WW1 102nd Field Atillery Helmet, 26th Inf Div. Wifes Name "Delia-Mae" Painted on back.

[USMC-RECON0321]

Hello,

 

Just picked this one up because I've been wanting a nice 102nd FA and I liked how the Name Delia-Mae was painted on the back. I believe this would be a wife or girlfriends name?

 

Had to edit my first description becsause I think I found the answer.

 

Thoughts / opinions appreciated?

 

 

Thanks

Troy

 

 

 

 

..

[aef1917]

Jesse Earl Harner was in the 26th Infantry Regiment of the 1st Division, not the 26th Division.

 

It was not uncommon for doughboys to name their artillery pieces. It's possible that Delia-Mae was a gun in Battery D of the 102nd F.A.

[USMC-RECON0321]

Jesse Earl Harner was in the 26th Infantry Regiment of the 1st Division, not the 26th Division.

 

It was not uncommon for doughboys to name their artillery pieces. It's possible that Delia-Mae was a gun in Battery D of the 102nd F.A.

 

AEF,

 

You beat me to it. I don't know why that didn't enter my mind to begin with. Yes he would have been with the 1st div. not 26th. I guess the 26th Inf. threw me, normally you mean your Div. not Regt. when you don't specify?? But in WWI it may have been different.

 

The Indiana connection would've been the clue??

 

Well back to the drawing board! Research is never that easy - figures.

 

Thanks

Troy

[jguy1986]

Could be a wife/girlfriend/daughter(s), etc. Very cool, though. I guess it made him a little easier to spot in the welcoming parade in Boston.

[jkash23686]

Really nice helmet. I still need to get a nice WWI helmet to add to the shelf, but the ones I find pale in comparison to this sucker.

[USMC-RECON0321]

Thanks guys! I've really been finding more of an interest in WWI unit marked, or post war trench art helmets and in particular the 26th Div for the fact of each Regiment painting different Unit Insignias on their helmets. It would be nice to hunt them all down, that would be a fun collection to display!

 

Hint hint…. So if anyone has an original WW1 26^th Inf Div helmet you’re thinking of selling give me a PM??

 

Troy

[aef1917]

A forum member has a nice 102nd MG Bn. helmet on eBay right now. They're one of the few units that painted helmets during the war.

 

Collecting all of the 26th Division is a tall order. There are advanced collectors who have never even seen helmets with of some of the painted insignia. Once you get the Infantry, Artillery and Engineer regiments and the Machine Gun Battalions, you're into company-sized units, and there were some that were platoon-sized.

[USMC-RECON0321]

A forum member has a nice 102nd MG Bn. helmet on eBay right now. They're one of the few units that painted helmets during the war.

 

Collecting all of the 26th Division is a tall order. There are advanced collectors who have never even seen helmets with of some of the painted insignia. Once you get the Infantry, Artillery and Engineer regiments and the Machine Gun Battalions, you're into company-sized units, and there were some that were platoon-sized.

 

 

I think I'm the high bidder on the helmet you mentioned! Hope to get it.

 

Yes, I know that is a tall order and wishful thinking! Do you know of any collector who has found them all? Would love to see a display of them. I'm sure many were painted post war for parades, reunions etc.. The nice thing is, the prices aren't bad on these. It's just picking out the real ones that can be tough.

 

Troy

 

 

 

 

...

[USMC-RECON0321]

Here is my 103rd Inf, 26th Div. It's far from many but it's a start anyway!!

 

 

 

...

[aef1917]

The nice thing about the 26th Division is that it's clear that the helmets were all either painted during the war or for the April 25, 1919 Boston parade from which we got that chart of helmet insignia. For some units, it's documented down to the very day they applied the insignia.

 

I talked to Scott Kraska a while ago, and he does not know of any complete YD collections. He came close at one time, but there were a couple he never got. He also wrote an article for the GI Journal with a more complete list of insignia. I'll try to scan it tonight.

