Notes on WW1 Armbands

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The following were extracted from General Orders of the AEF. The numbering is as appears in the General Orders. Items not related to uniforms were ommitted:

 

Postal agents

I. Postal agents and other employees of the Post Office Department, attached to the American Expeditionary Forces, will wear the service uniform with insignia “U. S.” (only) on the collar, and on the left arm a white brassard, 2 l/2 inches wide, bearing letters “P. S.” in red.

 

Section I, G. 0. No. 9, series 1917, these headquarters, is revoked and the following substituted there for:

 

The uniform of postal employees attached to the U. S. Postal Agency in the American

Expeditionary Forces shall be the same as that of field clerks, with the following exceptions:

The “U. S.” only will be worn on the collar.

A chevron of gray postal cloth, 2 1/2 inches in diameter, bearing the letters “P. A.,”

3/4 of an inch high in red, and red border of l/4 of an inch wide of the same material as the letters will be worn on the left sleeve midway between the elbow and the top of the sleeve.

 

WW1 War Correspondent (photo from the web)

 

War Correspondents

2. War correspondents will be divided into classes, accredited and visiting. The accredited correspondents will live permanently with the army. Visiting correspondents will come for tours with the army.

3. Accredited Correspondents. He shall provide himself with an American officer’s uniform, without insignia, and with a green brassard bearing the letter C. in red.

4. Paragraph 3 of G. 0, No. 36, September 12, 1917, these headquarters, so far as

relates to the uniform of accredited correspondents, IS REVOKED.

Accredited correspondents will wear the American officers’ uniform without any insignia of rank or arm of service. They will wear “U. S.” on the collar of the uniform. Sam Browne belt and a green brassard bearing the letter “C” in red. Overseas cap piping will be of green and red braid. Visiting correspondents may wear such clothing as they may see fit, but will not wear the American officers’ uniform, the letters “U. S.” on collar,

or the Sam Browne belt. They will be furnished with a white brassard. bearing the

letter “C” in red,

5. ACCREDITED PHOTOGRAPHERS will wear the same uniform as accredited correspondents except that the brassard will be blue, with white letter “P”.

 

Railway Transport Officer

3. A railway transport officer (R. T. O.) will be stationed at every port, every

important station on railway lines used by the American E. F. and at such other points

as may be deemed necessary. R. T. O’s. will, whenever possible, be located at passenger stations. They will wear on the left arm, above the elbow, a brassard, about 2 inches wide, of red and white bands, with black letters, two inches high, reading, “R. T. O.” All other designated representatives of the Transportation Department will, in a like manner, wear a red brassard, 3 inches wide, with black letters, two and one-half inches high, reading ‘T.D.”

 

M. D. S.

5. Couriers for this special service will also wear the M. D. S. brassard.

 

Interpreters

III. Official interpreters of the French Army placed at the disposition of the United

States Army in France will be hired by the Quartermaster Corps at the rate of $30.00 per month. They will wear the following uniform:

 

U. S. service cap, without braid and with a bronze sphinx (regulation French type) in place of regimental insignia.

U. S. service uniform, without braid on sleeves of coat and with letters U. S. on collar and bronze sphinx (regulation French type) in place of regimental insignia. U. S. service belt without cross belt. Leather leggins and tan shoes. Overcoat.

 

IV.

1. Clothing issued to French interpreters under the provisions of paragraph IV, section 5, [paragraph 5, section IV] General Orders No. 41, current series, these headquarters, will not include the United States service cap, collar ornaments, nor insignia of rank.

 

2. French interpreters will wear the French service cap, without bronze sphinx; coat with sphinx as insignia on collar, in place of regimental numbers, and without the letters “U. S.“: and the sleeves, the insignia of the French rank, if the wearer is entitled to any. French service caps, escutcheons and braid will be provided by the French Army.

 

Field Clerks

II. The following cablegram from the War Department, dated October 26. 1917. is published for the information and guidance of all concerned:

“Army Field Clerks and Field Clerks, Quartermaster Corps, will wear same uniform as officers, omitting all insignia of rank and brown band on cuff of service coat. Cord for service hat, black and silver. Collar insignia, crossed quill pens with miniature Adjutant General’s shield, lower angle for Army Field Clerks, miniature Quarter-master Corps insignia, lower angle for Field Clerks, Quartermaster Corps.”

 

General Staff

III. Special insignia to be worn by General Staff Officers, other members of General Staff sections, and Aides de Camp when moving about on duty in congested areas at the front, where such distinguishing mark is necessary to insure their free circulation, is authorized as follows:

To be worn on the left arm of the service coat, midway between the elbow and shoulder, an arm band of grosgrain silk, 3 inches wide, conforming to pattern on file with the Chief Quartermaster, and bearing the device of the General Staff embroidered in gold:

 

For the General Staff at G. H. Q. -- Red, white and blue.

