world war I nerd Posted November 18, 2015 Author Share #301 Posted November 18, 2015 Sorry everybody, I've made another mistake! The above photo of the 81st Division overseas cap was mistakenly labeled to have been of the Owen Williams collection. It was not, it was taken by Wenner A. Funk of the 101st Photo Section (also part of the Chuck Thomas collection). The date the photo was taken is not known. Therefore, there is no way to know whether the insignia was sewn onto the cap while the war was still in progress or if it was added after the Armistice was signed. I was going through my files and found an photo of what I think is the insignia worn on Signal Corps pigeon section soldiers overseas cap (photo No. 269). Period photos courtesy of the Brennan Gauthier, Portraits of War.wordpress.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RustyCanteen Posted November 19, 2015 Share #302 Posted November 19, 2015 Great reference WWINerd! RC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stahlberg Posted November 19, 2015 Share #303 Posted November 19, 2015 Photo No. 266: Based on these three examples, it must have been a common practice for the men of Company E (regimental number unknown) of the 91st Infantry Division to so mark their collar discs. Just based on some of the feedback given by other users, I believe that it was the 363rd Infantry Regiment, Co. E that most commonly have done this to their insignia. It hasn't been 100% confirmed, but who knows, maybe someday someone will stumble across a group or named photo with similar "customization". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atb Posted November 21, 2015 Share #304 Posted November 21, 2015 My contribution (although the cap with trimmed Medical Corps PFC insignia looks like mine). An embroidered "disk" for Troop I, 3rd Cavalry on this worn cap. A hole for a regular disk can be seen in the center. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
world war I nerd Posted December 5, 2015 Author Share #305 Posted December 5, 2015 Stahlberg, thanks for adding information in regard to the 91st Division collar discs bearing the image of an evergreen tree. Also thanks to atb for another photo showing unusual insignia worn on the overseas cap. PS, if you posted a photo of an overseas cap with Medical Department PFC insignia on the forum, the cap you mentioned was probably yours as quite a few images used in this post were downloaded from the forum over the years. However, I neglected to record who the original posters were ... my apologies. This British contract overseas cap, which bears the insignia of the Advance Sector of the Service of Supply was part of a grouping that belonged to Corporal William Albert Coons of the 20th Engineer Regiment (Forestry). The inset shows the 1st Army and Advance Sector SOS insignia worn on the left shoulder of his service coat. Photos courtesy of International Military Antiques.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
world war I nerd Posted December 5, 2015 Author Share #306 Posted December 5, 2015 This engineer is incorrectly wearing a Master Engineer, Junior Grade, rank chevron on the shawl of his overseas cap. The chevron is also worn correctly on the right sleeve of his service coat. He has also donned a pair of lace front 'Aviators Boots' an unusual choice of footwear for an enlisted man. Unfortunately the image of the chevron isn't any clearer in the enlargement at upper right. At lower right is an example of the Master Engineer, Junior Grade Chevron. Doughboy photos courtesy of the Stephen McGeorce collection Chevron photo courtesy of Griffin Militaria.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
world war I nerd Posted December 5, 2015 Author Share #307 Posted December 5, 2015 This commercially made officers' style overseas cap was found on Ebay. The piping colors however, I do not recognize. Does anybody know what this color combination might represent? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
world war I nerd Posted December 5, 2015 Author Share #308 Posted December 5, 2015 Another view of the cap with the unknown piping colors along with the maker name, size and date stamp on the caps interior lining. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zotig111 Posted December 8, 2015 Share #309 Posted December 8, 2015 Excellent and very thorough job of classifying the myriad of WWI caps. Thank you for all of your work (and the contributing collectors). I think with all of the variants of the WWI caps I have seen over the years, this post does a great job of identifying and classifying them. Thank you for sharing this information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWS Posted December 8, 2015 Share #310 Posted December 8, 2015 Another simply fantastic post! You sir, should be writing books-not posts! But I'm awfully glad to read them. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
world war I nerd Posted January 27, 2016 Author Share #311 Posted January 27, 2016 Thanks to all who've looked and posted. Forum member Jagjetta sent me this image of a 6th Infantry Division soldier proudly posing next to his French pattern overseas cap. His cap bears the French made numerals 52' for the 52nd Infantry Regiment, and a miniature 6th Division insignia with the numeral '6' in its center. Photos courtesy of the John Adam-Graf collection Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
