stretch 

 from Santa Monica to San Diego, California.^ '^^ 



In the meantime, a second field group was created in mid-March 1948. These men were 

 sent to Long Branch, New Jersey, and worked there until November of that same year. This 

 group, using the BEB office as a home base, continued to engage in field activities at several 

 beach locations along the east coast during 1949 and 1950.^*^ 



These field operations required a large amount of various kinds of equipment, much of 

 which was war surplus. This included such items as: large, amphibious vehicles known as 

 DUKW's used for plying tlie surf zone; a tractor-trailer, which served as an office while in 

 the field; jeeps; echo-sounding gear, along with other surveying, measuring, and sampling 

 instruments (Figs. 43 and 44). At the peak of the field program, the BEB had a fleet of 10 

 DUKW's. The operation and maintenance of the field equipment was the responsibility 

 of several men including George P. Magill, Adrian D. Wrenn, and Clyde Shepherd. Field crew 

 chiefs were William J. Herron, Jr. and later Robert L. Harris. Figure 45 is a picture of one of 

 the field crews while at Long Branch, New Jersey. 



The field groups were a rather expensive undertaking. It is not surprising, therefore, that 

 with the effects of the Korean War being felt in otlier areas of the BEB research program, 

 these activities were also curtailed. In May 1951, for example, the work in California was 

 terminated.^ ^^ 



Gradually, the Corps' District personnel were assigned the responsibility for performing 

 the hydrographic surveying. The BEB field researchers continued to work at various beach 



*Thc field group activity is one example of an idea that had been proposed during the niid-1930's but for which 

 financial support had not been forthcoming at that time. 



64 



