Arty Corps Vets Assn

[frederick]

All I have been able to determine about this organization is evident from the badge itself. An Artillery Veterans Association, but they use the insignia of the Coastal Artillery. The construction and design is typical of the 1920s-1930s as well as the use of the Coastal Arty insignia. Do not know if this groups evolved into one of the current artillery societies or faded into oblivion as many such groups did from this period. The reverse is marked WHITEHEAD & HOAG, NEWARK, N.J.

[Wailuna]

Google returned one hit (only one!) on this organization, pertaining to a veteran named William Terrell Williamson:

 

"...On 2 May 1898 he enlisted in theUnited STates Army at Fort Trumbull, CT. He served as a private inBattery H, 2nd Regiment of the Artillery. Will fought in theSpanish American War. On 10 March 1899 he was honorably discharged fromthe Army....He belonged to the United States Artillery Corps Veterans Association [and] the United Spanish American War Veterans..." (link here).

 

This fellow's Army service was finished well be for the Coast Artillery Corps was established in 1907, but the Association badge shown does use the Coast Artillery Corps insignia in its design. The Forum's experts on veteran associations probably have something on this organization.

[frederick]

"...On 2 May 1898 he enlisted in the United States Army at Fort Trumbull, CT. He served as a private in Battery H, 2nd Regiment of the Artillery. Will fought in the Spanish American War. On 10 March 1899 he was honorably discharged from the Army....He belonged to the United States Artillery Corps Veterans Association [and] the United Spanish American War Veterans..."

 

Wailuna,

 

Great information. Since this veteran was still alive in 1945, and his death notice listed his membership in this organization, we may assume the society was still active post-WWII. The society itself, or at least this badge version, is post-1907. Still a broad range of years, but more information than I had before your posting. Thank you.

 

Frederick

[Wailuna]

....Since this veteran was still alive in 1945, and his death notice listed his membership in this organization, we may assume the society was still active post-WWII. The society itself, or at least this badge version, is post-1907....

Actually, the Coast Artillery insignia predated the formation of CAC in 1907. Emerson gives a detailed account of the evolution of Army artillery insignia during the first decade of the 20th Century in Encyclopedia of United States Army Insignia and Uniforms (pp. 79-84). Briefly: In 1901 the Army Artillery Corps was split into two divisions: Field Artillery and Coast Artillery. The insignia worn by Artillery Corps officer had been crossed guns with an oval at the center which contained either a number corresponding to the unit of the wearer or was blank. After the split, officers of Field Artillery wore the crossed gun insignia with a spoked wheel in the oval and officers of Coast Artillery wore crossed guns with a projectile in the oval. In 1907 the spoked wheel oval was dropped from the Field Artillery insignia, leaving plain crossed field guns. The Coast Artillery Corps was established as a separate Corps of the Army in 1907 and the CAC insignia continued to have crossed cannon with the oval and projectile symbol. Emerson's book is profusely illustrated; look there to see the many design changes and variations that occurred as the Army's artillery arm reorganized in these few years. As for the design and vintage of your Artillery Corps Veterans Association medal, nothing here answers those questions. We still need to hear from a specialist in this area. Have you posted at OMSA?

[frederick]

Trying to download your excellent info. Getting reasonable copies. From the badge I have, suspect the group formed later than the revisions to the Artillery insignia. However, I have been surprised before.

 

Do not post this kind of badge on OMSA. Believe they prefer medals of a national origin. This Forum has a section devoted to veteran items. The section gets a lot of viewers, but not many comments. Hoping that will change in the future.

[SARGE]

Trying to download your excellent info. Getting reasonable copies. From the badge I have, suspect the group formed later than the revisions to the Artillery insignia. However, I have been surprised before.

 

Do not post this kind of badge on OMSA. Believe they prefer medals of a national origin. This Forum has a section devoted to veteran items. The section gets a lot of viewers, but not many comments. Hoping that will change in the future.

 

 

Frederick,

 

I think the area of veteran uniforms, badges, swords, etc is new to most collectors. I think that folks tend to look and learn but somehow don't feel very comfortable to contribute to the conversation. I started collecting US Civil War Veteran stuff when I branched out from military regulation swords to GAR and SV swords. Most of us seem to come into collecting veteran stuff from some other direction. Perhaps someone starts out collecting medals and awards and then moves into the type of veteran association badges (medals) such as your Artillery Corps Veteran Association piece. Sooner or later it becomes a specialty (perhaps sub-specialty) it seems.

 

How did you get into these badges?

[Wailuna]

...Do not post this kind of badge on OMSA. Believe they prefer medals of a national origin. This Forum has a section devoted to veteran items. The section gets a lot of viewers, but not many comments. Hoping that will change in the future....

OMSA does cover veteran association medals and I have found their Forum to be very helpful in this area. Give them a try; you have nothing to lose.

 

In the meantime, this Forum is a good place for your enquiry as well. Someone with more direct information on your medal will join the conversation eventually. The Veterans' Organization Moderator is a real expert on this subject.

[frederick]

Gentlemen,

 

Like many collectors, I began with coin collecting from everyday pocket change in the 1950s. The investors attack on coins in the early 1960s pushed me out of that area. It was after college and the Army, when I had a real job, began attending antique shows where military decorations appeared for sale. This worked at the time when most medals were WWII and Korea, but the flood of decorations from the Vietnam War took the wind out of U.S. decorations. Found veteran medals in the corner of every dealer's case. Some well made, interesting, and very cheap. Seems there was no real interest in veteran stuff. Knew about the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Grand Army of the Republic, and Spanish-American War Veterans. Thought this would be a quiet backwater where competition would be low and items reasonable in price. And it was for some twenty years. Also did not know at this time how many small, only locally known groups would begin appearing in the marketplace. In the early to mid 1990s, more people began entering the field. This was good for research, information and examples of badge varieties, but bad from the prospective of price.

 

Today the scarcity and price of some veteran society badges means I will never own one. But computer sites like the Forum means I can finally learn something about the odd, unknown badges I do have in my collection. Also try to post information gathered over the years on badges that appear on this site. The more we all know about the veteran groups, the more we can appreciate the group and its symbolic badge.

 

Frederick