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Mystery Quartermaster Patches (5 total)


Major Z
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Hello all. I have five Quartermaster patches that I would like to share to see if anyone can shed some light on what they are. The first two I just picked up at the SoS a few days ago. The first one here has stumped some experts that I took it to at the show. I welcome any information on it and the others. So, here's the first of five:

 

post-153340-0-37392600-1456103362.jpg

 

post-153340-0-16982300-1456103376.jpg

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Nice find! So we are probably looking pocket patches for different QM units out of Fort Lee in the 1950's then? They seem to date from that period (matching twill backing on one and the similarity in construction to the 3rd ACR from the 1950's on the lightning patch).

 

-Ski

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  • 2 weeks later...

Did you see post #10 above?

 

I did; thank you. My inquiry for that first patch stands though. I've not encountered it before and I've been asked to provide it for inclusion in a new patch book. If anyone knows about it, that would help the author and me as well. Thanks!

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Hi David,

Well, you've got the experts interested; let's keep our fingers crossed. Anyway, we have the 36th ID'd. Have a good weekend

Barry

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The patch in post #1 could be older than 50's it is seen in the Chester F. X. Burger Patch Collection. See article in the ASMIC TP as well as topic here from 36-Tex http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/181098-chester-f-x-burger-patch-collection-nypl/?hl=%2Bchester+%2Bburger+%2Bpatch+%2Bcollection

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  • 2 years later...
ocsfollowme

The 1st patch in this thread just sold in a large lot of patches. After parting out everything I believe that the buyer paid $280-300 for this one.

 

post-122868-0-86615400-1523232616.jpg

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By chance in looking through a back-issue of ASMIC, I found the first patch listed is for a Quartermaster Radioman. That's all it said, so I don't know that its a definitive identification. I still don't really know its purpose other than that.

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  • 5 years later...
ocsfollowme

Just picked up this hat size one. You cannot tell, but it is dark green wool base. 

 

Never seen another. 

 

green quartermaster hat front.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...

I went to the USAREUR website re: patch #1 and found this, referring to the Signal School:

 

...."In 1958 the school again relocated, this time to Prinz Heinrich Kaserne, in the village of Lenggries, south of Munich, where it was combined with the Quartermaster School to become the US Army Quartermaster-Signal School, Europe" 

 

If you go to the site and use the search feature a lot of info on both schools. I would be willing to bet your other patches are for the QM School.   

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On 5/11/2023 at 2:21 PM, tredhed2 said:

I went to the USAREUR website re: patch #1 and found this, referring to the Signal School:

 

...."In 1958 the school again relocated, this time to Prinz Heinrich Kaserne, in the village of Lenggries, south of Munich, where it was combined with the Quartermaster School to become the US Army Quartermaster-Signal School, Europe" 

 

If you go to the site and use the search feature a lot of info on both schools. I would be willing to bet your other patches are for the QM School.   

 

I agree with your assessment. Over a year ago I posted this same theory on the "Can You Identify" tab. I got very little response or interest. Here is what I had posted so maybe others can weigh in:

 

Years ago I noticed a small sign at the US Army Quartermaster Museum stating that MG George Horkan (34th Quartermaster General) tried to change the Quartermaster Corps (QMC) branch colors to green and white. I believe that's why you see quite a few QMC pieces in those colors from the decade including ephemera, patches, ceramics and other things. I don't know exactly when he ordered the change, but he was in office from 1951-1954. The display sign indicated the color change order wasn't approved, but I do have a point about it in the following paragraphs.

 

  I wondered if the unknown patch is green because of when it was (theoretically) produced. Could it have been made in the 1950s during or just after MG Horkan's tenure? I began to search online for what the connection or symbolism was between the QMC branch insignia with lightning bolts above it. I discovered information about the Quartermaster-Signal School, Europe located at Prinz Heinrich Kaserne in Lenggries, Germany from 1958-1961. At that time, the school taught mostly Quartermaster skill sets. But, the school also had Signal-related courses. However, after 1961 it changed names and command/control (C2) to being a proper Signal school. There is a DI from that school on page 39 of this ASMIC Trading Post - (http://www.asmic.org/tp/tp_j-s-79/html5forpc.html?page=0). If there was a DI made, why not a patch for the training staff? Below is a picture of the patch in my collection. Can anyone tell from its construction where it was made (US, German, etc.)? If anyone needs more photos I can provide them.

 

  I have attached the first and second DI types used by the school. Regarding the first type, note the lightning bolts, and the green/white bar on top. You can see the combined QMC buff branch color and the Signal Corps orange branch color. There's also the US Army Europe flaming sword up top of the lamp. The German translation is, "Teach Thoroughly." Is there any other symbolism that can be identified? The second type omits the QMC references as the Signal Corps assumed control of the school in 1962.

 

  Here's what I found online about the original Quartermaster school for your information purposes. The first link is the best one I found describing the very short history and Quartermaster C2 of the schools at the Kaserne:

 

https://cybercoe.army.mil/AC/1986/europsch.pdf

https://usarmygermany.com/School_Comd/USAREUR_SchoolCommand.htm#QMSchool

http://jdgphotos.blogspot.com/2016/08/europe-prinz-heinrich-kaserne.html

https://www.usarmygermany.com/Sont.htm?https&&&www.usarmygermany.com/Units/Quartermaster/USAREUR_Quartermaster.htm

 

  I looked at other sites but there's not a lot out there, especially photos of the training staff. From what I can see from the listed websites, the trainees wore the US Army Europe patch. That makes sense given the units they returned to after their course was complete. But, given the dates of when the school existed, and the attempted QMC branch color change, would it make sense that a patch was made for the training staff with a green background? Many collectors have said the lightning bolts have a commo/Signal connotation but as yet there's no ID for the patch that I know. Here is a link to a 1962 ASMIC Trading Post issue that shows a drawing of the patch identified as a "Quartermaster Radioman": http://www.asmic.org/tp/tp_a-j-62/html5forpc.html?page=0. Perhaps the author knew what training program this was related to but didn't post it? Since the school existed from 1958-1961, could one infer that this patch existed just before the illustration was made for the magazine? That's a leap I know, but I am just missing that one photo or article about it to prove my theory. I wonder if the patch identification was just forgotten about through time and now it just kind of exists in our collections.

 

  Does anyone have access to other photos from the school, like from Stars & Stripes or another late 1950s-era publication? Have you the reader personally seen the patch worn by Soldiers in the past? Or, have you seen irrefutable identification that can be shared now on this forum? Any and all information to solve this mystery is greatly appreciated. And again, if it is already known amongst the masses please let me know. I don't want to be the last one to know what it is! I look forward to your comments."

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