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by Erin E. Thompson, USAICoE Staff Historian
T. SGT. DEWING ASSIGNED TO ATC DETACHMENT IN TURKEY
In April 1944, T. Sgt. Charles W. Dewing of the 706th Counter Intelligence Corps (CIC) Detachment was assigned to the North African Division, Air Transport Command (ATC), stationed in Adana, Turkey. Over the next several months, his exemplary service there and his work during one of the first conflicts of the Greek Civil War earned him the Legion of Merit.
Born in California in 1913, Charles Wilson Dewing had a varied career as a news editor, broadcaster, and freelance writer before enlisting in the U.S. Army in 1941. He was later assigned to the U.S. Army Air Forces’ 706th CIC Detachment. The 706th was attached to the ATC, which oversaw the mobilization of military and commercial airlines for military transport operations during World War II. The CIC supported the ATC by providing security and investigating cases of suspicious persons and suspected sabotage of planes. According to "History of the Counter Intelligence Corps," the 706th CIC Detachment “had probably the most widespread operations of any CIC unit and handled an enormous volume of cases” due to the ATC’s worldwide operations.
In April 1944, Sergeant Dewing was assigned to Detachment E, North African Division, ATC, in Turkey. Soon after arriving in Adana, Dewing was praised by Col. (later Brig. Gen.) Harold Harris, the ATC chief of staff, for his “clear and concise” reports on the relationships between the U.S. State Department, military personnel, and Turkish authorities. According to Colonel Harris, “The manner in which Special Agent Dewing carried out his mission … is most commendable and reflects great credit upon the Counter Intelligence Corps of the entire Command.”
After the liberation of Greece in August 1944, Sergeant Dewing was sent to Athens upon the activation of an ATC detachment there. He served as an advisor to the detachment’s commanding officer and as a liaison between British, Greek, and American diplomats and intelligence personnel. Dewing’s assignment allowed him firsthand observation of the outbreak of conflict between rival resistance elements in Greece in December 1944.
Germany had invaded the Balkans in the spring of 1941, and a brutal guerrilla war commenced across Yugoslavia and Greece. Two of the largest organizations in Greece, the pro-communist National Liberation Front (EAM) and the non-communist National Republican Greek League (EDES), worked alongside British forces throughout the early 1940s. However, the liberation of Greece by the Soviets in August 1944 brought pro- and anticommunist ideologies to a head, sparking a violent conflict in December between the EAM, the EDES, and various other anticommunist groups, the British Army, and the Greek national government that left thousands dead and wounded.
Dewing’s presence in Athens directly violated an American agreement with the Soviets barring intelligence personnel from serving in the Balkans. Still, Dewing reported to the CIC on the growing tensions in Greece and the eventual outbreak of violence in December. His work as a liaison also put him in a position to help arrange a meeting between resistance leaders and Prime Minister Winston Churchill when the latter arrived to personally intervene later that month.
While traveling in Greece in December, Dewing’s vehicle struck a mortar, resulting in the loss of sight in one of his eyes. Despite this traumatic injury, Dewing remained in his position until he was relieved one month later at the end of the brief but deadly conflict. For his service from April 1944 to January 1945, Dewing later received the Legion of Merit. The award citation noted he “displayed unusual powers of discernment, tact, and sound judgment in the exceptional manner in which he handled the difficult problems of his assignment.” His intelligence reports while serving in Turkey were highlighted as “the basis of information for briefing all American personnel traveling through Turkey,” and his work in Greece, including his determination to remain after suffering severe injury, were lauded for their “outstanding value” to the ATC and the war effort.
Dewing left military service with the same rank of technical sergeant after the war. He passed away in California in 1976.
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| Date Taken: | 03.28.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 03.28.2025 16:07 |
| Story ID: | 494049 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 25 |
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