Post Your WWI Collar Disk

[cthomas]

Maybe someone here can help me. Great Grandfather was in WW1 and on his Collar disk are the crossed rifles. NO numbers above the rifles. But underneath are the Letters "PL" The P is not in the center of the Crossed rifles like the Pioneer infantry so that rules out that. He was in the 3rd Army and in the Marines, Any help on this would be great. Especially pictures. Thanks

 

 

Don't have much to add here other than I browsed Scipio's book on collar disks & did not turn up anything. I consider that the bible for WWI enlisted collar insignia so I'm looking forward to seeing if anyone else can turn something up.

[atb]

Maybe someone here can help me. Great Grandfather was in WW1 and on his Collar disk are the crossed rifles. NO numbers above the rifles. But underneath are the Letters "PL" The P is not in the center of the Crossed rifles like the Pioneer infantry so that rules out that. He was in the 3rd Army and in the Marines, Any help on this would be great. Especially pictures. Thanks

Maybe you could post an image.

[Trenchman33]

Maybe you could post an image.

 

Unfortunatley the photo is unable to show the Disk unless its up to a light source that is bright enough. I might try to get my buddy to take a picture of it with a light back and he could use his camera to zoom in close to it.

[37thguy]

Here's my 3 newest, all for the 37th Division, of course.

 

#3

[37thguy]

Unfortunatley the photo is unable to show the Disk unless its up to a light source that is bright enough. I might try to get my buddy to take a picture of it with a light back and he could use his camera to zoom in close to it.

 

Can you scan it for us? :think:

[indianhead]

Hello

 

Just to share with you pictures of three WW1 USMC collar dug up on the area of Brest in France and still the same side.

You have seen the first but....

 

 

 

 

Indianhead

[37thguy]

My latest. An Ebay find for $11! Ebay can still be good. The 136th was part of the 37th Division, what else.

[Misanthropic_Gods]

I grabbed these from StevenL a few weeks back...these are GREAT! They are marked A.E. CO, Utica NY on the back.

 

[Doughboy1918]

Some of my new ones. Not pictured is my Air Service disc.

[hawk3370]

Pardon my hasty shot.

 

WWI Air Service - from the coat of Chauffeur Charles Coy.

 

Patrick,

I am sure you already know, but just in case, your Coy Air Service disc is French MFG. This particular style is really getting tough to find. Attached are a couple pic of what I believe is a Brit Mfg disc with silver prop and stubby wing, a stateside style wing over signal flags (this is the only known example of this disc, the winged globe over signal flags shows up, but have never encountered another one of these), Die for the standard AS collar insignia, and Die for the French style wing, I believe this is a button die.

 

Terry

[hawk3370]

Patrick,

I am sure you already know, but just in case, your Coy Air Service disc is French MFG. This particular style is really getting tough to find. Attached are a couple pic of what I believe is a Brit Mfg disc with silver prop and stubby wing, a stateside style wing over signal flags (this is the only known example of this disc, the winged globe over signal flags shows up, but have never encountered another one of these), Die for the standard AS collar insignia, and Die for the French style wing, I believe this is a button die.

 

Terry

[hawk3370]

I'll switch the disks for the next photo session. I want to shoot it complete with the pack and belt, etc. Here's a shot of my Grandfather, the disks are as you thought they should be. He's wearing the other set I have from him, before he got the Engineers disk with the 'C'.

Thanks for the heads up.

 

When I entered the Army many many years ago my DI told me that the best way to remember on which side the US vs branch disc go is just say "The US is always RIGHT".

 

Terry

[hawk3370]

Steve,

 

Duncan Campbell speculated that disk was for the 1st Aero Squadron, NYNG. He thought that it was probably pre-WW1.

 

Chris

 

Steve,

Very nice group and extremely scarce variations. I have spoken to Duncan on several occasions ref to this four bladed disc with Nr 1. No other information has surfaced to indicate other than what Chris stated.

 

Terry

[cthomas]

Patrick,

I am sure you already know, but just in case, your Coy Air Service disc is French MFG. This particular style is really getting tough to find. Attached are a couple pic of what I believe is a Brit Mfg disc with silver prop and stubby wing, a stateside style wing over signal flags (this is the only known example of this disc, the winged globe over signal flags shows up, but have never encountered another one of these), Die for the standard AS collar insignia, and Die for the French style wing, I believe this is a button die.

 

Terry

 

 

Terry-

Some fascinating Aviation discs. I actually have a variant of the 2nd one you posted showing the wings superimposed over the crossed signal flags. So, that makes two in existance. Just when I was beggining to think I had a one-of....Actually, mine is slightly different than your example. The one in my collection has a two-staged wing, with the center set of feathers set appart from the main body of the wing.

-Chuck

[hawk3370]

Terry-

Some fascinating Aviation discs. I actually have a variant of the 2nd one you posted showing the wings superimposed over the crossed signal flags. So, that makes two in existance. Just when I was beggining to think I had a one-of....Actually, mine is slightly different than your example. The one in my collection has a two-staged wing, with the center set of feathers set appart from the main body of the wing.

