Jump to content

Armored Patches Worn On Chest


seanmc1114
 Share

Recommended Posts

Does anyone know the history and authority for the wear of the armored triangle SSI for divisions and battalions above the left breast pocket of utility uniforms? I have seen pictures of Gen. Patton with I believe a 2nd Armored Div. patch on the breast of his tanker jacket and I have seen OG-107 uniforms as late as the 70's with the triangle patches over the U.S. Army strip above the left pocket. I have even seen such shirts with Combat Infantry Badge patches below the U.S. Army strip. On the other hand, I don't believe I have ever seen a BDU with this patch arrangement. I have just never read anywhere exactly why this was done and whether it was officially authorized or just tolerated.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Proud Kraut

This is an interesting question! All I can ad is the fact that I have a book showing a picture of a 2nd Armored Div (subdued) patch worn above the "U.S.Army" strip on a BDU. The picture was taken 1987 during REFORGER exercise in Europe.

 

I have read somewhere that this was introduced by ??? to wear and show the patch close to the heart.

 

Lars

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wellll, the "Old Army Legend" that went around the Army in the 1950s....... when Patton commanded the 2d Armd Div at Fort Benning at the beginning of WWII: he required that everyone in the 2AD wear the 2AD triangle on their left breast (over their heart). Supposedly, this was to instill loyalty to the division. I know the 2AD continued this practice well into the early 1980s. Not sure when (or if) the practice stopped. Anyway, it's a mute point, as the 2AD was inactivated in 1996.

 

Tank battalions, on the other hand were a different matter. After WWII, separate tk bns became a thing of the past. From then on, they were usually a subordinate unit of a major command ( ie a div). Hence, the div SSI was worn on the left sleeve; and the tank battalions (which were no longer authorized a triangle), wore them over the left or right breast pocket.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

General Patton aside, who did pretty much what ever he wanted, the patches worn over the pocket are not division patches but battalion patches. Some times the battalion would have the same number as a division but if it is over the pocket it is a battalion. This was done by organic tank battalions in infantry divisions. Every one had the division patch on their shoulder and the tank battalion wore the armour triangle over their pocket to show they were tankers not grunts. You will occasionally see someone in other non-armour units do it also. When I was in basic training we had a DI who wore an un-numbered triangle over his pocket to show he had an armour MOS rather than infantry like most of the others. You will also see it done with organic cavalry units. It was common practice in the 1950 and was still around in the 1970 but not sure if it is still done. also not sure if it was ever authorized by the Army or if it was just something accepted.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

DwightPruitt

I have a 12th Armored Division yearbook printed before they shipped overseas. In it are several photos of troops wearing the 12th AD patch on the left chest of HBT coveralls and other field uniforms. My scanner is on the fritz right now and once I figure it out, I'll post some here.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was in 2 AD from 93-until the end in 96 when we reflaged as 4ID at Ft Hood. During that time we wore the 2AD patch over the left pocket on the BDU's. It was worn on the left shoulder on our Field Jackets. Special skill badges were worn on the pocket flap below the Division SSI. Hope this helps. TOM

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My scanner is also acting up, but I did look back at some unit yearbooks I have and found the following:

 

1953 1st Armored Division Yearbook: All of the soldiers are wearing the 1stArmored triangle SSI without a tab above their left pocket flaps (no U.S. Army tapes) on their fatigue shirts, even in support units like medical and transportation, but they are wearing the armor triangle on their left sleeve on their field jackets

 

1956 Fort Stewart AA Artillery And Tank Training Center Yearbook: Members of the 710th Tank Battalion wore their armor triangle SSI with number 710 and without any tab over their U.S. Army tapes on their fatigue shirts but no other SSI on the left sleeve

 

1957 27th Armored Division Yearbook: All of the soldiers are wearing the 27th SSI with "Empire" tab on their left sleeves of their fatigue shirts

 

1962 49th Armored Division Yearbook: All of the soldiers are wearing the 49th SSI with "Lone Star" tab on their left sleeves of their fatigue shirts

 

1965 2nd Armored Division Yearbook: All of the soldiers are wearing the 2nd Armored triangle SSI with the "Hell On Wheels" tab above their U.S. Army tapes of their fatigue shirts

 

In all of the books, all of the soldiers wore their triangle patches on their left sleeves on their dress greens and khaki shirts

 

My grandfather served in the 48th Armored Division of the Georgia National Guard in the 50's and 60's. I don't have any pictures of him showing how they wore their armored SSI's but on some of his OG-107 shirts that have the 3rd Army patch on the left sleeve from after the 48th was inactivated in 1968 you can see the shadow of an armor triangle underneath on the left sleeve and not over the left pocket. Also, I do have a picture of him wearing his long sleeve khaki shirt with the 48th patch on the left sleeve

 

Could it be that only active duty divisions wore the patch over their hearts and National Guard divisions wore them on the sleeve?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In teh days when Inf Regts had organic Tank Companies (circa 1948-1963) it was not uncommon for the tankers to wear an armored traingle on the left chest of fatigues and sometimes coveralls as well. Some used the triangle with no number, others had patches made up with the Inf Regt number -- and some even just wrote in a number with a marking pen or had the local bowling shirt embroidery shoppe add numerals.

