UN Troops wearing US Division patches in Korea

[vzemke]

I was messing around on Google's LIFE image search today and came across these interesting photos. All of them were taken at some sort of speech by President Truman in 1951. The soldiers are a sampling of UN troops (some US, many not), all apparently veterans of combat in Korea. Some of the non-US soldiers are clearing wearing SSI of US Army divisions that were serving in Korea at that time. This is not a practice that I was aware of before.

 

The first photo shows what I assume to be a soldier from one of the British commonwealth countries (based on the British style chevron) who is wearing a 1st CAV Division patch on his right shoulder. Upon closer examination it looks like a Japanese made bullion type. He is clearly not a US soldier due to the chevron style. I can't read what the shoulder title above the 1st CAV patch says.

[vzemke]

This guy in the middle ALMOST looks like an American GI, but note he is wearing what looks to be the Belgian "Korea Battalion" patch under the 3rd ID SSI. At the extreme left edge of the photo you can see a 2nd ID patch with a 3-stripe SGT rank patch below it. While the wearer is not visible in the photo, I'm certain he is not US as well because the 3 stripe SGT rank did not exist at this time.

[vzemke]

This one is not quite as clear, but I'm pretty sure the guy about 4 heads back is wearing a 24th Division patch under his shoulder title. There is also another 3rd ID patch showing in the background, maybe the same guy as in the previous post.

[Mr-X]

For the most part non-Commonwealth UN infantry battalions were attached US Divisions.

For example the French Battalion du Coree was attached to the 2nd Inf Div and the Belgian/Luxemberg Battalion was attached to the 3rd Inf Div.

 

The others, Colombia, Ethiopia, Greece, the Netherlands, the Philippines and Thailand had battalion-sized units attached to U.S. Army Divisions too.

[Mr-X]

Here is some more info on foreign battalions attached to US Division in Korea.

It seems that as far as possible in the period 1951/52 that the UN command tried have the foreign battalions remain with one division to foster a esprit de corps.

I would guess that the wearing of US Army SSI by those foreign units would have commenced at around the same time for the same morale reason.

I also know that some US medals and CIBs were awarded to foreign soldiers at this time as well.

 

I would appear that the soldier in post one with the 1st Cav SSI would be from the Greek Battalion.

 

Belgium-Luxembourg Battalion

3rd Division March 1951

1st Cavalry Division October 1951

3rd Division November 1951 onward

 

Colombian Battalion

24th Division August 1951

7th Division January 1952

I Corps (with 7th Division) December 1952 onward

 

Ethiopian Battalion

7th Division July 1951

I Corps (with 7th Division) December 1952 onward

 

French Battalion 2nd Division November 1950

IX Corps (with 2nd Division) April 1953 onward

 

Greek Battalion 1st Cavalry Division December 1950 onward

 

Netherlands Battalion 2nd Division December 1950 onward

 

Philippine 10th Battalion Combat Team

25th Division October 1950

187th Airborne RCT November 1950

1st Cavalry December 1950

Eighth Army January 1950

3rd Division March 1951 onward

 

Philippine 20th Battalion Combat Team

3rd Division September 1951

25th Division October 1951

3rd Division November 1951

25th Division April 1952

 

Thailand 21st Regiment

187th Airborne Regiment November 1950

I Corps December 1950

IX Corps January 1951

1st Cavalry Division March 1951

3rd Division March 1951

2nd Division December 1951

 

Turkish Brigade 25th Division November 1950

[8240th A.U.]

On the 2nd picture, the 4th soldier (with the 2nd ID SSI) is from the Dutch Bn: Lion on lower sleeve, Dutch UN contigent crest on the overseas cap.

 

As far as I can see,on the 3rd picture, there are also : an ANZAC soldier (can't miss his hat), just behind a Belgian, 3rd row??? ,then probably a Colombian, 2 Ethiopian soldiers (notice the collar badges),then French soldier (cap badge and collar device for the BF/ONU).

I can't make out for the others.

 

As a side note,for the French BN, some individuals wore briefly the 2nd ID SSI when they were sent to Indochina in 1953. That practice was very quickly banned by the upper brass. So, the unit projected a SSI for the "Bn de Corée":same as the US 2nd Infantry Division minus the Indian Head.This patch was issued in very limited numbers ,something like 10 -20, and was, again not authorised by the French army command....

 

Eric

[Antoon]

On the shoulders of the Dutch soldier on the 2nd picture you can see also the Dutch infantry signs. The sailor on the front is also Dutch.

 

DUTCH PARTICIPATION IN THE KOREAN WAR

 

Arriving from fighting in Malaysia and commonly known as the "Netherlands Battalion," the advance party of the Dutch contingent arrived in Korea on 24 October 1950, but the remainder of the unit’s men did not arrive until early December 1950.

 

THE NETHERLANDS DETACHMENT UNITED NATIONS (Nederlands Detachement Verenigde Naties = NDVN)

 

The NDVN was established on October 15th 1950 by Royal Degree number 27, dated 27-09—1950.

