A.E. F. ‘Trench’ & Overseas Caps

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 273: Another example of the miniature 3^rd Army SSI as worn on an enlisted man’s overseas cap.

[world war I nerd]

Division Pins

As soon as word had spread that each organization in the AEF had adopted its own unique insignia, various commercially made lapel and hat pins which mirrored the official insignia designs were marketed on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, many of which found a home on a Doughboy’s overseas cap.

 

Photo No. 274: Here enameled 3^rd, 5^th and 26^th Infantry Division pins are worn on British contract caps (left & right) and on a tailor made French 1918 Bonnet de Police (center).

Left hand photo courtesy of the John Adam-Graf collection

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 275: Here 2^nd, 28^th and 42^nd Division enameled pins are worn. Below are 2^nd, 6^th, and 34^th Infantry Division pins, as well as a 3^rd Army pin.

Left & right Doughboy photos courtesy of the John Adam-Graf collection

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 276: Of all the AEF divisions, the ‘Yankee’ or 26^th Infantry Division seemed to have the widest variety of division and regimental pins. At left is a pin shaped like the 104^th Infantry Regiment’s logo, at center is a Yankee wearing a generic diamond shaped 26^th Division pin on his cap, and at left is a brass 26^th Division pin, and yet another 104^th Infantry Regiment pin.

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 277: This British contract cap has been decorated with two pieces of colored ribbon – the significance of which is not known.

Photos courtesy of Bay State Militaria.com

[world war I nerd]

Overseas Service Pins

After the signing of the Armistice on November 11, 1918, a variety of pins shaped like Overseas Service Chevrons began to appear in European shops wherever American Doughboys were posted. Just as every other collar disc, pin, badge, button, and cloth insignia had, the overseas pins also made their way onto the Doughboys overseas cap.

 

Photo No. 278: The upper insets show one and two stripe examples of the overseas chevron pins, three of which were worn on overseas caps. The background image is of a U.S. made overseas cap bearing one of the pins shown in the insets. The lower inset shows a Doughboy from the 79^th Infantry Division with an overseas chevron pin on his cap.

 

Doughboy photo courtesy of the Joec03 collection

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 279: The upper insets show the more common enameled version of the overseas chevron pin. These examples bear one two and three stripes. To date I’ve never seen a pin of this style with four or more stripes. The background image is of either a British contract or a tailor made overseas cap bearing a similar enameled overseas pin. The lower inset depicts a Doughboy wearing a collar disc and an enameled overseas service pin.

 

Doughboy photo courtesy of the John Adam-Graf collection

[world war I nerd]

‘Pincushions’

The Stars and Stripes newspaper coined the term “Pincushions” in one of its article directed at certain members of the AEF who were wearing unauthorized insignia on their overseas caps. Pincushions seemed like an apt title for this very brief section of the post showing AEF personnel wearing various combinations of authorized and unauthorized overseas cap insignia.

 

Photo No. 280: At right is a Doughboy wearing an officer’s U.S. national collar device and an officer’s Corps of Engineers collar device on opposite sides of his British contract overseas cap. Next up is an infantryman from the 29^th Infantry Division whose cap insignia consists of a U.S. national collar disc, an infantry sweetheart pin and what appears to be a red, white and blue enameled service chevron pin. The left hand soldier from the 84^th Infantry Division has festooned his U.S. made overseas cap with an artillery sweetheart pin and a enameled service chevron pin on the right side of his cap and an Artillery, Battery B collar disc on the left hand side.

 

Left & right photos courtesy of the John Adam-Graf collection

Center photo courtesy of the Charles Thomas collection

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 281: This U.S. made overseas cap has been decorated on its right side with a Coast Artillery Corps sweetheart pin, as well as an enameled service chevron pin. On the opposite side we would likely find a Coast Artillery Corp collar disc.

[world war I nerd]

Discharge Chevron

Every American soldier who served either overseas or in the U.S. during the Great War was issued three red Discharge Chevrons at the time he was mustered out of the Army. The first chevron was for the service coat. The second chevron was for the overcoat, and the third chevron was for the flannel shirt. By sewing the red chevron onto any of the above garments he could then wear that garment as a civilian as the chevron indicated that he was no longer on active service.

 

The red Discharge Chevron was never authorized to be worn on the overseas cap, but evidently it was.

 

Photo No. 282: This U.S. made overseas cap has an embroidered example of the discharge chevron sewn onto the cap front and center.

Background photo Courtesy of Bay State Militaria.com

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 283: This cap also has a red Discharge Chevron prominently placed at the front of the cap’s crown, along with the ‘T’ disc for one of the divisional baggage trains (headquarters, ammunition, or supply). It also bears an enameled AEF service chevron pin.

