158th RCT/ Engineer Special Brigade patched Ike from St.Vinnies... and other stuff!

[BROBS]

The collecting gods have smiled upon me today.

 

I'm guessing this wasn't all the same guy's stuff? At least the officer shirt and the shirt on left with KW era pants. OS caps too. Who knows on the ammo belt?

 

Is there a way to tell if the shirt on left is KW or WW2 era? Tag by hem is washed out.

 

The ribbon bar wasn't on it but I think it's the one. Are the hats above it the correct ones for Engineer?

 

I looked up the laundry number and the guy's record is all screwed up. I can't even tell what his name was.

 

http://wwii-enlistment.com/record/37686749/

 

This is the laundry number that matches to my county.

 

I thought the patch was amazing! I had to try not to gasp when I saw it.

-Brian

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Moonlight Gecko]

Really nice, that is a beautiful patch!

[BROBS]

Thanks! I honestly had to look at it a few times to believe it.

 

 

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[jguy1986]

The red/white piped cap is for engineers; interesting to see all the infantry caps but it makes sense if he was transferred to the engineers later on. Nice find there, that patch is neat-o.

[doyler]

Good score

 

Looks like it all goes together.

[BROBS]

Thanks guys... I guess I had thought the caps were later due to leather sweatband and square shape. But that makes sense... then he was probably promoted to officer after this jacket?

 

 

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[BROBS]

So would this put to bed the thought that these types of caps were postwar since he would have only been infantry early in his career? (Guessing 1944?)

 

 

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[doyler]

Could have been guard or reserves too?

 

The officers quality shirt he may have bought privately.Hard to say.

 

Does Black Hawk County have a WW2 veterans book?

 

Some counties did some didnt

[doyler]

Brian

 

I have seen WW2 private purchase type caps with leather sweatband and a silk/rayon liner...very possible what you have.

[doyler]

Looking again at the shirt I dont see the shoulder straps the officers had.

 

Again thinking he had a tailored or private purchase shirt of officer quality materials.

[BILL THE PATCH]

Really nice patched Ike. Congrats

 

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[patches]

The WWII RCT had an organic Field Artillery Battalion a Combat Engineer Company assigned to it, The RCTs taken from Infantry divisions had a company from their divisional engineer battalion assigned, Separate Infantry Regiments, like the 442nd Infantry Regiment, and in this case the 158th Infantry Regiment, had a separate Corps or Army level engineer company assigned to.

 

Try as I might I can't find a order of battle for the 158th RCT., so I don't know as of yet the Eng Co that was in it.

 

So betting this guy was at one point in the Eng Co of the 158th RCT, though can't account for all those Infantry piped OS caps, maybe just thrown into to the group like the Korean War era dated trousers? That "Officers" OD wool shirt by the way is your standard EM shirt (Special),the other, the Khaki one? could be an officers shirt where the shoulder loops were removed, or as Doyler suggests, a private purchase EM type.

[BROBS]

You're right Ron that officer shirt is really small and oldest looking. I bet he bought himself some officer quality gear and felt really dapper in his slick sleeves.

 

Also looks like an officer quality engineer cap? He must have liked officer quality stuff?

 

 

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[BROBS]

Patches the only officer shirt I mean is the khaki one on right. I didn't phrase it very well. I meant is there a way to tell if the shirt on left was ww2 era vs Korean War era if the tag was washed out.

 

Could the caps and khaki shirt just be from training?

 

Thanks so much for that info about the 158 RCT Engineers. I haven't been able to find much and was hoping if I can figure out the guy's name maybe I could find some more info on the web about him.

 

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[patches]

Patches the only officer shirt I mean is the khaki one on right. I didn't phrase it very well. I meant is there a way to tell if the shirt on left was ww2 era vs Korean War era if the tag was washed out. Could the caps and khaki shirt just be from training? Thanks so much for that info about the 158 RCT Engineers. I haven't been able to find much and was hoping if I can figure out the guy's name maybe I could find some more info on the web about him. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The OD shirt will be WWII, after 1947 EMs wear officers shirts with shoulder loops, any specifically made OD shirts made after 1947 wil have shoulder loops and a stamp under collar and nomenclature stamp in skirt.

 

This from an older topic from 2011.

 

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=123703&pid=925515&mode=threaded&start=&do=findComment&comment=925515

 

The Khaki shirt no doubt a private purchase mid end of war thing, maybe as mention an officers type that had te shoulder loops removed to give the EM appearance, and would not be something he would of been issued in entering basic as it's not an issue shirt.

