Croix de Guerre Posted June 19, 2008 Share #1 Posted June 19, 2008 Here is another Field Service group in my collection. All you see belongs to one man's service. Here is the Readers Digest version. This man went over in the spring of 1917 as a volunteer in the AFS and was attached to SSU 27. After serving for six months he returned to the US and enlisted in the American Army. He was assigned to the United States Army Ambulance Corp Provisonal Section "A" and served as an amulance driver with the smal US contingent force in Italy. The group consists of his American Field Service tunic and trousers, his AFS diploma (not pictured), souvenir Austrian gas mask, US tunic with the very rare Lion of St. Mark AAS patch, US overcoat with the same patch, shirt, shoes, puttees, gas mask, canteen, British style over-seas cap, photos, letters, paperwork, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croix de Guerre Posted June 19, 2008 Author Share #2 Posted June 19, 2008 A different angle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croix de Guerre Posted June 19, 2008 Author Share #3 Posted June 19, 2008 The American Field Service Tunic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croix de Guerre Posted June 19, 2008 Author Share #4 Posted June 19, 2008 Close up of the AAS in Italy patches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croix de Guerre Posted June 19, 2008 Author Share #5 Posted June 19, 2008 The patch on the tunic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croix de Guerre Posted June 19, 2008 Author Share #6 Posted June 19, 2008 The patch on the overcoat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pconrad02 Posted June 19, 2008 Share #7 Posted June 19, 2008 WOW and I don't even collect WWI anymore! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr-X Posted June 19, 2008 Share #8 Posted June 19, 2008 Wow Awesome Its interesting to see the ribbons on the US tunic not just the AFS tunic. Can you please tell me what the ribbons are? Thanks for sharing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BEAST Posted June 19, 2008 Share #9 Posted June 19, 2008 CdG, I am looking for an USAAS uniform worn by a member of the Indiana University section that served in Italy. Do you know if they would have worn the AAS Lion of St. Mark SSI also? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croix de Guerre Posted June 19, 2008 Author Share #10 Posted June 19, 2008 Wow Awesome Its interesting to see the ribbons on the US tunic not just the AFS tunic. Can you please tell me what the ribbons are? Thanks for sharing Yeah I thought that was pretty cool too. I've seen that on a few other AFS uniforms as well. The ribbons are the American Field Service medal, the Croce al Merritto de Guerra {Italian War Cross} which is the red/white/green ribbon and to honest I'm not sure what the blue and white striped ribbon is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croix de Guerre Posted June 19, 2008 Author Share #11 Posted June 19, 2008 CdG,I am looking for an USAAS uniform worn by a member of the Indiana University section that served in Italy. Do you know if they would have worn the AAS Lion of St. Mark SSI also? I don't claim to be an expert on any group's service in Italy, much less all the various volunteer ambulance groups served in Europe (and if any one does make such a claim, I need to talk to them!) However, my understanding is that the Lion of St. Mark patch was only associated with the US Army troops in Italy and those directly connected to them. The YMCA volunteers were technically by the summer/fall of 1918 under the authority and in most cases assigned to a particular regiment or division. That why you'll occasionaly see a Y tunic with a divison shoulder patch. (Here is an example from my photo collection, known only as "Mr. Percy from Round Hill, Texas). My guess is that if Indiana U. sent over an ambulance section, they probably wore uniforms similar to what the AFS and Norton-Harjes sections were wearing. Have you written to Indiana U and checked thier archives? I do a great deal of research (which is 50% or more of the enjoyment of owning these items) and I have had a lot of success in contacting various colleges and universities. If you have an ID'd item and can run the threads back to a particular school, they can open a flood gate of information. I reccommend always checking their alumni records. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croix de Guerre Posted June 19, 2008 Author Share #12 Posted June 19, 2008 Here is a close up of the AAS Lion patch. I'm not a "patch guy" per se. I actually bought the group because of it's AFS connection. The Italian campaign stuff was sort of a bonus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croix de Guerre Posted June 19, 2008 Author Share #13 Posted June 19, 2008 Here is a close up of the AAS Lion patch. I'm not a "patch guy" per se. I actually bought the group because of it's AFS connection. The Italian campaign stuff was sort of a bonus. But you got to admit,,it's pretty darn cool! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atb Posted June 19, 2008 Share #14 Posted June 19, 2008 Yeah I thought that was pretty cool too. I've seen that on a few other AFS uniforms as well. The ribbons are the American Field Service medal, the Croce al Merritto de Guerra {Italian War Cross} which is the red/white/green ribbon and to honest I'm not sure what the blue and white striped ribbon is. The blue and white striped one is the War Cross and the red, white, green one is for is the Italian War Medal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croix de Guerre Posted June 19, 2008 Author Share #15 Posted June 19, 2008 The blue and white striped one is the War Cross and the red, white, green one is for is the Italian War Medal. Thank you for the information! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croix de Guerre Posted June 20, 2008 Author Share #16 Posted June 20, 2008 USAAS men in Italy circa 1918 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BEAST Posted June 20, 2008 Share #17 Posted June 20, 2008 USAAS men in Italy circa 1918 CdG, Do you know which section they are with? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croix de Guerre Posted June 20, 2008 Author Share #18 Posted June 20, 2008 CdG,Do you know which section they are with? Section 520, Provisional Section A,,my man Dan is in the front row, third from the right (in glasses) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croix de Guerre Posted June 20, 2008 Author Share #19 Posted June 20, 2008 More Americans in Italy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted June 21, 2008 Share #20 Posted June 21, 2008 WOW! That's an AWESOME group! Thanks for sharing it! Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croix de Guerre Posted December 1, 2008 Author Share #21 Posted December 1, 2008 It's cold and rainy so I took a few pictures today,,,,Here is a shot of Brem Lunt's AFS Diploma. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croix de Guerre Posted December 1, 2008 Author Share #22 Posted December 1, 2008 It's cold and rainy so I took a few pictures today,,,,Here is a shot of Brem Lunt's AFS Diploma. Close up,,every member who served in the AFS recieved one of these diplomas for his service. They are all unique to each driver and hand signed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croix de Guerre Posted December 1, 2008 Author Share #23 Posted December 1, 2008 It's cold and rainy so I took a few pictures today,,,,Here is a shot of Brem Lunt's AFS Diploma. On the left is a representation of two soldiers from the American Revolution; one an American, the other French, harkening back to the Franco-American alliance during the Revolutionary War. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croix de Guerre Posted December 1, 2008 Author Share #24 Posted December 1, 2008 On the left is a representation of two soldiers from the American Revolution; one an American, the other French, harkening back to the French alliance during the Revolutionary War. Next a representation of an AFS man and a French Poilu,, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croix de Guerre Posted December 1, 2008 Author Share #25 Posted December 1, 2008 Next a representation of an AFS man and a French Poilu,, Pour La France Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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