Unknown WW I cloth insignia - can you ID?

[Proud Kraut]

Caption of this German picture reads: "Interrogation of captive Americans by an officer". I wasn't able to ID the patch on the far right soldier's uniform yet. Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[WW2JAKE]

looks like a machine gun patch, possibly an MG qualification badge... reminds me of an old thread which i will find...

[WW2JAKE]

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/219889-machine-gun-patches/

apparently most commonly seen with the 82nd

[Proud Kraut]

WOW, now that was fast. Thanks very much for the ID, Jake!

 

Lars

[WW2JAKE]

very few period photos exist of them so thats really cool, i dont see anything that shows what unit these men are with... any clue?

[Proud Kraut]

very few period photos exist of them so thats really cool, i dont see anything that shows what unit these men are with... any clue?

 

No further informations about this pic. Unfortunately no more insignia visible except one U.S. collar disc on the far left GI's uniform.

[atb]

Infantry PFC?

[Mitter2k1]

I agree with atb. It looks like an infantry PFC chevron to me.

 

-Mike

 

[GIl Sanow]

I wonder if the photos was not reversed -- the chevron (proper term) under discussion would have been worn only on the right sleeve, not the left.

 

G

[WW2JAKE]

I wonder if the photos was not reversed -- the chevron (proper term) under discussion would have been worn only on the right sleeve, not the left.

 

G

not according to the buttons

[GIl Sanow]

Good point -- I missed that. I wonder then if he was wearing 1st Cl Pvt 'chevrons' on both sleeves per pre-war regs.

 

G

[WW2JAKE]

Good point -- I missed that. I wonder then if he was wearing 1st Cl Pvt 'chevrons' on both sleeves per pre-war regs.

 

G

wouldnt be the first oddity on a ww1 uniform

[world war I nerd]

Rank insignia was authorized to be worn on both sleeves until May of 1918. Despite the new regulations some soldiers already had the chevrons on both sleeves or disregarded the new regulations and continued to wear the chevrons on both sleeves.

 

Whatever the insignia is it has a dark colored border which would certainly be unusual for an Infantry PFC chevron as they were borderless.

 

Also, unless it is just a trick of the lighting, whatever is crossed on the insignia seems to be wider at the top and narrow at the bottom, which is the exact opposite of the crossed rifles of an Infantry PFC chevron, unless of course it is sewn on upside down!

 

The insignia reminds me of the crossed quills from the Field Clerk insignia, but as far as I know there was no chevron for a Field Clerk. To my knowledge that insignia was only available as either a collar disc or a pin back officers collar device.

 

For what it's worth attached is a Field Clerk's collar disc that was offered for sale by Bay State Militaria some time ago.

[atb]

Heavy cross-stitching in a thick, darker thread than the chevron would give the appearance of a dark border. I still believe it is an infantry PFC chevron. A collector's penchant to see what he wants to believe may be at work contrary to evidence. Of course, that applies to me, too.

[world war I nerd]

I agree that crossed rifles makes the most sense based on what is visible in the photo.

[littlewilly]

I, too, would say infantry PFC would make sense, but the only disc type rank I am aware of with an outer border are some of the Coast Artillery ratings. I do not think any Field Clerk got anywhere near enough to the front to have been taken prisoner by the Germans. MHJ