The Mixed Service Organisation (MSO) was a civilian arm of the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) which employed displaced persons as drivers, clerks, mechanics and guards. Originally formed as Watchman and labour units in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War the MSO employed citizens of Eastern European nations occupied by the Soviets. These former prisoners of war, concentration camp inmates and forced labourers were left in western sectors of occupied Germany at the end of the war and chose not to return to their countries of origin. Whilst some displaced persons only worked with the organisation for a short time others stayed until retirement age. The MSO was organised in a structure similar to British Colonial Units, with a British Commanding Officer and senior Non-commissioned officers operating over a 'native' officer and NCO structure. Whilst the Transport Service was disbanded in the late 1980s the MSO Guard and Labour Services continued into the 1990s using guest labour from Turkey, Pakistan and other Non-EU Countries.

Members of the MSO were known affectionately as "Mojos" by British servicemen.

Composition

The MSO was divided into several specialist services:

MSO Armed Guard Service, guarding army installations (wore navy blue Battle Dress

Battle Dress

Battle Dress was the specific title of a military uniform adopted by the British Army in the late 1930s and worn until the 1960s. Several other nations also introduced variants of Battle Dress during the Second World War, including Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, South Africa, and the...

 uniforms and armed with obsolete .303 calibre Lee Enfield rifles)

MSO Dog Handlers, guarding army installations.

MSO Labour Service, providing manual labour, controlled by the Royal Pioneer Corps

Royal Pioneer Corps

The Royal Pioneer Corps was a British Army combatant corps used for light engineering tasks.The Royal Pioneer Corps was raised on 17 October 1939 as the Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps. It was renamed the Pioneer Corps on 22 November 1940...

.

MSO Transport Service, driving 4 and 10 ton lorries, coaches and tank transporters, controlled by the Royal Army Service Corps

Royal Army Service Corps

The Royal Army Service Corps was a corps of the British Army. It was responsible for land, coastal and lake transport; air despatch; supply of food, water, fuel, and general domestic stores such as clothing, furniture and stationery ; administration of...

 then the Royal Corps of Transport

Royal Corps of Transport

The Royal Corps of Transport was a British Army Corps formed in 1965 from the transport elements of the Royal Army Service Corps and the movement control element of the Royal Engineers . The depot was Buller Barracks in Aldershot...

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External links

• http://baor-locations.com/brixtoncamp.aspx
• http://www.j.a.oakley.btinternet.co.uk/MSOBadge.htm
• http://www.langeleben.co.uk/images/draftproject/h_mso_57.jpg