 

Out of a total number of 16.225 volunteers only 3.418 men were accepted and sent to Korea. Because 516 men volunteered twice and 38 men three times a total of 3.972 men served in Korea. 2.980 of those participated in the actual war, as the units that arrived after the armistice (July 27th 1953) did not participate in any fighting.

 

The 3.972 men mentioned before formed 26 detachments, who left for Korea on different dates.

 

The 1st Detachment (636 men) left the Netherlands on October 26th; the 26th (and last) Detachment (143 men) left on July 1954. The last units returned to the Netherlands at the end of 1954.

 

Casualties

116 men; 115 are buried at the Tanggok UN War cemetery near Pusan (Korea) 1 man could not be recovered after being KIA

 

Missing in Action 3

 

POW 1 (died in prison camp.)

 

One seriously wounded man died right after arriving in the Netherlands, one had died in an accident in Korea and one died on the way back and was buried in Singapore.

 

381 men were wounded in action, 26 during training, 5 and 56 men in accidents.

 

A total of 91 men are permanently disabled.

 

The NDVN was always considerably below official battalion strength and therefore the 8th Army allotted a number of Korean soldiers of the Korean Augmentation to US Army (KATUSA) to the NDVN. Of this group 20 men were KIA.

 

In memory of these Korean soldiers a remembrance plaque in both the Korean and the Dutch language is attached on the Korean War Memorial in the "Oranje barrack" at Schaarsbergen near Arnhem, The Netherlands.

 

Twenty members of the other Korean support units CTC/KSC, assigned to the NDVN, were also KIA.

 

The total losses of the NDVN and assigned units amounts to 163 men. By this the NDVN suffered the heaviest loses of any battalion in the Dutch Army ever.

 

Assignments

After arriving in Korea the NDVN was assigned to the 38th U.S. Infantry Regiment "Rock of the Marne" of the 2nd (Indianhead) US Infantry Division.

 

Combat activities

The most important combat activities of the NDVN were :

 

* 1951 Hoengseong, Wonju, Hill 325, Hwachon reservoir, Inje, Taeusan, Mundung-ni, Iron Triangle

* 1952 Silver Star Hill, Star Hill, Sagimak, Chungmoksil. Koje-do, Old Baldy, Arsenal, Iron Triangle(2nd time)

* 1953 Samichon valley, Nudea, Iron Triangle(3rd time), Chunmoksil, Hill 340.

 

Also the Royal Netherlands Navy participated.

 

During the conflict the following naval forces were employed:

 

* Hr.Ms. destroyer " Evertsen" 07-07-1950 / 18-04- 1951

* Hr.Ms. destroyer "Van Galen" till 21-01-1952

* Hr.Ms. destroyer "Piet Heim" till 18-01-1953

* Hr.Ms. Frigate " Johan Maurits van Nassau) till 05—11—1953

* Hr.Ms. Frigate "Dubois " till 10-09—1954

* Hr.Ms. Frigate "van Zijll " till 24—01—1955

 

The first four vessels were awarded the Presidential Unit Citation of the Republic of Korea as part of the US 7th Fleet.

 

Hr.Ms "Evertsen" and "Van Galen" were awarded the Presidential Unit Citation of the Republic of Korea for a second time as part of "Task Force 95 ".

 

A total of 1360 men of the navy served in the Korean waters. Two of them died when serving.

 

Activities of the Dutch naval forces:

 

* escorting aircraft carriers

* anti-infiltration patrols

* destroying enemy costal guns, transport and bunkers

* supporting ground troops with artillery fire

Hr.Ms. "Piet Heim" became a member of the "Train-Busters Club" after destroying an enemy train.

 

1950 Chinnamp’o, Inchon

1951 Wonsan, Inchon, Sak-to, Chingpo Sangjin, Chongsin and Hungnam

1952 Sak-do, Cho-do, Sangjin, Wonsan Taechong, P’yong-Do

1953 Sak-to, Taejong and P’yong Do

 

 

Greetings - Antoon

[Proud Kraut]

I'm a reader of the French "DOCTRINE" military magazine. This is the link to the No. 11 - 2007 issue:

 

http://www.cdef.terre.defense.gouv.fr/publ...ctrine11_us.pdf

 

If you scroll down to page 80 there's an article about the French 4th Bn 23rd (US) Infantry, 2nd ID with some nice pictures.

 

Lars

[Antoon]

Here a picture of the Dutch Bn commander in Korea.

He is wearing the beret badge of the Dutch infantry regiment "Van Heutz".

[Teamski]

This guy in the middle ALMOST looks like an American GI, but note he is wearing what looks to be the Belgian "Korea Battalion" patch under the 3rd ID SSI. At the extreme left edge of the photo you can see a 2nd ID patch with a 3-stripe SGT rank patch below it. While the wearer is not visible in the photo, I'm certain he is not US as well because the 3 stripe SGT rank did not exist at this time.

 

 

The guy in the center right is Dutch. If you look carefully under his stripe, you will see the Dutch lion patch. Very interesting.