For an army -- Red and white.

For a corps -- White and blue.

For a division -- Red.

 

To be worn on the breast, slipped over the outer thickness of the overcoat or the raincoat, just above the second button, a spring clip about 4 inches long and about one inch wide, conforming to pattern on file with the Chief Quartermaster, and bearing the insignia of the General Staff in miniature embroidered in gold, colors corresponding to those for arm bands.

The staffs of the Chief of Artillery of an army or corps are authorized to wear similar insignia, but bearing crossed cannons embroidered in gold in place of the General Staff insignia.

The members of the staff of a Division Artillery Commander are authorized to wear similar insignia, the color of the band and clip being blue.

The Chief Engineer of an army or corps, a Division Engineer Officer, a Chief Signal Officer of an army or corps, a Division Signal Officer and officers on the staff of an Infantry Brigade Commander are authorized to wear corresponding insignia, but without device in gold.

The staffs of the Commander of the Tank Corps and of a commander of a Tank Center are authorized respectively to wear insignia similar to that of the General Staff of G.H.Q. and of an army, but without device in gold.

 

Military Police

1. The following insignia to be worn on collar of coat is prescribed for officers and enlisted men of the Military Police Corps:

2. For officers, a strip of scarlet cloth, 2 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide, rounded at the comers, sewn on the collar lengthwise 1 inch from each end of the collar and midway between the upper and lower edges of collar, with regulation bronze metal letters “U.S.” superimposed on center.

3. For enlisted men, a strip of scarlet cloth, 2 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide, rounded at the comers, sewn on the collar lengthwise 1 inch from each end of the collar and midway between the upper and lower edges of collar with regulation button insignia “U. S.” superimposed on center.

 

Educational Corps

UNIFORM FOR MEMBERS OF EDUCATIONAL CORPS, A. E. F.

1. The uniform for members of the Educational Corps, created by G. 0. No. 62,

c. s.. these headquarters, while in the A. E. F., will be the uniform of a dismounted commissioned officer of the U. S. Army, without insignia of rank or arm of service and with an arm insignia hereinafter prescribed.

2. This insignia will be worn on the right arm with the top of the shield one-half

inch below the seam of the shoulder.

ARM INSIGNIA.

3. A shield 2 7/8 inches wide and 3 l/8 inches long, of khaki color, with the following insert: A dark blue ribbon l/4-inch wide and edged with gold cords entwining twice around a gold torch with a red flame, the ribbon to be horizontal where crossing the torch, with the word “Educational” on upper horizontal strip 1 3/8 inch long, and the words “Corps” on lower horizontal strip 1 inch long. The torch with the entwined blue ribbon will be superimposed upon wings of gold, with a spread of 2 3/8 inches and extreme depth of 1 l/4 inches.

4. The same design approximately one-half the dimensions of the arm insignia will be worn on the right side of the front of the overseas cap.

5. Members of the Educational Corps are authorized to wear on the left-shoulder, in the prescribed place, the authorized insignia of organization to which they are assigned for duty.

 

Saumur Artillery School

3. Attention is directed to G. 0. No. 95, c. s., these headquarters, which designates the dates of assembling of classes at the Saumur Artillery School as the last day of each month until further orders.

4. Candidates will wear a diagonal black stripe on the sleeves of the service coat and overcoat. These stripes will be worn as prescribed for service stripes in Uniform Regulations. The War Service Chevron and the Wound Chevron will be superimposed on the candidate’s stripe.

 

Arm Bands

General Orders HEADQUARTERS. A. E. F. No. 59 France, November 11, 1917.

I. The following distinguishing marks for specialists, and individuals detailed for special duties which, on occasion, separate them from their organizations, are hereby prescribed:

 

Guides and Scouts -- Green Arm Band

Orderlies and Messenger (Runners) -- Red Arm band

Agents and Signalmen -- Blue Arm Band

Carrying Parties (Munitions. Material,Food, Water) -- Yellow Arm Band

Trench Cleaners -- White Arm Band

Salvage Parties -- Khaki Arm Band with “Salvage” in red letters

 

These bands will be one and one-half inches wide and, with the exception of orderlies to different headquarters, will be worn around the left fore-arm. Headquarters orderlies will wear the red band around the left upper arm.

 

Men equipped with wire cutters will wear a piece of white tape tied to the right shoulder strap.