John4022 Posted August 27, 2016 Share #1 Posted August 27, 2016 Hello Everyone! I wanted to share my recent vet grouping from a auction in Cresco Iowa. I purchased this Italian made m43 Wehrmacht Cap and this 34th Infantry Division side-cap with a theater made insignia. The Vets name was Robert E Coffey. I posted these items over on Wehrmacht Awards and I thought this forum would enjoy seeing it! "Hopefully this is the right section to post it under, I`m still new to this forum layout :)". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John4022 Posted August 27, 2016 Author Share #2 Posted August 27, 2016 more pics... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John4022 Posted August 27, 2016 Author Share #3 Posted August 27, 2016 .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John4022 Posted August 27, 2016 Author Share #4 Posted August 27, 2016 ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John4022 Posted August 27, 2016 Author Share #5 Posted August 27, 2016 ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John4022 Posted August 27, 2016 Author Share #6 Posted August 27, 2016 Italian made German m43 cap "I can post more pics if you guys want" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garandomatic Posted August 27, 2016 Share #7 Posted August 27, 2016 Love that OS cap. One of my favorite local groups is the uniform, letters, and a few smalls of a man that was one of the originals in the 168th to hit Africa. He continued up into Italy with them an went home in 1944. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firefighter Posted August 27, 2016 Share #8 Posted August 27, 2016 Killer 34th patch. I found this.Looks like he may have been promoted? RACCONIGI AREA, Italy -- At a recent award ceremony, 10 members of the 34th Division's 109th Engineer Combat Battallion were decorated by their commanding officer, Lt. Col. Robert E. Coffey. http://www.34thinfantry.com/publications/redbulletin-vol1no14.html From a FB page: July 25, 1942 – This date in SDNG history – Col. Robert E. CoffeyCaptain Robert E. Coffey was the company commander of Company B, Brookings, South Dakota, when the 109th Engineer Regiment was mobilized for federal active duty on Feb. 10, 1941. Coffey was the athletic director at South Dakota State University (SDSU) when the call came. A star football player for four years at SDSU, Coffey was a successful coach at Brookings High School prior to his appointment as athletic director in 1939.When the regimental commander, Col. Earle Lewis, died of a stroke on Sept. 17, 1941, at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana, Lt. Col. Bettenberg was appointed as the 109th Engineer Regimental commander. It was still prior to America’s entry in World War II that Capt. Coffey was transferred to the regimental staff and promoted to major. After the United States entered World War II in December 1941, the unit, which had converted from a regiment to a battalion, moved to Ireland in early 1942. Shortly after they got settled, Bettenberg was transferred to the 168th Infantry Regiment. Coffey, who was described as a born leader, was placed in command of the 109th Engineer Battalion on July 24, 1942. Two weeks later, Coffey, who just one year earlier was a captain, was promoted to lieutenant colonel. Coffey commanded the 109th Engineer Battalion all through World War II, from North Africa to the top of the boot in Italy, when the war in Europe ended in May 1945. He was awarded the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star. Lt. Col. Coffey elected to remain in the Army after World War II and retired as a colonel. He spent several years working at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carbinephalen Posted August 27, 2016 Share #9 Posted August 27, 2016 This one is amazing! Not only is it a great item but my grandfather also went to SDSU and played basketball for them from the 1940-1943 seasons! With him being the athletic director, I'm sure he knew this very gentleman. Very very cool! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John4022 Posted August 27, 2016 Author Share #10 Posted August 27, 2016 Thanks for the info Firefighter! The auction did have a photo of the 67th Infantry Brigade which I did not purchase, I will post the photo that the auction provided on their website. I also wanted to ask about the piping of the hat, it is piped for infantry but wasn't he apart of the engineers, or was it common to keep the piping after being transferred. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firefighter Posted August 27, 2016 Share #11 Posted August 27, 2016 Thanks for the info Firefighter! The auction did have a photo of the 67th Infantry Brigade which I did not purchase, I will post the photo that the auction provided on their website. I also wanted to ask about the piping of the hat, it is piped for infantry but wasn't he apart of the engineers, or was it common to keep the piping after being transferred. I noticed that too. I always thought the o/s caps with branch color pipping were worn by enlisted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John4022 Posted August 27, 2016 Author Share #12 Posted August 27, 2016 I did just find this on the 34th infantry website but I dont know what all the numbers mean. Here is the website.... http://www.34thinfantry.com/publications/pub-index-dogfaces.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firefighter Posted August 27, 2016 Share #13 Posted August 27, 2016 Maybe 34th Division Assoc Chapters that they belong, or belonged, to? Names are followed by chapter numbers in roman numerals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John4022 Posted August 30, 2016 Author Share #14 Posted August 30, 2016 I have been still doing some research on Robert Coffey and I have finally found another photo of him! Its to bad he wasn't wearing my hat in it! He is the soldier with the #4 in the photo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John4022 Posted August 30, 2016 Author Share #15 Posted August 30, 2016 back of the photo.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John4022 Posted August 30, 2016 Author Share #16 Posted August 30, 2016 closeup of him.... Im 19 and still looking for a career path to go down, maybe I should be a Detective? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katieony Posted August 30, 2016 Share #17 Posted August 30, 2016 A very nice group! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doyler Posted August 30, 2016 Share #18 Posted August 30, 2016 I noticed that too. I always thought the o/s caps with branch color pipping were worn by enlisted. Yes thats typical as officers would wear the gold and black piped caps. Engineers wore re/white piped caps for enlisted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king802 Posted August 30, 2016 Share #19 Posted August 30, 2016 If anyone feels inclined, I've started a Facebook page specifically for 34th Division items. I know Facebook isn't for everyone but please feel free to join if you wish. Rich https://www.facebook.com/groups/199376293813254/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John4022 Posted August 30, 2016 Author Share #20 Posted August 30, 2016 Thanks for the kind and informing comments! I'll have to checkout your Facebook page as well. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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