64th AIB DUI?

[Guest 09cs]

Hi all!

 

I'm trying to build a display case for my grandfather who was with the 16th Armored in WW2 in Pilsen, specifically with the 64th Armored Infantry Battalion, and wanted to include their DUI in the display. But the only one I can find is this, http://cdn3.volusion.com/oedhp.sumyj/v/vspfiles/photos/Patch64Ar-2.jpg

But am seeing conflicting things, such as this is for the 64th Regiment, which was in Korea, but I could be wrong.

 

Any help would be great!

Thank you!

[atb]

The one you found is for the 758th Tank Battalion, then the 64th Tank Battalion and, later, for the 64th Armor. From the US Army Institute of Heraldry website:

 

The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the 758th Tank Battalion on 27 February 1942. It was redesignated for the 64th Tank Battalion on30 April 1952. The insignia was redesignated for the 64th Armor Regiment on 3 April 1963.

You are looking for the 64th Armored Infantry Battalion. They are two different units. The 64th AIB may never have had a DUI made.

[Steve B.]

I do not believe the 64th AIB had a DUI, at least not during WWII.

 

I have checked Capistrano's WWII & post-war infantry volumes and Stanton's WWII Order of Battle and none of them show a DUI for the 64th.

 

This is not uncommon, particularly among the high-number armored divisions.

 

According to Stanton, the 64th was formed out of the 1st Battalion, 476th Infantry in September 1943, arrived in Europe in February 1945 and returned to the U.S. in October 1945. That's not a lot of time to create a DUI & have them produced in a wartime economy.

[tredhed2]

To echo what Steve B. said, the current ASMIC Infantry DI catalog (Vol 2 Pt 1 31-100), which is the most recent and upgraded catalog published, does not list a DI for the 64th AIB. Not every unit had a DI, whether authorized or not, in any specific conflict.

 

At this point in time, there may be at best only a literal handful of surviving vets from the bn; you might try contacting the 16th AD association - but it's a real longshot. You are probably searching for something that does not exist.

[Guest 09cs]

Thanks all for the responses. I have reached out to the 16th Association, and they are small but have done what they could, and said they have no living members from the 64th AIB (at least that were part of the association).

 

That was my initial belief as well, that since they were such a "short lived" division/battalion (Feb.-Oct. '45) that they may not have had time/resources to create one.

[tredhed2]

The vast majority of servicemen (and women) really couldn't have cared less about insignia. If they did, there were be only a tiny market in collecting.

 

The answer is that since none have been found to date, there most likely was no interest in creating one.

 

There were many units, short-lived following the end of the war (in all theaters) who had the interest in creating insignia. Theater made insignia, and to a smaller extent, US made post war, exist in great numbers.