Post Your WWI Collar Disk

[tigerfan]

 

Here is a disc I recently posted but thought I would post it here in case others didn't see it. I am told this is a rare air corps collar disc and French made.

 

[1936farmall]

Here's mine:

 

[Patriot]

Originally. the Air Service was attached to the United States Signal Corps. It wasn't until a bit later that they had become a part of the Army (Army Air Service). Nice early one that you have their, with an earlier design to boot!

 

Patriot

 

 

Here is a disc I recently posted but thought I would post it here in case others didn't see it. I am told this is a rare air corps collar disc and French made.

[JonG]

4 from my "keeper" box. Can anyone help ID the 3? I got the US one. Thanks!

[BEAST]

Recently picked up this tank disk at a local military show. I know the dealer and trust him to be honest. But he is not a WWI collector, he picked this up with a few other items. Here's the question for the group: is it real? I like the front, but I am not sure about the back. There is no retaining disk (the little claws that keep the disk from turning on the collar), but I am not sure. So what do you think? Sorry about the poor lighting, I am experimenting with a new photo box. I have a few bugs to work out!

 

 

[USMCR79]

Can anyone tell me what this one is.....I've had it a long time

 

Bill

[cwnorma]

I can't remember what this one stood for, and I don't have my references here, but this is one of the early Civilian Conservation Corps disks.

 

Chris

[USMCR79]

I can't remember what this one stood for, and I don't have my references here, but this is one of the early Civilian Conservation Corps disks.

 

Chris

 

 

Chris,

 

Thanks for the "hook".....I did more research along that line and came up with Emergency Conservation Work (ECW)!!

 

I wonder what it's value is since I don't collect discs

 

Thanks

 

Bill

[Johnny S]

I bought this off a dealers site...

[cthomas]

'bout time we bring this one back to the top....

 

 

Here's a rare Field Telephone Bn disk...

 

And a view of the reverse...

[Colt1911]

This is an excellent & informative thread. Thank you all for contributing.

I've never had any until a few days ago.

Please correct me if i'm wrong, but the upper left one is the Pennsylvania Guard, 1st battalion, company G.

The 2 right ones are for an engineer battalion & please help me with the lower left. What does the NA mean?

[cwnorma]

...please help me with the lower left. What does the NA mean?

 

National Army

 

Prior to 1918, as a part of the 1915 legislation, the US Army consisted of three components: 1) The Regular Army including Army Reserve. 2) The National Guard including State Forces and State Militias when federalized. 3) The National Army, consisting of drafted men.

 

In 1918, the three components were combined into one entity called the Army of the United States.

 

Under the original schema, divisions 1 through 25 were to be organized with men of the Regular Army, divisions 26-75 National Guard, and 75 to 125 were to be National Army Divisions.

 

Until the insignia was officially eliminated in 1918, enlisted men of National Army units were to wear the US with superimposed "NA" disk on the right side of the collar. There were several versions of the insignia: USNA in a monogram, US with [NA] superimposed, and US with [NA] superimposed, regimental number below.

 

Although the various USNA disks were officially eliminated in 1918, they continued to be worn, along with in some cases state collar insignia, through the end of the war.

 

Chris

[Colt1911]

Thanks Chris.

I'm learning all the time here.

[Salvage Sailor]

Aloha Everyone,

 

As with many of you, while seeking new items to satisfy my militaria habit, I come across other interesting stuff.

 

I recently acquired some collar discs that were mixed in with a lot of USN Naval Aviation items.

 

This first disc is from the permanent guard Regiment that established and operated Camp Merritt, NJ, the primary embarkation station of the AEF. Their commander was Colonel John B. Bennet, the first CO of Camp Merritt, and later the CO of the 11th Infantry Regiment in France.

 

49th Infantry Regiment HQ

 

From the Bergen County Historical website:

 

ADMINISTRATION

The personnel necessary to operate the camp at its maximum (at the time of signing the Armistice) was approximately 500 officers, 7,000 enlisted men.

The building of the camp started in August 1917, the Cost approximating $11,000,000.

The first troops to arrive were Company F, 22nd Infantry, 65 men all told, on August 30, '1917. The 49th Infantry arrived September 17, 1917, strength 2,010 all told. As there were no buildings then ready,. these troops were quartered under canvas, about a mile north of the camp on the old race-track.

 

 

 

[Salvage Sailor]

This next disc is from an orphan Regiment that was broken up after arriving in France. They were part of the 86th Blackhawk Division, 172d Infantry Brigade, that was "skeletonized" when it reached the Depot Division in France, and parcelled out as replacements to the line divisions.

 

343rd Infantry Regiment, Company D

 

Unfortunately, it looks like someone tried to clean this one up with brasso and it removed much of the original finish.

 

 

 

I'm not sure if this next collar disc is WWI or post WWI as it's a pinback.

 

Engineer Branch

 

Reverse of Engineer collar disc

[cthomas]

This next disc is from an orphan Regiment that was broken up after arriving in France. They were part of the 86th Blackhawk Division, 172d Infantry Brigade, that was "skeletonized" when it reached the Depot Division in France, and parcelled out as replacements to the line divisions.

 

343rd Infantry Regiment, Company D

 

Unfortunately, it looks like someone tried to clean this one up with brasso and it removed much of the original finish.

 

Thank you for these informative posts. Just what I'm looking to achieve here. Nice pieces too

[Salvage Sailor]

This pin was also mixed in with the lot, don't know which state it is from.

 

MILITARY SERVICE

STATE GUARD

 

Marked STERLING on reverse

[Colt1911]

Were any pinback disc's made before the end of the war?

[Salvage Sailor]

Thanks Charles,

 

And all to soon be for sale or barter to support my USN habit. Don't want to slip into another collection just now, even though Collar Discs could become quite addicting

[cthomas]

Were any pinback disc's made before the end of the war?

 

 

You bet they were. Both types were manufactured here in the US- screw post & the pinback variant you see in the post above. Some erroneously refer to the one above as "French" made but I believe they're wrong. The French used a simple wire type "C" clasp as opposed to this solid looking clasp. I'll post one of the French mfg'd ones here shortly...

[cthomas]

Here's the French manufactured disk. Note the differences in the "C" clasps.....Another indicator it's of French origin is the brown finish. Different than the black subdued you see on disks manufactured here in the good ole' US of A.

 

and the reverse showing the wire "C" clasp...

[Colt1911]

Thanks again.

Were they always consistant as far as being bronze during the war period?

[cthomas]

Thanks again.

Were they always consistant as far as being bronze during the war period?

 

No, they weren't. I think they used other metals as the demand increased. Quality slipped too...You can see that in the stamped US disk I listed on one of the other pages in this thread. Take a look to see what I'm talking about.

[Colt1911]

I see what you mean. Thats even evident in the French, US pinback you just posted too. I'm sure just like any other time of conflict, raw materials when in short supply were used for more "important" means.

[Colt1911]

Got a few new ones today:

When i get my collar disc book, i'll be able to i.d. them. (eagerly waiting)