world war I nerd Posted October 27, 2018 Author Share #301 Posted October 27, 2018 In this postcard distributed by the American Red Cross, the third soldier from the front of the counter is wearing a brassard that appears to have lettering or initials on it. The two visible letters look to be "R.L." or "K.L.", or maybe not. Does anybody recognize this brassard? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
world war I nerd Posted October 27, 2018 Author Share #302 Posted October 27, 2018 Close up of the unidentified brassard from the above photo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MP25 Posted October 27, 2018 Share #303 Posted October 27, 2018 MP25, a plain green brassard was worn to indicate that certain members of the AEF were "scouts or guides" in the theater of operations. I doubt that the green brassard used by the post-Armistice Provost Marshal Department denoted that the wearer was a scout or a guide. My guess is that the green brassard is some sort of Provost Marshal brassard that is awaiting to be identified. It's also interesting that the PMD collar tabs were made in the green and yellow branch of service colors of the Provost Marshal General Department, like the piping on this officer's overseas cap. I think if anybody could ever identify it, it would be you! I have seen a few images of occupation troops wearing the PMD tabs, but none are wearing a plain brassard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
world war I nerd Posted October 27, 2018 Author Share #304 Posted October 27, 2018 An AMAROC correspondent's brassard as worn for the post-Armistice Inter Allied Games in 1919. I can't find any information on what "AMAROC" actually is, but I've been told it was some sort of newspaper or periodical that was printed in occupied Germany in 1919. (photo courtesy of the Chuck Thomas collection) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
world war I nerd Posted October 27, 2018 Author Share #305 Posted October 27, 2018 Another AMAROC brassard worn during what appears to be a 3rd Army "AEF All Stars" baseball game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
world war I nerd Posted October 27, 2018 Author Share #306 Posted October 27, 2018 Close ups of the AMAROC Brassard from the above image. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roadrunner Posted October 27, 2018 Share #307 Posted October 27, 2018 In this postcard distributed by the American Red Cross, the third soldier from the front of the counter is wearing a brassard that appears to have lettering or initials on it. The two visible letters look to be "R.L." or "K.L.", or maybe not. Does anybody recognize this brassard? The soldier is standing between two French officers and the way of wearing the garrison cap looks French to me. or In #36 is a armband shown with RL, could it be a subdued version ? https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/45160-brassards-armlets-armbands/?page=2 Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
world war I nerd Posted October 28, 2018 Author Share #308 Posted October 28, 2018 Roadrunner, you are correct in regard to French style overseas caps being worn by some of the American Doughboys waiting in line. There is however, only one French officer (wearing a kepi), and he is standing directly behind the soldier wearing the unidentified brassard. Your theory about a British style brassard being worn is plausible, but without an ID on the purpose of the British "RL" brassard, it's hard to say. It's true that the AEF adopted, or copied, a number of British brassard designs to be used by AEF personnel. By 1917, the British Army was using literally dozens and dozens, if not hundreds of different military brassards. To my knowledge (which happens to be very sketchy on this particular point), only a handful of British brassard designs were officially adopted by the AEF. Was the "RL" brassard one of them? Maybe … Maybe not. I certainly don't know, but would very much like to though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roadrunner Posted October 28, 2018 Share #309 Posted October 28, 2018 Roadrunner, you are correct in regard to French style overseas caps being worn by some of the American Doughboys waiting in line. There is however, only one French officer (wearing a kepi), and he is standing directly behind the soldier wearing the unidentified brassard. What do you think about the nationality of the person in front of the soldier with the brassard ? For me it looks like a subdued version of a french kepi ( see round style of the headgear and the silver chinstrap could indicate officers ) Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
world war I nerd Posted November 3, 2018 Author Share #310 Posted November 3, 2018 Michael, I stand corrected. The soldier in front of the brassard wearing Doughboy is also wearing a kepi and likely a French officer. On another note, check out this 3rd Army Motor Dispatch Service motorcyclist wearing the MDS Brassard. Also of intertest is the thickness of the soles of the dispatch rider's non-regulation knee-high boots. (photo courtesy of eBay seller Topcat) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
world war I nerd Posted November 3, 2018 Author Share #311 Posted November 3, 2018 The attached paragraph, about the MDS Brassard, is from 1st Division Memorandum No. 621, dated October 13, 1918 … proclaimed that the MDS Brassard was not to be worn by division personnel. It seems to imply that the MDS Brassard was intended to be used solely by the personnel of the Signal Corps, Motor Dispatch Service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
