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Post Your WWI Collar Disk


cthomas
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mndoughboy1918

My grandfather was in Company B, 140th Infantry Regiment. If I've understood the previous posts correctly, there are two combinations of collar discs he could have worn:

1) "US" on right, "140" + crossed rifles + "B" on left

2) "US" + "140" on right, crossed rifles + "B" on left

 

Is this correct?

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  • 1 month later...

50th Artillery Rgt, C.A.C -although trained in France, this regiment did not see combat before Armistice was signed. Bronze disk with standard threaded post & nut.

The 50th Artillery CAC never ordered this collar disk. They used a US 50 disk. Although that's not to say that some member of the 50CAC didn't take it upon himself to use a disk he obtained. These disks were used by companies for the most part. Do this example would belong to the 50th Artillery Company

post-154058-0-96465300-1552001551_thumb.jpg

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As I only collect the Corps of Engineer insignias, I would like to offer some of my favorites, the Pennsylvania's 1st Engineer Battalion devices.

T-I-1, 1st Eng Bn, A Co, PA SG-F.jpg

T-I-1, 1st Eng Bn, B Co, PA SG-F.jpg

1905-1918, PAG, A Company-F.jpg

1905-1918, PAG, B Company-F.jpg

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Another set I have is the Military Academy Engineer Detachment.  The disk I picked up at a flea market in Fayetteville, NC while my ex had a booth inside the building.  I got bored sitting there so I went out to other vendors and checked what they had.  At one table, I checked out a jewelry box and saw a WWI disk.  Looking at closely, I saw it was the USMA Engineer Detachment disk.  I asked how much and was told: "Seventy-five cents."  It was a price I could not turn down.

T-I-1-4, MA Eng Det-F.jpg

1910, MA Eng Det.jpg

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I need help. Well, my wife says so anyway. I have a perplexing problem with a Connecticut National Guard collar disk I possess. My grandfather wore this particular style of designation the year of his enlistment, in February 1916 based on a photograph of him; there were a number of variants in use before the World War. Sorry to say I cannot display that particular revealing photo of him in his summer-weight cotton uniform with laced canvas puttees and backpack. I donated his extensive military photo collection (roughly 300 photographs) to the Connecticut State Library several years ago. This disk is very oddly magnetic in nature but it doesn't appear to be a steel restrike. If I didn't know any better I'd say it appears as a blackened white bronze. White bronze is not actually bronze but a tri-metal alloy of copper, tin, and zinc. Bronze is also an alloy as you may know, traditionally composed of two metals, copper and tin. Bronze is usually nonmagnetic, but certain alloys within certain bronzes containing iron or nickel may have magnetic properties. The reverse of this disk does suggest a deep brownish-bronze color. Certainly the post and nut are clearly bronze. But the color on the face is as you see it here, a blackened oxidized whitish gray with no visible signs of "iron" rust, assuming it was ever used in the alloy composite. Maybe nickel? I know the army declared disks should be made of bronze in the first decade of the twentieth-century but this disk definitely reacts to a strong magnet. I've read that white bronze is not magnetic at all. Has anyone ever seen such a thing? It's all news to me. Feel free to have at it.

CTCollarDisk.JPG

CTCollarDisk(A).JPG

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2 minutes ago, ADLearned said:

