AEF Service Uniform, 28th Div. 103rd Engineers. ID'd

[Sully]

This uniform belonged to Sergeant First Class Ottomer Illerich. He was in Company D 103 Engineers, and in the 5 volume unit history it lists him as a private. The one medal on his uniform wasn't created till 1936 so it is possible he stayed in after the war. He is wearing the Verdun Medal, St Mihiel Medal, and WW1 Victory with Three Battle Stars.

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Detail of Collar brass and soldiers initials.

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Closeup of ribbons.

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Keystone and rank

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Overseas stripe

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Trousers with belt. The belt has a patten date of January 1904. Did Spanam and Philipine Insurrection period uniforms use the same belt style?

 

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Detail of repairs on breeches.

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Another repair

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Overseas Cap with USNG Brass

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Detail of cap brass

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Label of tunic.

[Sully]

My collection of WW1 uniforms, most are 28th Division. Any you would like to see?

[Mitter2k1]

Share them all! I love these coats and I'm always up for seeing more.

Thanks for sharing with us,

Mike

[atb]

"The one medal on his uniform wasn't created till 1936 so it is possible he stayed in after the war."

Which medal is that, the St. Mihiel or the Verdun? More likely when he became eligible for the new medal by virtue of his service in France in WW1 he simply had a new three-place ribbon bar made and put it on his old uniform. His uniform and insignia are not of the style worn in 1936.

[Sully]

It isn't just the St. Mihiel ribbon, but that the 28th Division history lists him as a Private. I know the uniform changed in 1927 and I guess I could have written my first statement better, sorry.

[atb]

Many unit histories list the soldiers in earlier ranks. It depends when they were published and what rosters they had available for their information. Since the St. Mihiel and Verdun medals were not US state or federal awards, soldiers applied to the French government for them when they came out, sometimes many years after the end of the war.

[rustbucket]

Beautiful uniform. But isn't the rank insignia on the wrong sleeve?