world war I nerd Posted November 3, 2018 Author Share #312 Posted November 3, 2018 The last paragraph in this excerpt, from a different 1st Division (unnumbered) memorandum, dated August 11, 1918 suggests or implies that there may have been an Ammunition Carriers Brassard or "distinguishing marks" worn by division personnel assigned to that duty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CW4AFB Posted November 3, 2018 Share #313 Posted November 3, 2018 Brian---Amaroc is an early army acronym---American Army of Occupation---and was part of the name of the Third Army / AFG newspaper: The AMAROC News---it was a soldier run newspaper that was designed to replace all of the individual newspapers published by the 1st Division (the Bridgehead Sentinal), the 2nd Division (The Indian), the 3rd Division (The watch on the Rhine) etc in the occupation zone--when the Stars and Stripes, published in Paris, went out of business in July 1919, the AMAROC News became the primary English (American) language newspaper in Europe and was read by everybody who could get their hands on a copy---and the French in their occupation zone to the south of the American one were amazed that soldiers were allowed to complain about everything that bothered them in the AMAROC and they weren't punished for it.... An AMAROC correspondent's brassard as worn for the post-Armistice Inter Allied Games in 1919. I can't find any information on what "AMAROC" actually is, but I've been told it was some sort of newspaper or periodical that was printed in occupied Germany in 1919. (photo courtesy of the Chuck Thomas collection) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
world war I nerd Posted November 3, 2018 Author Share #314 Posted November 3, 2018 Al, many thanks for clearing up the AMARC acronym issue. I'd been trying to work that one, without success, out for a while now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MP25 Posted November 10, 2018 Share #315 Posted November 10, 2018 MP identified as Fred Petrashek - photo from Louisville KY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
world war I nerd Posted November 17, 2018 Author Share #316 Posted November 17, 2018 AEF Division Staff Officers' Brassard in red with the numeral "1" denoting that the wearer was on the staff of the 1st Division. Images from newsreel footage taken of the 1st Division during the St, Mihiel offensive during September of 1918. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
world war I nerd Posted March 15, 2019 Author Share #317 Posted March 15, 2019 Press photo depicting AEF Motor Dispatch Service brassard wearing motorcycle couriers and their mascot, August 1918. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
world war I nerd Posted March 15, 2019 Author Share #318 Posted March 15, 2019 Motor Dispatch Service brassard as worn by a 3rd Army motorcycle courier circa 1919. Photo courtesy of the National Archives Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
world war I nerd Posted March 15, 2019 Author Share #319 Posted March 15, 2019 AEF Postal Service Brassarda/Insignia. This photo looks to have been taken on a homeward bound troop ship, probably in 1919. Photo courtesy of the Troy Morgan collection Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
world war I nerd Posted March 15, 2019 Author Share #320 Posted March 15, 2019 Close up of two of the Postal Service brassards. Photo courtesy of the Troy Morgan collection Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
world war I nerd Posted March 15, 2019 Author Share #321 Posted March 15, 2019 The "E" Brassards worn by this pair of Corps of Engineers officers are thought to be for "Embarkation Brassards" worn by AEF officers assigned to supervise the boarding process of AEF troops returning to the United States. So far no documentation of the purpose of this white on blue brassard has been found. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
world war I nerd Posted March 15, 2019 Author Share #322 Posted March 15, 2019 Close up of the Embarkation Brassards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
world war I nerd Posted March 15, 2019 Author Share #323 Posted March 15, 2019 Another example of an Embarkation Brassard, as well as a never before seen "Dock PA" Brassard. Based on the sign on the structure by which each soldier boarding the ship must pass, the latter brassard is presumed to signify "Dock Personnel Adjutant". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
world war I nerd Posted March 15, 2019 Author Share #324 Posted March 15, 2019 A closer view of the "E" and "Dock PA" brassards. In the case of the Doughboy wearing the Dock PA brassard, his insignia denoted him as an Engineer officer from the 90th Division. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
world war I nerd Posted March 15, 2019 Author Share #325 Posted March 15, 2019 A different photo of the same 90th Division Engineer officer wearing the Dock PA brassard. Over to the right is a man wearing a different type of "E" brassard. The armband of his brassard is composed of two colors rather than one as seen in previous images. Presumably the "E" still represents "Embarkation". The bi-colored armband, however, likely represents that the wearer has a different function or duty to perform. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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