-Chuck

 

Chuck,

Can you put up a pic, would love to see it. I have seen one or two in which they have mounted a silver stateside style wing over a signal corps disc but this is the only one piece strike that I have encountered.

Terry

[cthomas]

Chuck,

Can you put up a pic, would love to see it. I have seen one or two in which they have mounted a silver stateside style wing over a signal corps disc but this is the only one piece strike that I have encountered.

Terry

 

 

Terry-

This example appears seem less as well which made me think a one-piece strike. Either that or it was one heck of a soldering job. I brought out my 10X loop & checked along the edge between the wing & the signal flags- nothing. No evidence of the wings being a separate piece. That is dirt/dust you see at the 12 o'clock. The wing appears to be 'Fire Bronze'.

It seems you & I are of like mind-we got an eye for the unusual Air Service insignia. I'll drop you a PM in hopes we can discuss it further.

-Chuck

[hawk3370]

Terry-

This example appears seem less as well which made me think a one-piece strike. Either that or it was one heck of a soldering job. I brought out my 10X loop & checked along the edge between the wing & the signal flags- nothing. No evidence of the wings being a separate piece. That is dirt/dust you see at the 12 o'clock. The wing appears to be 'Fire Bronze'.

It seems you & I are of like mind-we got an eye for the unusual Air Service insignia. I'll drop you a PM in hopes we can discuss it further.

-Chuck

 

Chuck,

Now we know there are at least two of these in existence. Very nice disc.

Terry

[Firstsonsofthenation]

Can anyone list in order, the disks found in a typical infantry regt?

 

Plain rifles, Rgt. number i.e. rifle and 28, rifle rgt # and HQ, rifle rgt # and A,B,C, D...

 

What Im after is what letters show up A-I, then S,T, ???????

 

Thanks.

[bayonetman]

Can anyone list in order, the disks found in a typical infantry regt?

 

Plain rifles, Rgt. number i.e. rifle and 28, rifle rgt # and HQ, rifle rgt # and A,B,C, D...

 

What Im after is what letters show up A-I, then S,T, ???????

 

Thanks.

 

The Company letters that appear below the crossed rifles are HQ, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, K, L, M, MG (Machine Gun), and S (Supply). I don't recall ever seeing a T (Train - not railroad, but supply wagons or vehicles) under the rifles. They can be found with Regimental number above and company below, or just company below when the Unit number was moved to the US disk. J was not used as a company letter.

 

MP (Military Police) is in some of the books, I have never personally seen one.

[Firstsonsofthenation]

Thanks. Seems like S is always the toughest to find??

[Shenkursk]

The Company letters that appear below the crossed rifles are HQ, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, K, L, M, MG (Machine Gun), and S (Supply). I don't recall ever seeing a T (Train - not railroad, but supply wagons or vehicles) under the rifles. They can be found with Regimental number above and company below, or just company below when the Unit number was moved to the US disk. J was not used as a company letter.

 

MP (Military Police) is in some of the books, I have never personally seen one.

 

Ask and you shall receive:

 

Military Police units used the "H" disc (Headquarters / Military Police) from August 1917 to January 1919

 

They used the "PM" Provost Marshal General's Department disc from January 1919 to an unspecified date in August 1920

(this particular one is made by BB&

 

at which time the "MP" designation was introduced.

 

This was short-lived, as the gilt "MP" disc replaced it in 1921.

 

As with all WWI and Occupation-era discs, the regulations should be taken with a large grain of salt - photographs indicate that the different organizations operated far more on available resources and flexible standards by different commanding officers than regulations written in Washington. ALSO, we have had several identified sets where individual soldiers were transferred from their original combat arms units to MP units in the District of Paris. If I remember correctly at least two of them had been wounded and were detailed to MP units after their recovery. They simply continued to wear their original Infantry or Artillery branch of service collar discs.

 

I think if I read your post correctly you were alluding to an "Infantry / MP" disc. We have over 4,000 WWI collar discs in our database, and none with that designation. If one turns up, however, I will be sure to post it.

[Firstsonsofthenation]

I should have also asked about FA units, same letters as Infantry????

[37thguy]

I have a 37th Division 112th MP with crossed rifles above. I think I listed it in this topic. #164

 

 

The Company letters that appear below the crossed rifles are HQ, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, K, L, M, MG (Machine Gun), and S (Supply). I don't recall ever seeing a T (Train - not railroad, but supply wagons or vehicles) under the rifles. They can be found with Regimental number above and company below, or just company below when the Unit number was moved to the US disk. J was not used as a company letter.

 

MP (Military Police) is in some of the books, I have never personally seen one.

[bayonetman]

Yes, I should have looked back through the posts. There are indeed crossed rifles over MP shown in this thread. Sorry about not checking before I spoke.

[37thguy]

I should have also asked about FA units, same letters as Infantry????

 

Yes. And the same for Cavalry as well.