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1930'S 12TH CORPS PATCH?


JerseyDevil117
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JerseyDevil117

This patch appears to have an early 1930's weave or a german made "salt and pepper" weave. It is on felt and uniform removed(not by me). It has the 12th corps on the center of it, it is pretty much the same shape as the patch except it is in reversed colors. I was wondering if any of you guys have a proper ID on this patch?

 

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I suspect this is some sort of N.Y unit -- the Dutch windmill design reminds us of the first settlers in the Hudson Valley. Beyond that, I have no clue. I am not even sure it is military. Perhaps New York City P____ C____..

 

 

G

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No I would say, this has something to do with an agency of New York City, the shape of the inner shield is based on the Seal of New York City. P.C.? that's what will have to find out.

 

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vintageproductions

I believe if you do a search here on the forum this patch design has been brought up numerous times.

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I own the patch and the regulation book that came with it.I will pull it out tommorrow and post the regulation book and the patch.If I remember right its a volunteer auxillary police unit.Scotty

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WorldWarPatches

This is a US Army 12th Corps NYC PC = New York City Patrol Corps. 100% WW 2. GI's were paired with NYPD officers to assist in protecting against sabotage.

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WorldWarPatches

Not wanting to argue but Scotty said "I think if I remember right".

I sold him the patch and book. It is an ARMY unit and I'm sure he will conform when he digs it out.

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vintageproductions

It was a home front organization made up of volunteers to help patrol the city and was formed by Mayor LeGaurdia. The members were not active duty military.

 

 

Corps organized in February, 1942, as a body of volunteer military police formed by direction of Mayor Fiorello La Guardia for the protection of New York City during World War II. Major General Robert M. Danford, U.S. Army (retired), was commandant, and Colonel Montgomery Schuyler was executive officer. Disbanded September 30, 1945.

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Well I'll be, at least we know it had some military connections. Though not sure if it was an actual 12th Corps affiliated unit, it could be, the 12th Corps was still not active yet in February 1942, it was still on Reserve status, certainly wouldn't be after August 1942, then 12th Corps is active and down at Camp Jackson South Carolina. As noted the symbolism is from the Seal of The City of New York, just like 12th Corps, which adopted the symbolism for it's shoulder patch, because it was allotted to this part of New York State, and Northeast New Jersey in 1923

 

Here's two photos just found, note the helmets, seems there either White painted Army tin hats or those Air Raid Warden helmets, probably the former. Poor picture I know for close up details. but there seems to be a shoulder patch on them, the one front and center we can see something.

 

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And a Horse Mounted unit, over in Brooklyn. Note the both types of Garrison Caps worn, Khaki and OD, with those White Painted helmets again. The two riders in the rear seem to have badges on there coats, coats unknown, maybe Army, Officer Moleskins? can't tell?

 

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Hi all

 

Here's a better picture of NY City Police Corp wearing patch.

 

Mayor La Guardia with NY City Police Corp cited for bravery.

 

Phill

 

 

 

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Good photo phil, damn look at those Khaki tunics. Surplus by 1942-45 yes sir. We see a Army type Marksmanship Badge on the one guy with ribbons, maybe he's a ex soldier, who was to old for active duty by WWII? Well despite this I would say this wasn't a U.S. Army unit in the strictest sense, odd that they wear a conglomerate of U.S. Army Uniforms, perhaps more affliated with the New York State Guard rather then the New York Police Department??

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Here's a portrait of Danford when he was on active duty, in the 20s I guess, Robert H, Danford, he was The Chief of Artillery from 26 March 1938 till he retired 28 February 1942,just at the time he was put in charge of the NYCPC.

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Hi Patches

 

Here's several more patches note where worn and closer pics.

 

Interesting read they had up to 7000 members

 

Phill

 

 

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Phil, while it's clear it had some help from the Army, in that it had retired Army officers, and maybe a few active duty officers, like Jeremiah Cross ( I assume he was active, though he not wearing any officer Branch of Service Insignia), and wore Army uniform items of various types, what does it say about it's official afflilation/sponsership? U.S. Army, New York State Guard, or New York Police Department?

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Hi Patches

 

Its not State Guard , but like the SG it used military uniforms. it would of had its own operational and rank structure (?)

 

Basically , as pointed out it was a volunteer auxiliary police force formed by La Guardia

 

Here's a brief history courtesy of New York State Association of Axillary Police Newsletter

 

"NYC's Mayor Fiorello La Guardia's established the City Patrol Corps. it grew out of the urgency felt after Pearl Harbour. Nazi sabotage and bombs were assumed to be an imminent danger after America's entry into the war. The Police Department had been thinned by the draft, and air-raid wardens did provide routine security. Furthermore, Governor Herbert Lehman had refused Mayor Fiorello La Guardia's request to assign New York's National Guardsmen to cover waterfront property every night

. In response, on February 8, 1942, La Guardia established a volunteer regiment, which he insisted was not a private army but an auxiliary police force. Its name was the City Patrol Corps, whose story was told in ''Fiorello's Army,'' an article by Elliot Rosenberg hat was published in 1995 in Seaport magazine. The corps (La Guardia had been told not to call it a guard) had police authority. Members served two four hour shifts every eight weeks in their boroughs, and they responded to emergencies. They watched beaches, pumping stations and power plants. Their activities were mostly prosaic, like working on scrap drives, though they did stop some muggings and drugstore hold ups.

The corps, which was disbanded soon after the end of World War II, had as many as 7,000 volunteers, among them La Guardia's chauffeur. A few corps members wore guns, but most had makeshift weapons, including clubs made from the legs of pinball machines seized in La Guardia's famous raids. The program is credited with reducing the number of guns on the streets."

 

Phill

 

 

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Great thread, this is exactly why I love this forum.

 

I understand that it wasn't technically a State Guard unit, but it really seems like it was started as LaGuardia's attempt to make a State Guard like unit for New York City. NYC has always seemed to function much like a modern-day city-state, so this isn't really surprising.

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Here is the patch and a shot of the manual for the unit.I scanned the first three pages of the manual its the introduction to the main text.Scotty

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  • 2 years later...

I picked up this FE patch this week for $22 on ebay and was surprised that it went for that little. I have not seen another as the one that Tredhed2 is selling on the asmic site is wool like the two posted on this thread.

 

Here are two other patches that go with the unit that I got both of them together 2 years ago from a family member that their father worked in a patch company in Pennsylvania--got some great militaria patches out of that collection. The hashmark has not been posted online before.

 

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