[USMC-RECON0321]

The nice thing about the 26th Division is that it's clear that the helmets were all either painted during the war or for the April 25, 1919 Boston parade from which we got that chart of helmet insignia. For some units, it's documented down to the very day they applied the insignia.

 

I talked to Scott Kraska a while ago, and he does not know of any complete YD collections. He came close at one time, but there were a couple he never got. He also wrote an article for the GI Journal with a more complete list of insignia. I'll try to scan it tonight.

 

That would be great. What do you think are the hardest to find on the scan I posted above? Or better yet, what were the ones he never found?

 

Troy

[MasonK]

Looks like it was his wife. 1920 Census has him married to Della M(ae) Harner:

[MasonK]

I was also able to find the following items of interest:

 

Findagrave Memorial

 

http://www.findagrav...1&GRid=45506194&

 

Headstone Application:

 

[MasonK]

WWII Draft Regristration Card

 

[USMC-RECON0321]

Looks like it was his wife. 1920 Census has him married to Della M(ae) Harner:

 

Yes, you are spot-on! But I quickly found out that vet "Harner" was in the 26th Inf Regt. Not the 26th Division. I wasn't thinking Regiment when I found him. It would've been a great connection, but wrong Vet and wrond "Delia-Mae".

 

I'm starting to think as AEF stated above, this was a nickname for a gun. Maybe connected to the name of a wife or girlfriend back home? Nothing else to go on though.

 

Thanks

Troy

[USMC-RECON0321]

Hey, if anything, we brought this vet back to life again for a moment!! He had an interesting history.

 

Troy

[aef1917]

The ones on the chart are mostly the easy ones. Scott never got the Q.M.C. and 52nd FA Brigade HQ. The HQ Troop, 51st and 52nd Inf Brigade HQ and Motor Service Dispatch are the other really tough ones on there. Divison HQ and the MP Co. are not easy to find, but they do turn up from time to time.

[MasonK]

 

Yes, you are spot-on! But I quickly found out that vet "Harner" was in the 26th Inf Regt. Not the 26th Division. I wasn't thinking Regiment when I found him. It would've been a great connection, but wrong Vet and wrond "Delia-Mae".

 

I'm starting to think as AEF stated above, this was a nickname for a gun. Maybe connected to the name of a wife or girlfriend back home? Nothing else to go on though.

 

Thanks

Troy

 

Ahh, I see! Sorry about that. I should have read through the rest of the thread a little more diligently.

[USMC-RECON0321]

The ones on the chart are mostly the easy ones. Scott never got the Q.M.C. and 52nd FA Brigade HQ. The HQ Troop, 51st and 52nd Inf Brigade HQ and Motor Service Dispatch are the other really tough ones on there. Divison HQ and the MP Co. are not easy to find, but they do turn up from time to time.

 

 

Wow, that's more then a couple!! Need to keep my eyes open. These do show up at shows now and then, so I will need to pay better attention to them.

 

I do like the Motor service Dispatch insignia, would like to see a picture of one!

 

Troy

[USMC-RECON0321]

 

Ahh, I see! Sorry about that. I should have read through the rest of the thread a little more diligently.

 

Eric,

 

Not a problem! Thanks for the effort and it was fun to see all that! Great stuff.

 

Troy

[paulyp99]

That's a beauty of a helmet. I've got two 102nd Field Artillery helmets myself.

[aef1917]

 

 

I do like the Motor service Dispatch insignia, would like to see a picture of one!

 

 

 

Here's mine, with variant insignia.

[USMC-RECON0321]

Wow, Love it! Very Nice! Any ID?

[USMC-RECON0321]

Lets start a thread and see if we can put an online collection together of all the 26th Div Helmets from forum members?

 

I'll start one here in a minute and hope it keep going and not a Fizzle-out thread??

 

Troy

[jrschowe]

 

It appears that Jesse Harner was my Grandfather's stepfather.

 

I have a few pictures, discharge papers, victory medal and dog tags. Once I can figure out how to upload pictures, I'll connect a face with your helmet.