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14th & 15th AEF Engineer Regiment Insignia?


world war I nerd
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world war I nerd

I'm currently trying to sort out the various insignia worn by AEF engineer regiments.

 

I've noticed that the 14th Engineer Regiment shoulder insignia was made in two different color combinations: red and green and red and blue.

 

Research indicates that both the 14th and 15th Engineer Regiments (both Standard Gauge Railroad) used the same insignia. The logical assumption would be that the colors, i.e. green and blue were what distinguished one regiment from the other.

 

Question: Does anybody know if the above assumption is true, and if true, which color identified which regiment?

 

Upon obtaining a number of images of AEF engineer regimental insignia from forum member Jagjetta over the weekend, I discovered that some of the 14th and 15th Engineer Regiment insignia had the numerals "14" and "15" embroidered on them.

 

I thought this was the answer to my question until I realized that the numeral "14" showed up on both the red & blue and the red & green color combinations. There was also a 14th Engineer style insignia that had the numeral "7" and the initials "TC" embroidered on it. It was speculated that this might represent "Train Company No. 7".

 

Can anybody shed any light on what the two color combinations might mean ... did both regiments use both color combinations ... and what could the embroidered characters "TC & 7" mean???

 

Photo credits clockwise from upper left: unidentified forum member, Advance Guard Militaria (AGM), AGM, AGM, and Trenchbuff

 

Thanks for looking ... World War I Nerd

post-5143-0-72239100-1459686375.jpg

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Nerd-

 

Thanks for bring up this question. I had intended to ask a simpler question related to this topic: what is the difference between the two uniforms I have regarding the patches? Why two distinct designs?

 

mccooper

post-151387-0-88377500-1459785602.jpg

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world war I nerd

Mccooper, I too have noticed the two different interpretations of the insignia. Some say the insignia is a winged gun sight; however, I recall reading somewhere that the insignia was comprised of a winged locomotive wheel on a section of track. Given that the 14th and 15th were railroad regiments, the locomotive wheel and track makes more sense to me.

 

I believe that both of the versions you posted represent either the 14th or 15th Engineer Regiments. The two designs are likely just the result of the artistic ability ... or lack of artistic ability of different makers, or how two different vendors thought the finished product should look.

 

I suspect that some French and German tailors, seamstresses and patch manufacturers had no idea what it was that they were making.

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  • 3 months later...
TreasureHunter

Does this help? I found this thread researching a 14th Railroad patched uniform I might buy, which is also shown below. So is my potential buy railroad or engineers?

post-123772-0-65464800-1468437452.jpgpost-123772-0-97178700-1468437730.jpg

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RustyCanteen

Does this help? I found this thread researching a 14th Railroad patched uniform I might buy, which is also shown below. So is my potential buy railroad or engineers?

attachicon.gifbk0007s1q9k-FID4.jpgattachicon.gif13713470_10208668654987114_1107843424_n (2).jpg

 

The 14th Engineers was a light railway regiment, so both. They were Engineer branch, but the regiment's duty was construction and operation of light (narrow gauge) railway lines. They first operated in the north, with the British from the autumn of 1917 to the summer of 1918, and then moved south to join the rest of the AEF.

 

A general note about some of these railway units, while their assigned duty was railway work, many of them also worked on other projects during their service overseas. Sometimes they needed roads built, trenches dug, bridges repaired, and did not have a choice in a unit they was specially equipped to handle those duties. So they picked up some collateral work too here and there when the situation demanded it.

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TreasureHunter

Great info Rusty, explains it well. Now I have to decide if i want to buy that uniform or not. Thanks, Bill

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  • 5 years later...
  • 2 months later...

The three certainly could be related. Were they for sale or just displayed?  I’m looking to buy a 14th shoulder patch. 

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  • 1 year later...

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