 

-Ski

[J_Andrews]

In the late 1970s, veterans of the Colombia Bn still wore the 7th ID SSI as a combat patch. IIRC the COS and Commandant of the Military Academy both wore them.

 

I also recall seeing a photo taken during the 1959-1961 Algerian war with a para officer wearing the 2nd ID as a combat patch.

[vzemke]

Thanks for the further information. I was well aware that UN troops were assigned to US Divisions in Korea, I just never realized how wide spread the practice of wearing US Division patches was for UN troops. Definately a different mindset than modern day multi-national operations.

Vance

[patches]

A little late, but here is the photo of the Dutch soldier wearing the Indianhead Div patch as metioned in one of the above replies.

 

[Teamski]

That is one hell of a pack load!! My word!

 

-Ski

[flashesandovals]

This one is not quite as clear, but I'm pretty sure the guy about 4 heads back is wearing a 24th Division patch under his shoulder title. There is also another 3rd ID patch showing in the background, maybe the same guy as in the previous post.

The second one with the beret, mustache and medal ribbons is also Belgian.

Note: US Korean era FSG stripes.

[patches]

Here's two more, taken at the Athens War Museum.

 

 

The 1st Cav patch. This is believed to be King Paul presenting Korean Service Medals (unknown what exact medal they are, UN Service Medals or actual Greek Medals, did the Greeks have there own medal for service in Korea?) to returning Troops at a ceremony in Athens.

 

 

A tab above a 7th Div patch. Unknown when the Greek Battalion was attached to the 7th Div, the field jacket appears to be a M65? note the post 1963 dished button on shoulder loop, the cap though I was informed is a Greek Army type, but unsure if this type would of been worn during the war, seems like all UN forces, they wore the familar M43, MQ1 and M51 Pile Caps. At any rate it's a good view of what must be an original Korean War HELLENIC FORCES bullion tab.

[patches]

Le bataillon de Coree at Inchon on there way to Indochina Oct 1953.

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh145/leighm25a/DSCN1616.jpg

 

French Captain. Note Bronze Star and CIB.

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh145/leighm25a/DSCN1621.jpg

Wanted to repost Mr-X's photos as they were photobuckets that were removed during the photograph reorganizations of this year, plus I had to resize them as they were large.

 

Le bataillon de Coree at Inchon on there way to Indochina Oct 1953.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[patches]

Mr-Xs posting of French Captain. Note Bronze Star and CIB.

 

 

[patches]

Turkish Officer.

 

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh145/leighm25a/DSCN1612.jpg

Turkish Officer.

[patches]

Found this one just now of the Tropic Lighting Div patch worn by a Turkish General.

 

Small image I know but we see it's captioned.

 

 

 

[patches]

Found some of The Philippine battalions, they are wearing the 45th Inf Div patch, photos I gather taken in the winter of 1952-1953.

 

These troops seem to be wearing our Inf Blue Rope as well. And two of them are wearing CIBs, one of which (the one on the right) looks like a second award.

 

[patches]

One more Foto. July 1953.

 

And a old related topic by the heavy hitters kiaiokalewa and his sidekick Wailuna or is it the other way around

 

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/31097-need-id-on-this-phillippines-patch-please/

 

 

 

[patches]

Not seeing a Tropic Lighting Division patch, that would be on the other shoulder perhaps, but really thought this photo would fit in here in this topic.

 

Gen Yazici of the Turkish Brigade with his brigade insignia painted helmet in Korea summer of 1951, Yazici was in the army since 1912, the Ottoman Army, and fought against the allies at Gallipoli. Yazici here is being glad handed by Eye Corps commander Shrimp Milburn.

 

[patches]

 

A late view of a U.S. Shoulder patch being worn, this being in 1965, the unit is thee UN Honer Guard at Seoul, various member nation's army contingents are represented, most didn't have units in Korea anymore, they apparently just had details assigned to Seoul, like the British, the first ranks with the Dress Blues, here their contingent was represented by the 1st Battalion South Wales Borderers from Hong Kong, they had to provide 1 officer and 15 Other Ranks, probably on a rotating basis. All troops wear the 8th Army patch and Honor Guard Tab on the uniform and the liner, with the British, they may wear patch and tab on both sides. At this time, 1965, even though the 1st Bn SWB are posted at Hong Kong, 1963-66, they still are a part of the 50s-60s era Welsh Brigade back home in England, and wear that brigade's cap badge. In 1969 when the 1st Bn SWB was now in Aden, the old 24th Foot South Wales Borderes with be amalgamated out of exsitence into the Royal Regiment of Wales.

 

[patches]

The 3rd Division patch worn on Belgian Major Georges Vivario in October 1951 as the Belgian Battalion's Executive Officer, Vivario later commanded the battalion, Vivario is with an unknown at this time U.S. I Corps Staff Officer, who very uncommonly and obscurely wears the West Point Cadre patch as a Combat Patch (Photo first posted by member Captainofthe 7th ).

One more photo of Vivario.