Jump to content

Unknown DUI. At least I think it's a DUI.


seanmc1114
 Share

Recommended Posts

What are the devices being worn on the epaulettes of this soldier? My first thought was that it is the DUI of the 4th Infantry Regiment but the shades in the photo don't seem to match the DUI colors. And besides, the soldier is wearing Corps Of Engineers branch insignia.

 

Maybe not a DUI at all but some sort of tab.

 

Any thoughts?

post-1761-0-93199600-1386260141.jpg

post-1761-0-11402500-1386260164.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looks like 4th Inf to me, which despite being ribbon are technically DIs.

 

Are you sure he has Engineer brass? The bottom disks don't look like they have castles to me. Also, he has a CIB so he was an infantryman at least at some point.

 

-Vance

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Didn't this unit also display this ribbon/flash on their overseas caps? I'm sure someone has previously posted one on here.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree the brass on the bottom isn't engineer, but probably infantry regiment unit crests. The branch collar disks are on the top of the lapel/collar. Though it could be that

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looks like I had posted before I had finished. It looks to me that the stripes on the epaulettes are some sort of decoration and not a regimental or unit dui, but rather some award or something else.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looks like I had posted before I had finished. It looks to me that the stripes on the epaulettes are some sort of decoration and not a regimental or unit dui, but rather some award or something else.

 

 

They are not an award but the unit's actual DUI. The 4th was unique in the use of an epaulet vs. the usual metal insignia.

 

-Ski

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

They are not an award but the unit's actual DUI. The 4th was unique in the use of an epaulet vs. the usual metal insignia.

 

-Ski

Thank you for clearing that up, I was not aware that they had used an epaulet insignia, I had assumed they used a metal insignia.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree the brass on the bottom isn't engineer, but probably infantry regiment unit crests. The branch collar disks are on the top of the lapel/collar. Though it could be that

This is a post war photo, the practice at this time was two US disks on the top and two branch disks on the bottom.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is a post war photo, the practice at this time was two US disks on the top and two branch disks on the bottom.

Ah okay, I was not aware of that practice but it is quite intriguing that two would be used. Thank you for sharing that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Your GI was a member of the 14th ACR (US Constabulary). Now that you know he's a Constab trooper, what little you can make out of his patch is the Constab patch. In any case, here is what the DI looks like:

post-622-0-04468300-1386291876.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Your GI was a member of the 14th ACR (US Constabulary). Now that you know he's a Constab trooper, what little you can make out of his patch is the Constab patch. In any case, here is what the DI looks like:

Thanks for the info. I had wondered if that might be a Constabulary patch he's wearing. What branch insignia would we expect hom to be wearing? Armor? Infantry?
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sean, you are most welcome. In this case, your trooper was probably wearing cavalry collar disks, but it is difficult to tell from the photo. But the 2nd 6th, and 14th Constab regts all became ACRs in Nov 48, but w the add (US Constabulary) following the unit ID - "2nd ACR (US Constabulary)" etc.

 

When the mission of the Constab changed in 1948 from policing Western Europe, to the defense of Western Europe, they became a large, mobile reserve force. They had cbt engr bns, engr bridge units, FA bns, one FA Gp, three infantry bns, and a whole lot of remf units added to the punch. They still had some light tank troops (M-24s, a few M-26s) not that they could have done anything against T-34s. There was a huge armor training site at Grafenwohr that was originally a Constab tank training unit prior to it rolling over to 7th US Army.

 

Constab troopers could have been wearing any branch of collar insignia and still wear the Constab SSI. I have some Constab Ikes w/ different branches of collar brass.

 

BTW - this slip on DI is called a "distinctive trimming" and this example is somewhat faded - it's yellow around royal blue, like the blue in the Constab patch. It's not black.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

very good info here.

I never knew about the ribbon type "trimmings".

 

-Brian

 

When the Army authorized regiments to adopt Distinctive Unit Insignia in 1921, a few opted for something other than an enameled metal badge. These Distincitve Unit Trimmings included the 3d Infantry's "buff strap", the 4th Infantry's red and green ribbon and the 9th Infantry's belt buckle.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sean, you are most welcome. In this case, your trooper was probably wearing cavalry collar disks, but it is difficult to tell from the photo. But the 2nd 6th, and 14th Constab regts all became ACRs in Nov 48, but w the add (US Constabulary) following the unit ID - "2nd ACR (US Constabulary)" etc.

 

All of the official lineage and honors statements I have seen indicate that the various cavalry squadrons, regiments and groups used for constab duty were redesignated "Constabulary", but I've never seen it in parenthesis. Example: 2d Cavalry Group (Mech); redesignated 2d Constabulary Regiment JUL 1946; redesignated 2d Armored Cavalry Regiment NOV 1948.

 

Regarding the blue/yellow ribbon in the OP's photo, the 14th Cavalry actually had a DUI, adopted in 1940. Was the ribbon an affectation of the 14th Cavalry Group, and if so, why not just use the DUI? Or did the ribbon simply signify a member of the constabulary in the same way that the SSI did?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The ribbon was from the 14th Cav Gp, which was redesignated 14th Constab Regt in 1946. Like many Constab units, the 14th wore their predecessor unit's DIs. There were only three Constab units that had "new" DIs specifically created while they were Constab units - 24th Sq, 71st Sq, and 91st Sq.

 

What was really weird is that even though the 2nd, 6th and 14th were all ACRs, squadrons and troops in these regiments were now battalions and companies (after 1948).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...