DI Examples

[Pat Holscher]

Photographs courtesy of Dallas. Thanks Dallas!





Text courtesy of Dallas:

Here are photos of the shoulder cord that was worn by the members of the 105th Cavalry Regt. (Wisconsin NG). This cord was approved May 29, 1923. It was worn under the epaulette of the left shoulder of the uniform. This cord is owned by a gentleman in Wisconsin who graciously sent me the photos.

[Pat Holscher]

Photographs courtesy of Dallas. Thanks Dallas!





Text courtesy of Dallas:

Here are photos of the shoulder cord that was worn by the members of the 105th Cavalry Regt. (Wisconsin NG). This cord was approved May 29, 1923. It was worn under the epaulette of the left shoulder of the uniform. This cord is owned by a gentleman in Wisconsin who graciously sent me the photos.

How did this unusual exception to the rule come about?

[stablesgt]

Pat,
To answer your question, there would have to be an investigation of the unit's file at the Army's Institute of Heraldry to ascertain why a distinctive trim rather than a metal distinctive insignia was chosen. However, such an item is not unusual, just scarce. The 3rd Infantry still wears today their original insignia, which is in the form of a single loop, but they have also picked up somewhere along the line a metal distinctive insignia (tricorn hat on a torse) which is worn in addition to the loop.

[stablesgt]

Kerry, This is the DUI for the Army Air Corps 9th Bombardment Group which prior to 1936 was designated as the 9th Observation Group. By pinback, do you mean it has a brooch type hinged pin and catch or does it have two upright pins with tinny clutch fasteners "clutchback" (sometimes people describe something as pinback when it is really clutchback)? In the photo, the gold parts look like they have a chrome finish rather than frosted gilt. If pinback , can you unhook the catch without removing it from the hat and flip it up on its hinge to see if there are any markings on the back?

[kerry savee]

Thanks for the info, Stable Sgt. This DI has been driving me nuts. Yes, this is a brooch type pin back. I did as you suggested and flipped it up. There are very tiny raised lettering near the catch that spells AMCRAFT.

[Pat Holscher]

Thanks for the info, Stable Sgt. This DI has been driving me nuts. Yes, this is a brooch type pin back. I did as you suggested and flipped it up. There are very tiny raised lettering near the catch that spells AMCRAFT.

I ran a search on "Semper Peratus" after you posted this, and couldn't find the DI. But I was surprised how often that motto has been used on Army DIs.

[kerry savee]

Semper Peratus - "Always Ready". Yes, this phrase is a popular one. They all seem to play on two main themes: vigilance and honor. When I did my search I looked mainly at cavalry and infantry. I hadn't considered the Army Air Corps. It never occured to me that they wore Stetson's with DIs too.

[stablesgt]

Kerry,
The Amcraft piece is WWII or earlier and common. There is a variant of the DUI made by NS Meyer that is different and reportedly WWII or later. Amcraft made items, in my opinion, always look just a little jintzy compared to other makers' products, so not surprised by the chromey look now that I know it is Amcraft. Lest any reader get the misimpression that I can identify any and all DUIs, I only have references for cavalry/armor and aircorps. The latter for a separate interest in preWWII Philippine units.

[Pat Holscher]

Semper Peratus - "Always Ready". Yes, this phrase is a popular one. They all seem to play on two main themes: vigilance and honor. When I did my search I looked mainly at cavalry and infantry. I hadn't considered the Army Air Corps. It never occured to me that they wore Stetson's with DIs too.

I'm not too sure that I'd necessarily assume the DI is original to the hat, or at least actually used. Except for mounted units, campaign hats were increasingly uncommon after the 1940 call up. That isn't to say there was no use, as there certainly was, particularly in the 1940 to mid 1942 time frame.

Anyhow, when did this particular USAAC unit see service in WWII?

[stablesgt]

Pat,
You may have miscontrued my comment. This particular Amcraft piece is no later than WWII, it could have been made in the 1930s and thus legitimately worn on a campaign hat as the 9th was a Regular Army unit that pre-existed the war. The ensemble could also be a put-together. No way to verify until the unit Lt. D.E. Philips was assigned to is identified. Readily done if someone has a late 1930s or early 40s Army Directory or knows how to penetrate the on-line material of the National Archives, Library of Congress, Carlilse Barracks to see if an Army Directory is accessible.

[Pat Holscher]

Pat,
You may have miscontrued my comment. This particular Amcraft piece is no later than WWII, it could have been made in the 1930s and thus legitimately worn on a campaign hat as the 9th was a Regular Army unit that pre-existed the war. The ensemble could also be a put-together. No way to verify until the unit Lt. D.E. Philips was assigned to is identified. Readily done if someone has a late 1930s or early 40s Army Directory or knows how to penetrate the on-line material of the National Archives, Library of Congress, Carlilse Barracks to see if an Army Directory is accessible.

Rich, I think I just wasn't paying enough attention. Thanks for the clarification.

Prior to WWII, a campaign hat wouldn't have been an odd thing in a USAAC unit, to be sure.

[rayarthart]

Of the Infantry units that wore a ribbon instead of a DI was the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry ( Stationed in Aschaffenburg Germany) We wore a ribbon that was red/Blue/ red.