 

Inf Blue Caps? unless they all got his name and serial number on them all, then something just thrown in with group, happens that way, if so, you got a good deal there, as they look like great caps. One more thing, just noticed the Engineer disc needs to switch places with that U.S. disc.

 

Would you be okay in post the stamp with this guys name? Perhaps we other members can decipher it

[Timberwolf]

The blue infantry caps more than likely did belong to him. Looks like he was a late replacement to the 158th RCT's infantry component (no CIB and only a year worth of OS stripes) and didn't have enough points to go home and did occupation duty with an Amphibious Engineer unit. If he was part of the 158th RCT's engineer company he would have the engineer colored patch which is quite rare. The specific units within the 158th RCT had a patch that matched their branch colors.

[BROBS]

Thanks for the info on the shirts. I didn't meant he would have been issued it but maybe bought it on his own.

 

It's marked with a laundry number that brings up 20 hits.

 

http://wwii-enlistment.com/search/?q=O6749&select=laundryNumber&quick-search=1

 

I figured it was the guy from Black Hawk County.

 

Laundry number is O 6749

 

And I think you're right on some of the stuff thrown in. Maybe they just put a bunch of stuff into one box and most was this guy's stuff.

 

 

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[BROBS]

Thanks Timberwolf! Makes sense!

 

Could he have earned a CIB in that amount of time? I was trying to tell if there was once one there or another ribbon bar etc.

 

 

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[aussie digger]

Very nice lot there. A year was more than enough time to earn a CIB but there's really no way of knowing without a name or evidence of one. I have an MPs uniform with one year of OS service and a CIB. On researching himnif turns out he was an infantry replacement and shot in the head soon after arriving in theater. He was then assigned to a MP unit to head home.

[BROBS]

Thanks Jason that's what I was trying to tell on the jacket. I feel like I can see something there but it's so hard to tell I will have to examine it more. The ribbon bar was off it and I couldn't even hardly tell where it had been. He may not have earned it but if stuff was loose in the box I can see a CIB getting pocketed or lost/separated by someone there easy enough. I'd love to be able to ID it.

 

Sounds like an interesting uniform!! These guys sure seemed to get shuffled a lot at War's end but I suppose that's understandable.

 

 

 

 

 

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[Timberwolf]

Forgot to mention killer uniform btw!

 

I'd honestly say probably no on the CIB. No battle stars and the time frame of his OS stripes, points to occupation duty.

 

Here's my 147th FAB (part of the 158th RCT) patched ike. Another forum member posted his example, which has a similar patch set up to yours.

 

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/269018-147th-fab-bushmasters-pathces/

[tredhed2]

The WWII RCT had an organic Field Artillery Battalion a Combat Engineer Company assigned to it, The RCTs taken from Infantry divisions had a company from their divisional engineer battalion assigned, Separate Infantry Regiments, like the 442nd Infantry Regiment, and in this case the 158th Infantry Regiment, had a separate Corps or Army level engineer company assigned to.

 

Try as I might I can't find a order of battle for the 158th RCT., so I don't know as of yet the Eng Co that was in it.

 

So betting this guy was at one point in the Eng Co of the 158th RCT, though can't account for all those Infantry piped OS caps, maybe just thrown into to the group like the Korean War era dated trousers? That "Officers" OD wool shirt by the way is your standard EM shirt (Special),the other, the Khaki one? could be an officers shirt where the shoulder loops were removed, or as Doyler suggests, a private purchase EM type.

The 1279th Egnr Cbt Bn was attached to the 158th RCT.

[BROBS]

so most likely:

guy was 158th Infantry basically occupation duty...

why would he have been switched to ESB?

Then switched to under command of 24th Corps before being sent home?

 

looks very similar in setup to the one posted in Timberwolf's link.. but that guy obviously liked more "decorations".

 

-Brian

[BROBS]

Forgot to mention killer uniform btw!

 

I'd honestly say probably no on the CIB. No battle stars and the time frame of his OS stripes, points to occupation duty.

 

Here's my 147th FAB (part of the 158th RCT) patched ike. Another forum member posted his example, which has a similar patch set up to yours.

 

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/269018-147th-fab-bushmasters-pathces/

I can't tell from the pic does yours have any OS stripes?

[Timberwolf]

I can't tell from the pic does yours have any OS stripes?

No OS stripes on my guy.

 

From your previous post, I would say your guy did infantry training as a replacement and was sent to the 158th RCT. They more then likely did some time as an occupation force (not sure how long would have to look that up) didn't have enough points to go home with them and did additional occupation duty with an engineer unit.