world war I nerd Posted January 27, 2016 Author Share #312 Posted January 27, 2016 On the left is another Doughboy wearing his overseas cap sideways! Opposite is a wonderful portrait of a member of the 26th Infantry Division whose cap bears stamped brass, false bullion, French made numerals carefully arrayed in such a way as to represent the 101st Infantry Regiment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
world war I nerd Posted January 27, 2016 Author Share #313 Posted January 27, 2016 These two caps recently offered for sale by Bay State Militaria.com show a generic, enameled patriotic pin on the left, and an enameled 5th Infantry Division pin on the right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
world war I nerd Posted March 10, 2016 Author Share #314 Posted March 10, 2016 The book America's Munitions stated that Doughboys added improvised visors made from letters from home to the front of their overseas caps to keep the sun out of their eyes. Until now, I'd never seen evidence of that fact. Here a visor fashioned from paper has been added to the overseas cap worn by this soldier on a rifle range somewhere in France. Photo courtesy of the National World war I Museum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
world war I nerd Posted March 10, 2016 Author Share #315 Posted March 10, 2016 Frank H. Baxter served in Company M, 362nd Infantry Regiment, 91st Infantry Division. prior to being photographed, he had added a miniature 91st Division insignia, as well as an Infantry branch sweetheart pin onto the front of his tailor made overseas cap. Note that he also wears Infantry sweetheart pins on his collar instead of collar discs. Photo courtesy of the Stahlberg collection Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
everforward Posted March 11, 2016 Share #316 Posted March 11, 2016 I have one here that has some pretty cool embellishments....this cap belonged to Pvt. William E. Smith, Headquaters Troop, 29th Division AEF......chain-loop stitch 29th Division emblem with embroidered cavalry sabres. It's the only 29th-related example I've seen like this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
everforward Posted March 11, 2016 Share #317 Posted March 11, 2016 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
everforward Posted March 11, 2016 Share #318 Posted March 11, 2016 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
world war I nerd Posted March 11, 2016 Author Share #319 Posted March 11, 2016 Nice cap Everforward. It never ceases to amaze me, when I see all the "stuff' that soldiers pinned, sewed, screwed, or embroidered onto their overseas caps ... sort of like the WW I equivalent to Vietnam helmet graffiti. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
everforward Posted March 11, 2016 Share #320 Posted March 11, 2016 Nice cap Everforward. It never ceases to amaze me, when I see all the "stuff' that soldiers pinned, sewed, screwed, or embroidered onto their overseas caps ... sort of like the WW I equivalent to Vietnam helmet graffiti. Thanks, and thanks for a great thread. I've had that cap for at least 20 years and it's the only example I've ever seen. The HQ Troop may have been in a better position to have stuff like this done since they travelled around with the Division Gen. Staff........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
world war I nerd Posted April 3, 2016 Author Share #321 Posted April 3, 2016 U.S. made overseas cap as worn by a 1st Division soldier or veteran bearing the "Big Red One". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
world war I nerd Posted April 3, 2016 Author Share #322 Posted April 3, 2016 A U.S. made overseas cap bearing an engineer's collar disc and a miniature 1st Army, Engineer insignia with the numeral "1" embroidered in yellow. The cap belonged to a member of the 25th Engineer Regiment (General Construction). Photo courtesy of Advance Guard Militaria.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
world war I nerd Posted April 3, 2016 Author Share #323 Posted April 3, 2016 This overseas cap with a miniature 28th Infantry Division insignia sewn where the collar disc is normally worn is likely a British contract cap. Photo courtesy of Advance Guard Militaria.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
world war I nerd Posted April 22, 2016 Author Share #324 Posted April 22, 2016 Here's another piping color for officer's overseas caps from WW I. On page one, in the November 22, 1918 (Vol. 1, No. 42) issue of the Stars and Stripes newspaper, it was announced that GHQ had made the piping colors of "steel gray and marine blue" official for the Army Service Corps. The colors depicted here may vary from those found on actual overseas caps, as interpretations of the two colors vary considerably. Therefore they will likely range from blue-gray to sky blue and a deep green toned ultramarine to turquoise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BEAST Posted June 16, 2016 Share #325 Posted June 16, 2016 This is such a great thread, hopefully my contribution will fit in here. This cap looks like it was made for the theater or a kid with a really fat head! It's big on me and I wear a 7 1/4. However, this came with the WWI Indiana State Guard uniform shown below. The ISG were volunteers who were organized to replace the Indiana National Guard after they were mobilized. Both the cap and coat are cotton. The overseas cap Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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