Photos courtesy of the CW Norma collection

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 284: American veterans of WW I were fiercely proud of their service during the war. Post war, many veterans regularly wore their overseas caps at Veterans and Memorial Day parades, reunions and to the local chapter of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign War meeting halls.

 

The year is 1984, and Adam T, Raczkowski, an 89 year old veteran of WW I, has once again donned his AEF service dress and overseas cap. He was gassed in 1918, when he was a private serving with the 308^th Infantry Regiment, 77^th Infantry Division. Here he’s being awarded the Purple Heart medal that he earned some 66 years earlier, by Secretary of the Army John O’Marsh Jr.

 

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 285: Finally, a cartoon that appeared on page seven of the December 13, 1918 edition of the Stars and Stripes newspaper, summing up the average Doughboy’s opinion in regard to the overseas cap usefulness as a head covering. It was part of a larger cartoon, showing various framed cartoons as if they were pieces of fine art on exhibit in a museum, each with its own caption. The entire cartoon was collectively titled “Our Art Gallery”.

[world war I nerd]

Overseas caps as worn by USMC and U.S. Navy personnel serving in the AEF will be the subject of part II, and at approximately 50 or so separate image combinations, it will, thankfully, be a great deal shorter in length!

PS, feel free to add even more information or comment on any aspect of this post.

 

Whew, if you read this post all the way through, you’re probably as exhausted as I am! Nevertheless, thanks for looking at another one of my very long and very drawn out posts … World War I Nerd

[militariaone]

AMAZING THREAD!

 

Thank you, for your posting efforts!!!

 

V/r Lance

[kanemono]

FABULOUS! Thank you. What a great job of research.

Dick

[trenchbuff]

Really a nice job pulling together the enormous variety of OS caps and insignias worn during WW1. This is one I'll spend some time on. Great work!

[jagjetta]

Brian,

You amaze me. What more can be said other than, "thank you for putting this together."

 

Jag

[12thengr]

What a great topic! I'm gonna hafta dig out my only example which I think is a U.S. second style without the grommet hole. In the meantime here is Capt. John E. Bailey CO Co 'K' 361st Inf back in the states about April 1919. His cap appears to be a private purchase w/ light blue piping for infantry.

[cthomas]

Brian -

I cannot thank you enough for sharing your outstanding research with us all. I'm only too glad to pitch in - when I can!

-Chuck

[gauthieb3sxz]

Great work Brian! How long did this take you to put together? Kudos!

 

I really enjoyed your section on headgear of mascots... here's a related post

[world war I nerd]

Thanks to all for the positive feedback and especially for reading (or at least looking) at this post.

 

All of the comments are much appreciated, as are the addition of more photos ... Thanks Brennan and 12theng for the great photos.

 

Now for a bit of housekeeping: On post No. 246 (Photo No. 243) I mistakenly typed "Horton - Harjes Ambulance Section". That is incorrect. I should have typed Norton - Harjes Ambulance Section instead. My apologies to all for the error.

 

If I got anything else wrong please don't hesitate to post a correction or contact me via a PM ... World War I Nerd

[BEAST]

Fantastic job Brian!

[world war I nerd]

Here's a couple more images of overseas caps bearing the 81st Infantry Division's Wildcat insignia.

 

The left hand image was part of the photo collection of Owen Williams of the 3rd Photo Section, Air Service. In the collection, which is now in the custody of Mr. Chuck Thomas, there are a few images of 81st Division Doughboys. According to his diary entry dated October 9 & 10, 1918:

 

Wednesday, October 9:

Lab in morning. Sgt. Broady, Breyer and I went to French artillery repair shops. About 500 Doughboys arrived and were billeted in homes, barns etc. at Baudencourt. (Members of the Wild Cat Div.)

 

Thursday, October 10:

Above Doughboys visited camp and were interested spectators all morning ...

 

It is thought that the close up of overseas cap was snapped while the men of the 81st Division were visiting the 3rd Photo Section's camp.

 

The right hand image is a studio shot of an enlisted man wearing a similar insignia on his tailor made overseas cap.

 

Left hand photo courtesy of the Charles Thomas collection

Right hand photo courtesy of the Rogier Van de Hoef collection

 

 

 

[world war I nerd]

Chuck also sent me this image of an 82nd Infantry Division pin. The overseas cap worn by the Doughboy in the period photograph appears to have a different style of an 'All American' division enameled pin pinned onto it. It looks as if the initial 'AA' for All American appear in the center of the pin.

 

Right hand photo courtesy of the Charles Thomas collection