Star and Indian Head Insignia of the 2nd Infantry Division, AEF

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 80: A close up of both of the provisional 2^nd Division shoulder patches along with an example of a similar star within a circle SSI.

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 81: This Marine wearing a forest green winter field uniform is wearing another style of early 2^nd Division insignia. In this case, it’s a circle with a star and an Indian head that appears to be wearing two feathers instead of a war bonnet. At left is a close up of the Marine’s SSI and a similar appliqué style 2^nd Division shoulder patch featuring an Indian head wearing two feathers.

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Photo No. 82: Three more examples of early appliqué style 2^nd Division Indian heads.

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Photo No. 83: Both of these Marines wearing forest green service coats are wearing appliqué style star and Indian heads that were likely patterned after the star and Indian head that was stenciled onto all of the division’s transportation.

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Photo No. 84: This particular star and Indian head appears to mirror the design of the star and Indian head used for the 2^nd Division Liberty Loan insignia. From left to right: an early appliqué and hand embroidered star and Indian head; the image of a 2^nd Division’s insignia that appeared in a color spread of AEF insignia in the May 4, 1919 edition of the New York Tribune, and a Liberty Loan 2^nd Division insignia.

[world war I nerd]

It is thought that the insignia worn by the Marines shown above were all manufactured in the U.S. before the news of the different colors and shapes that were to be used for the background of the various units within the 2^nd Division had arrived in America.* At that time the only version of the 2^nd Division’s insignia known in the U.S. would have been the star and Indian head design that was stenciled onto divisional transportation, and the image that appeared on the Liberty Loan insignia.

 

*There is another topic on this forum that deals with early 2^nd Division insignia, which explained that some of the Marines wearing early star and Indian heads were wounded in early battles and were shipped back to the U.S.to recover. That topic didn’t turn up in any of my searches. If anyone knows how to find it, please post a link … thanks.

 

Photo No. 85: Many of the Liberty Loan shoulder patch designs featured early or much less common variations of AEF insignia, like these seldom seen 19^th, 76^th, and 78^th Infantry Division, designs. Because these were the only know images of AEF insignia, many manufacturers copied them, not knowing that they had been replaced by an alternate or newer design.

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 86: These are the more common designs of the 19^th, 76^th, and 78^th Infantry Division shoulder patches.

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 87: It’s possible that the early 79^th Infantry Division SSI comprised of a five pointed star within a circle or the star by itself were pressed into service as ad-hoc 2^nd Division emblems. The insignia that was finally settled on as the official 79^th Infantry Division SSI was the Cross of Lorraine, pictured in the inset.

 

Doughboy photo courtesy of the John Adam-Graf collection

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 88: This style of Indian head is often mistaken for a variation of the 2^nd Division’s Indian head. It has nothing to do with the 2^nd Division. It is actually an early variation of the 8^th Infantry Division’s insignia

[world war I nerd]

Appliqué Star & Indian Heads

Appliqué is arguably the most common form in which handmade European WW I era 2^nd Division star and Indian head SSI were constructed. By the way, appliqué is defined as a decoration or trimming of one material sewn or otherwise fixed onto another. It is derived from the French word, appliquer, which means “to apply”.

 

Photo No. 89: This Doughboy sports a service coat bearing an appliqué style 9^th Infantry Regiment SSI.

 

Photo courtesy of the John Adam-Graf collection

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 90: Three period examples of appliqué style shoulder patches, from left to right: a possible commercially made post war SSI on a HQ shield; a typical European appliqué style on a 9^th Infantry Regiment background; and another post war, commercially made HQ shield that may be either appliqué or machine embroidered … I just can’t tell.

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Photo No. 91: European made 17^th Field Artillery Regiment; commercially made, post war 5^th Marine Regiment similar to the left hand HQ shield shown above; and another 5^th Marine Regiment.

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Photo No. 92: Three similar European made 9^th Infantry Regiment SSI which all look to have been made by the same person, vendor or shop.

 

Photos courtesy of the John Adam-Graf collection

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 93: Three more European made 2^nd Engineer Regiment SSI. Hard to tell for sure, but the first example may be French made hand embroidered examples. The last two look to be made by the same person, vendor or shop.

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 94: Three more European made SSI belonging to the 17^th Field Artillery Regiment, 23^rd Infantry, and 2^nd Sanitary Train. The first and third examples look to be made by the same person, vendor or shop. The center SSI is similar to the “Dot Eyed” style show below in photos number 104 and 105.

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 95: These three “Big Nosed” Indian heads may have been made by the same person, vendor or shop. Note that they are all on USMC background Shapes. Because they aren’t exactly the same, it’s entirely possible that other makers were mimicking a design that was created by another vendor. Imagine a pair of Marines, one with an insignia and the other without, walking into a shop and asking, “Can you make one of these?” while pointing at the Marine whose shoulder was displaying a SSI.

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 96: Variations of the Big Nosed Indian head. The center SSI looks like a higher quality version of the Big Nosed Indian heads shown above.

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 97: Still two more Big Nosed Indian Head types that are different yet similar to those shown in the previous photos. I believe that as the troops of the 2^nd Division moved through France to Germany, insignia were picked up here and there in the various hamlets and villages in which they were billeted, making it possible for 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd generation copies or variations of a single design to exist.

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 99: Examples of the “Old Hag” style Indian heads, both of which are on the black backing cloth of HQ Company, 2^nd Engineer and 12^th Field Artillery Regiments. Variations of the Old Hag style seem to have been widely worn by most, if not all of the units within the 2^nd Division.

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 100: Three more Old Hags, two on USMC background shapes and one on the shape of the 23^rd Infantry Regiment. Again, each is similar, yet distinctly different, indicating that they might have been made by the same person, vendor or shop. Note that two of stars (1^st and 3^rd) have been machine sewn, and one (2^nd) has been hand sewn onto their background cloth. Subtle differences such as how each emblem was fabricated could indicate that a different person made them.

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 101: Unusual appliqué variations that combine features of both the Big Nosed and Old Hag style Indian heads.

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 102: Clearly these three European made Indian heads came from a single source. Despite each being slightly different, the materials, style and technique are obviously the same. The first two were part of a group, one being sewn onto a service coat and the other on the same soldier’s overcoat.

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 103: A 17^th Field Artillery Regiment and two 9^th Infantry Regiment appliqué Indian heads in situ. Note the commercially made, machine embroidered Indian head in the lower left corner of the central photo.

 

Right hand photo courtesy of the John Adam-Graf collection

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 104: Examples of European made “Dot Eyed” style Indian heads. There can be little doubt that these were made by the same vendor. The first two, 1^st Field Signal Battalion and 3^rd Battalion, 5^th Marine Regiment were sewn onto a WW I, YMCA patch blanket. The green Supply Company, 5^th Marine Regiment turned up on a militaria dealer’s website. I believe that these were commercially made as each component looks to be die cut and machine sewed.

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 105: Two variations of the Dot Eyed style and a fourth example that was likely made by the same firm as the other Dot Eyed Indian heads shown above.