[Pat Holscher]

Originally posted by dallas
According to the December 1973 Armor-Cavalry DI Catalog published by ASMIC, there was a DI for the 1st Armored Car Squadron. It was listed as "C" Class which meant that it was worn by the unit but was not approved by The Institute of Heraldry or its predecessors. The latest Armor-Cavalry Catalog published in April 1999 shows the same DI as being for the 1st Separate Cavalry Squadron, a unit of the Rhode Island NG in the period from 1922 to 1939 and also being "C" Class. This indicates to me that the piece was cataloged erroneously in the 1973 catalog. If anyone has any better information I would like to see it. Regarding the SSI worn by the 1st AC Sqdn, I have a copy of a requisition from the QM of the 1st Cav. Div. to QM at Ft. Sam Houston, TX dated Oct. 29, 1934 requesting SSI for the various units of the 1st Cav. Div. A Type 6 SSI was specified for Ordnance, Signal Corps, Medical Troops and Troop A, 1st Armored Car Sqdn. In the letter dated January 5, 1922 from the Adjutant General to the Quartermaster General approving the 1st Cavalry Division SSI, the following is noted: Ordnance, Signal Corps and Medical Troops wore the SSI with black horse's head and the bend similar to that for Engineers which called for the bend with a white stripe one-tenth of an inch wide on either side of the bend. I can't find any thing regarding the colors for the Type 6 SSI but I am guessing that the 1st AC Sqdn wore the yellow shield with black head and a bend with a narrow stripe on either side but I don't know the colors.
Dallas

I've got a book that shows 68 versions of the 1st Cavalry Division patch, but they don't go back to the days of the Armored Car Squadron. Wish I could post them, but they are copyrighted. Some of the patches listed coincide with the 1st Cav DI's posted by Pat. The bend with two stars is listed as Division Commander. Two versions of this one, with one having a dark border around the shield.

The blue bend is listed as HQ Troop, but there is a second version with a dark border on the shield listed as HQ & HQ Co.

The bend with one star and red horse head is listed as 1st Bde Commander.

The bend with one star and blue horse head is listed 2nd Bde Commander.

Signal Troop has 4 versions. #1 has a bend consisting of a narrow center stripe of red, two narrow white stripes, then two slightly wider red stripes on the outside. #2 has a bend consisting of a narrow center stripe of blue flanked by two narrow red stripes with two narrow blue stripes on the outside. #3 has a wide white stripe flanked by two wide red stripes. #4 has a narrow red center, flanked by two slightly wider white stripes, then two red.

Ordnance Troop has two versions, one with dark border, one without. It shows a yellow bend flanked by red stripes.

QM Troop/ QM Div Trains has 3 versions, all with white bend flanked by blue stripes.

Below are listed the different versions of the patch from the book:

STANDARD 1ST CAV DIV

COMBAT VETERAN (reversed of standard version)

A. G. BORDER [?]

DIVISION COMMANDER (x2)

HQ & HQ Co

HEADQUARTERS TROOP

ARTILLERY BDE

ENGINEER TROOP

ENGINEERS

QM TROOP (x2)

QM DIV TRAINS

AVIATION TROOP

MEDICAL TROOP (x2)

CHEMICAL SECTION[xx(]

ORDNANCE TROOP (x2)

SIGNAL TROOP (x4)

REGT COMBAT TEAM #1

1ST BDE COMMANDER (x2)

1ST BDE ARTILLERY

1ST BDE 1ST REGT (x2)

1ST BDE 2ND REGT (x2)

REGT COMBAT TEAM #2

2ND BDE COMMANDER (x2)

2ND BDE 1ST REGT (x2)

2ND BDE 2ND REGT (x2)

2ND BDE MG SQDN (x2)

REGT COMBAT TEAM #3

3RD BDE COMMANDER

3RD BDE MG SQDN

RECON

LRRP (x2)

MEDEVAC DOOR GUNNER

MEDEVAC

RASH-FAC [?]

AVIATION SECTION

603RD TANK BN

29TH ARTILLERY

LIAISON TEAM

SNIPER (x2)

HARDCORE[}:)]

DMZ

PANIC (reversed patch with horses rear instead of head)[);]

SKY TEAM

THE FIRST TEAM

VIETNAM

CHICKEN MAN

EXPERT CAVALRY MAN

AIRBORNE VIETNAM

AIRMOBILE

FLYING HORSEMAN

HONOR GUARD

MILITARY POLICE



Don't attract gunfire. It irritates the people around you.

[Pat Holscher]

Bump.

[Michael Page]

Regarding the SSI worn by the 1st AC Sqdn, I have a copy of a requisition from the QM of the 1st Cav. Div. to QM at Ft. Sam Houston, TX dated Oct. 29, 1934 requesting SSI for the various units of the 1st Cav. Div. A Type 6 SSI was specified for Ordnance, Signal Corps, Medical Troops and Troop A, 1st Armored Car Sqdn. In the letter dated January 5, 1922 from the Adjutant General to the Quartermaster General approving the 1st Cavalry Division SSI, the following is noted: Ordnance, Signal Corps and Medical Troops wore the SSI with black horse's head and the bend similar to that for Engineers which called for the bend with a white stripe one-tenth of an inch wide on either side of the bend. I can't find any thing regarding the colors for the Type 6 SSI but I am guessing that the 1st AC Sqdn wore the yellow shield with black head and a bend with a narrow stripe on either side but I don't know the colors.
Dallas
Dallas

Don't know if this helps much, but I was able to enlarge this photo of a 1st AC vehicle; it looks like two bendlets (stripes) in a very dark color, similar in type to that of the number two regiments.