 

BTW some units also wore Yellow boot laces to mark themselves as Armor-MOS people. I even recall Armor officers in Class A greens wearing yellow sox!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just looked through a yearbook for the 33rd ARMORED RGT of the 3rd AD. dated 1942, Camp Polk, LA I found several picture of the 3AD patch being worn on the left brest. See attached picture of COl Strong the commanding Officer. Note the name plate on his desk with the 3AD insignia on the side. thumbsup.gif

post-1604-1208133936.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Seems only a few units did this.

I can't remember seeing a 4th AD patch being worn on the pocket, or 6th AD.

As far as I can see only the 1st, 2nd and 3rd AD did this.

Was this because they were "heavy" armored divisions?

 

Btw, I did see a TD patch being worn on the pocket (have to look for that photo).

 

Erwin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Proud Kraut

Erwin,

these ones are for you. Taken from the yearbooks of the 2nd Armored Rifle Bn, 51st Inf, 4th Armor Div Fort Hood 1957. Wonderfull sources...

 

Lars

Y1a.JPG

Y2a.JPG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Very nice pictures.

Thanks very much for showing them.

 

I was referring to WWII though.

But it is interesting to see they wore them like that in 1957.

 

Erwin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was with the 373rd ASA Co (311th ASA Bn) at Hood from late-'69 to mid-'70. We were attached to the 2nd AD (to provided it with SIGINT capability) and wore its patch (color, not subdued) above the left pocket of our fatigue shirts. In fact, we wore only the 2nd AD patch - nothing that reflected our being in ASA.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Trading Post (April/June 2001, p.10) shows a soldier wearing the Armored Command patch with "Airborne" tab over left chest pocket of his overalls (and at least two on left sleeves). The unit is identified as 151st Airborne Tank Company, which was formed at Ft. Knox August 15, 1943, and inactivated at Camp Mackall December 1944; no question about the identity of this unit; a large unit sign is shown.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Does anyone know the history and authority for the wear of the armored triangle SSI for divisions and battalions above the left breast pocket of utility uniforms? I have seen pictures of Gen. Patton with I believe a 2nd Armored Div. patch on the breast of his tanker jacket and I have seen OG-107 uniforms as late as the 70's with the triangle patches over the U.S. Army strip above the left pocket. I have even seen such shirts with Combat Infantry Badge patches below the U.S. Army strip. On the other hand, I don't believe I have ever seen a BDU with this patch arrangement. I have just never read anywhere exactly why this was done and whether it was officially authorized or just tolerated.

 

 

SEAN: Here is a colour photograph taken in 1959 at Fort Hood, Texas (66th Armored Regiment, 2nd Armored Division "Hell On Wheels") of a handsome young private who was an acting corporal seen here wearing the patch over his right pocket if a pocket would have been there, instead of on the left sleeve. That was PVT (E-2) Herbert Hillary Booker II (underage enlistment, 16). w00t.gif

post-837-1208714223.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A little off topic but still slightly relevant, aviation companies still wear a company patch above the name tape on the right side of the flight uniform. So far as I know aviation companies are the only units that wear a unit affiliation patch on the uniform in addition to the SSI on the sleeve. I could be wrong but I haven't seen any units outside of aviation that still do this.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

SEAN: Here is a colour photograph taken in 1959 at Fort Hood, Texas (66th Armored Regiment, 2nd Armored Division "Hell On Wheels") of a handsome young private who was an acting corporal seen here wearing the patch over his right pocket if a pocket would have been there, instead of on the left sleeve. That was PVT (E-2) Herbert Hillary Booker II (underage enlistment, 16). w00t.gif

 

 

What DI is that on his cap?? THANKS!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jeff Ashenfelter

Here is an Aviation Nomex set that I picked up some time ago. The insignia is direct embroidered but if you look closely you will see that an armored patch had been removed earlier.

That photo of HH Booker looks strangely familiar, perhaps one in the same? Jeff

post-2827-1208963492.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jeff Ashenfelter
Here is an Aviation Nomex set that I picked up some time ago. The insignia is direct embroidered but if you look closely you will see that an armored patch had been removed earlier.

That photo of HH Booker looks strangely familiar, perhaps one in the same? Jeff

closeup

post-2827-1208963547.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I served in the 1st Tiger Bde, 3/41 INF, 2AD at Ft. Hood from 1989 - 1992.

 

We wore the 2AD patch over the left chest pocket on our BDU's, and then on our 6 color 'chocolate chip' desert camo uniforms when we deployed to Desert Shield / Desert Storm. I don't remember where the patch went on the field jacket, probably because it wasn't worn very often. The patch was worn on the left sleeve of the Class A uniform, and also as a combat patch on the right sleeve of BDUs and the class A uniform after returning from the gulf.

 

The Tiger Brigade was inactivated, and we became the Grey Wolf Brigade of the 1st Cavalry Division not long after we returned from the gulf. That's when our 2AD patches came off of our chests.

 

Kevin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...