I need help. Well, my wife says so anyway. I have a perplexing problem with a Connecticut National Guard collar disk I possess. My grandfather wore this particular style of designation the year of his enlistment, in February 1916 based on a photograph of him; there were a number of variants in use before the World War. Sorry to say I cannot display that particular revealing photo of him in his summer-weight cotton uniform with laced canvas puttees and backpack. I donated his extensive military photo collection (roughly 300 photographs) to the Connecticut State Library several years ago. This disk is very oddly magnetic in nature but it doesn't appear to be a steel restrike. If I didn't know any better I'd say it appears as a blackened white bronze. White bronze is not actually bronze but a tri-metal alloy of copper, tin, and zinc. Bronze is also an alloy as you may know, traditionally composed of two metals, copper and tin. Bronze is usually nonmagnetic, but certain alloys within certain bronzes containing iron or nickel may have magnetic properties. The reverse of this disk does suggest a deep brownish-bronze color. Certainly the post and nut are clearly bronze. But the color on the face is as you see it here, a blackened oxidized whitish gray with no visible signs of "iron" rust, assuming it was ever used in the alloy composite. Maybe nickel? I know the army declared disks should be made of bronze in the first decade of the twentieth-century but this disk definitely reacts to a strong magnet. I've read that white bronze is not magnetic at all. Has anyone ever seen such a thing? It's all news to me. Feel free to have at it.

CTCollarDisk.JPG

CTCollarDisk(A).JPG

"Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends." John 15:13

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Check out griffinmilitaria. He’s got a RI officers insignia, and a gilt RI disk. Post WWI, but you’ll find it under WWI collar disks. Hope this helps. 

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Beautiful! I love these and have had a few. If you unscrew any one of the disks, you’ll see that distinct green oxidation caused by the leather. Thank you for sharing.

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On 6/13/2021 at 10:37 AM, Darkeye said:

Working on a display of Aviation variants. Probably put them in this old frame on blue felt.

0AF7C16E-4AC8-4128-BC0F-A0404317604F.jpeg

E5BB3726-D467-4F68-8C9D-9A09C559CD5B.jpeg

 

'Darkeye' - now you're speaking my language! I'm all about these aviation discs. By chance, are any MFG marked? That one at bottom left in your second scan (top left from the patch) is exceedingly rare. Nice!

 

 

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You mean this gem? No Manufacturer marks but definitely US made by the reverse. Actually, an ebay purchase. Very nice lady picked up a huge lot of militaria. Most were stuck through cardboard with old prices on them. She had them all titled "military pins", so only chance that I stumbled on her auctions. Picked up a few more disks from her, but missed some rarities.

E0B53DFC-8601-42E3-B765-1233878AF1DD.jpeg

9606AA3A-213C-401D-8061-8A3418EC472E.jpeg

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20 minutes ago, Darkeye said:

Sadly, here’s one we missed.

D0BA5E2E-A7E2-4D0A-A976-34993D666322.png

Interesting.

 

One wonders what this badge represents.  There is a fairly well known disk for the 1st Aero Company, NYNG circa 1915-1916:

 

1887034964_1AeroCo.jpg.56c7ecd5669f476179d9f904dc739093.jpg

 

As far as research shows, there never was a 2nd Aero Company of the NYNG and I know of no records that indicate one was contemplated.  Obviously this particular design did not carry over into the Air Service Signal Corps nor the Army Air Service.

 

The 1st Aero Company has an interesting history.  Raynall Bolling (of Bolling AFB namesake) approached the Aero Club of America and The Adjutant General of New York about forming an Aero Corps.  Although largely privately funded, the 1st Aero Company, NYNG acquired two airplanes, began drilling, and prepared to deploy to the Mexican Border.  The National Security Act of 1916 changed the character of National Guard forces, and the 1st Aero Company was mustered into Federal Forces.  Unfortunately, culmination at the Mexican Border ensured the unit would not deploy and it was mustered out of Federal Service.  During WW1, the 1st Aero Company dissolved and its personnel went into federal service along with other NYNG forces.  After the war, the 1st Aero Company would re-form as the 102nd Observation Squadron.  Besides the 1913 Military Aviator badge, the various insignia for the First Aero Corps and 1st Aero Company are among the earliest official aviation-related badges of the US military.

 

One wonders if the similar disk with a 2 above is not perhaps a salesman's sample?  I would like to examine it carefully (especially the back).  Unfortunately as (I assume) no one here owns that disk, we will probably never get the opportunity. 

 

Chris

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