Interesting Artillery DIs-

[Allan H.]

I thought it might be of some interest to a few of you to see a nice matched pair of Distinctive Unit Insignias or DUI's that represented a unit that may not be what it initially appears.

 

The DIs shown here are a matched pair for the 985th Field Artillery Battalion. They are Italian made and pin back with the Milan, Italy maker's mark on the base of the pin. Interestingly, the insignia design has the red arrow through the line design worn by soldiers of the 32nd Infantry Division, but most students of WWII history know that the 32nd Infantry Division served in the Pacific and not in MTO.

[cutiger83]

These are beautiful insignia! I love little items like this. Very interesting about being Italian made.

 

...Kat

[doyler]

Alan

Great matched pair.

[Allan H.]

Anyone who is looking through Sawicki's DI catalogs will quickly find the design (minus the badger on the top of the DI) attributed to the 121st Field Artillery Regiment. Besides the lack of the Badger at the top, the Latin Motto "Catervae Ferreae" translated to "Iron Brigade" differs from the Italian made pieces. The "On the Target" motto on these could be a cause for confusion. In this case, one would have to search out the history of the 121st Field Artillery. The 121st traces its roots to the 1880's when the Wisconsin National Guard (hence the badger at the top of the DI) formed a battery of artillery. The 121st Field Artillery Regiment served with the 32nd Division AEF in France and saw a lot of combat.

 

In 1942, after the 32nd had been activated for WWII service, the division was converted from a "Square" division to a "triangular" division. As such, the 121st FA Regiment was busted up with the 1st Battalion of the regiment being designated as the 121st FA Battalion. The 2nd Battalion was renamed as the 173rd Field Artillery Regiment and was detached from the 32nd. The 173rd FA Regiment was subdivided while serving in Italy with the 1st Battalion being renamed the 173rd FA Battalion and the 2nd Battalion being renamed the 985th FA Battalion. While the 121st FA Bn slugged it out on Aitape, Biak, Leyte, Luzon, and New Guinea, the 173rd and 985th were fighting it out as they inched up the Italian boot heading for Germany.

 

 

[Allan H.]

The DI of the 985th FA is a rather scarce DI, as true wartime examples only exist in Italian-made variations. The majority of soldiers who served in the 985th never even saw a DI. While researching this unit, I happened upon a topic here on the USMF that was posted by member Ponyradish. www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/21386-985-field-artillery-battalion/ which shows the following scroll worn below the 5th Army SSI on a couple of uniforms.

 

I hope that some might find this obscure DI with an interesting history to be as interesting as I have found it to be.

 

Allan

 

[doyler]

Great post... thats a real "rest of the story"

[cutiger83]

I agree! Great history behind the DI. Thanks for posting...Kat

[rlyoun3910]

As of 8 May 1945 there were a total of sixteen separate field artillery battalions in the MTO, four of them were 155mm gun battalions, separate: the 173rd, 530th, 633rd, and 985th FA. M1 155mm guns were known as a "Long Toms" that combined combined long range weapons on a mobile tracked carriage, or Self-propelled (SP). 155mm SP gun battalions were assigned to groups as the tactical situation warranted, or were frequently attached, by battery or battalion, to armored or infantry divisions. The 985th was formed from the 121st Artillery and the gold border denoted Armored/Tank. The 985th initially supported the 1st Inf Division then later II Corps under the 423rd FA Group; then, it was a composite of the 13th FA Brigade, Fifth US Army (supposedly under XVIII FA Group, the 985th Field Artillery Battalion, while in ETO, assigned to 5th Army and participated in the Ardennes-Alsace (1943), Rhineland (1945), and Central Europe (1945) campaigns.

 

 

 

 

 

[Allan H.]

Thank you rlyoun3910 for your most informative post. I appreciate learning more about these DI's and the unit that they represent.

 

Allan

[1SG_1st_Cav]

Great tab!