Help needed on WWII officers uniform

[Skyligter]

Hello guys,

 

I just aquired this uniform, only I never saw the transportation corps patch on the left shoulder before!

Now my question: is the patch very common, because this is the first one I see on an uniform and which units wore these patches?

 

[Bones]

I do not think the patch is all that rare. The correct title is Transportation Terminal Command and units under the jurisdiction of the Chief of Transportation. Used from 1957 to 1968. My book shows 13 tabs that where used for this patch. Artic, Atlantic, Azores, Bermuda, Casablanca, Greece, Gulf, NEAC, Pacific, Spain, Tripoli, Turkey, and United Kingdom. I am sure there are others out there also. This tab was in a arc and went on top of the patch.

[GIl Sanow]

Hmmmm -- The dates of patch use and the uniform don't seem to coincide. Either the patch was authorized earlier or the uniform was worn after it was obsolete. Could it have been added later?

 

G

[Johan Willaert]

Could it have been worn as early as 1947?

 

http://www.usarmygermany.com/Units/Transpo...TermComdEur.htm

[Bones]

I am using Chris Aleck's book as a reference. It is worth the price in my opinion.

Bones

[Skyligter]

I found this information:

The patch of the U.S. Army Transportation Corps, from the U.S. Army Heritage Museum's collections. During the Army's control of the nation's railroads, the Chief of Transportation was designated the Director of Operations for rail management, reporting directly to the Assistant Secretary of the Army on rail systems matters. The Transportation Corps insignia, with a winged railroad car wheel, was approved in 1919 and reflects the corps' long involvement with rail transportation.

 

Click here for source.

[QED4]

In spite of that being a Army website I think some one got confused there. I think they are refering to the Branch of Service insignia as going back to 1919, the patch may have been around before 1957 but I can't beleive it goes back to 1919.

[ehrentitle]

I do not think the patch is all that rare. The correct title is Transportation Terminal Command and units under the jurisdiction of the Chief of Transportation. Used from 1957 to 1968. My book shows 13 tabs that where used for this patch. Artic, Atlantic, Azores, Bermuda, Casablanca, Greece, Gulf, NEAC, Pacific, Spain, Tripoli, Turkey, and United Kingdom. I am sure there are others out there also. This tab was in a arc and went on top of the patch.

 

To back up what Bones indicates above, Barry Jason Stein's updated book, U.S. Army Patches, Flashes and Ovals indicates that the Transportation Terminal Command patch was used from 1957-1967. Smith & Pelz, Shoulder Sleeve Insignia of the U.S. Army 1946-1976 also indicated that this patch was work 1957-1967. The patch became obsolete when the Military Traffic Management Command assumed the duties of this command in 1967.

 

I happen to have a WWII uniform with a Ports of Embarkation patch that was worn from 1944-1947. I believe this was the WWII predecessor to the Transportation Terminal Command.

 

Kevin

[ehrentitle]

As for the uniform itself. The Army Green uniform that replaced it was authorized for purchase in the mid-1950s but didn't became mandatory until 1961. So it is possible for this patch to have been worn on on this uniform from 57-61. Kevin

 

The info in the Army Green uniform above is from:

TECHNICAL REPORT 68-41-CM, THE ARMY GREEN UNIFORM

http://www.qmfound.com/Army_Green_Uniform....Green%20Uniform

[Bank Vault]

Did you get that ETO in the back off of ebay? It looks familiar to me.

[Skyligter]

Did you get that ETO in the back off of ebay? It looks familiar to me.

Yes I bought it on eBay. But in the auction you couldn't see which patch was on the uniform.

[tredhed2]

I am way too skeptical about this patch on the blouse.

 

If you note his ribbons - American Campaign, ETO-African-ME, and WW II Victory - and how low the patch is sewn on the shoulder, I believe the patch is an add on. Someone found the WW II officer's blouse, saw the TC brass, and figured "why not put this TC patch on?" - not knowing it was from 12 years after WW II ended.

 

Why would an active duty 1st L-T wear a WW II issue blouse up to 16 years after WW II?

 

Also, I know peacetime promotions were slow, but only a 1st L-T up to 16 years after WW II? (From "ehrentitle" in previous posts to this thread) Officers are always first to get/buy new uniforms, to encourage and inspire the EM.

 

Finally, note that there is one campaign star on the ETO-African-ME ribbon. So, why no combat patch?

 

I would closely examine the inside tops of the sleeves to determine if there are thread marks indicating there was a or were patche(s) there, and had been removed.

 

I would also look to see if there is a private purchase label inside. I doubt that there would have been too many -especially if it is an overseas maker - still in business as late as 57-61.