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WWII 172nd Infantry Regiment DUI


Allan H.
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I have seen numerous examples of the regimental crest of the 172nd Infantry Regiment, which was a Vermont National Guard unit that assigned to the 43rd Infantry Division in World War II. The design that I am used to seeing is the one photographed here.

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Recently, I came across one that i hadn't seen before which includes the heraldic stag at the top of the ocat of arms. This example is clutch back, but I am assuming that it is a rather early DUI and possibly pre-dates the DUI that I showed above. It is interesting also that there are three letters associated with the maker- "JKD."

 

I don't recall encountering this DUI before, nor do I recall the maker. I am hoping that someone here has some more information about this crest. I am also hoping to find a mate to this DUI.

 

Thought?

 

Allan

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On another topic I viewed the Bucks Head type a one that came out during WWII or after, but that not right. It's a confusing one for sure, like Sawicki depicts this one in his Infantry book, the Bucks Head, which is the crest of the Vermont National Guard, with a July 1924 date of adoption. Likewise in Stanton's Order of Battle he depicts the Bucks Head one with his wartime chronology for the 172nd Infantry. TIOH has nothing on any of the DIs from what I could find, plus the unit has a totally new DI, and funny, TIOH doesn't seem to have a page for this new one either.

 

One has to see the WIKI (see bottom of page)

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/172nd_Infantry_Regiment_(United_States)

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It would be great to see pre WWII photos or WWII photos, and Army of Occupation Japan photos wear the DI might be seen, but so far nothing short of perhaps having a 1920-30s 172nd Inf and or 43rd Div yearbook will do. But I was able to remember that on the cover of one issue of The National Guard I got, the September 1955 issue, has a great photo of these troops in the summer drill of 1955, the first drill the 43rd Div made since the division was reformed after it release from federal service in Germany during the Korean War. Here we see the decal without the Bucks Head, meaning that this type was still way in use by the mid 1950s.

 

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As yes then there were these, the subject of one topic a ways back. Those German BeVo Green Leader Loops with the DIs incorporated into the weave. Seems a ton of units can be found in this style, to include the units of the 43rd Infantry Division from it's time in Germany 1951-54.

 

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Again the DI is without the Bucks Head.

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I believe that the original "Stag's head" DUI that I posted is a Pre-WWII DUI, but I only think that because of the group of insignia that the DUI came with. There is a similar DUI that was worn post WWII by the 172nd Armor. I've attached one image that I believe is one of these armor crests. There is also a DUI with a blue and white torse below the stag's head. The original DUI is taller and slightly more narrow than the "standard" WWII DUI.

 

I think this needs further study. I'm going to bet also that the maker's mark belongs to a Vermont Jeweler that manufactured these DUIs.

 

Allan

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Allan, on your DI, are these posts for a nut rather then a clutch? like those pre war screw posts seen on some insignia then, they seem blunt and not pointy in the photo.

 

post-151-0-93636300-1509933442.jpg

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Allan, on your DI, are these posts for a nut rather then a clutch? like those pre war screw posts seen on some insignia then, they seem blunt and not pointy in the photo.

 

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Patches,

 

The DUI has rather long, needle thin, clutch prongs and they were fitted with top hat style fasteners. I appreciate your finding the JKD marked medal. It supports my opinion that this DUI is pre-WWII (besides the other insignia that I got with the DUI).

 

Allan

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Patches,

 

The DUI has rather long, needle thin, clutch prongs and they were fitted with top hat style fasteners. I appreciate your finding the JKD marked medal. It supports my opinion that this DUI is pre-WWII (besides the other insignia that I got with the DUI).

 

Allan

Check on the posts. With this one with the Bucks Head, if it is a 1930s one, perhaps it was a variant for the 172nd Infantry?

 

Still trying to sort out why Sawicki lists this one with the Bucks Head as on adopted in 1924, perhaps it's a typo and that year would be 1964, around the time the unit is redesigned armor?

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I recognize that hallmark as the mark for the "Joseph K. Davison" company in Philadelphia. They manufactured quite a bit of G.A.R. and PNG medals.


Brent

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that type of di was used in the 20's & 30's for the 172nd inf. I have a lietenant's uniform from about 1930 with screw back di's and the gold coloured back and rim like the ones on the top in my picture (the uniform's a little difficult to get at right now) I think the next set in my pic. is probably late 30's to maybe 1940-41 but i'm not certain about it. my father was given a pr. of those by his supply sgt. and he wore them occasionally when he was in from '49-'51.

the training book from 1942 at camp shelby shows mostly the style without the stag head but has some of the officers with the older style but the portrait photo's of them are from the 1930's. there might be some of the older style in some of the e.m. pictures also but the details are hard to make out.

the gold back ones I have are made by robbins and the others are meyer, both pin back.

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thought you might like to see a civil war 6th corps badge from the vermont brigade, this is what is represented in the later d.i.'s as part of their lineage.

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I would like to thank everyone for their input here as I have certainly learned quite a bit from the discussion here. Based on the time period on the insignia that I acquired with this DUI, I would say that it dates from the 1930's. Patches- I don't think Sawicki made a typo. I think 1924 is correct. I want to thank you for chasing down the information from Sawicki, adding the photos, and providing your input. This thread would have died without your dogged determination to get to the truth.

 

Brad K- that is a super group of insignia! That Corps badges is especially attractive. Thank you for sharing those.

 

Allan

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  • 2 years later...

Would like to add this colorized portrait of a 172nd Inf GI wearing the Non Stag Head DIs.

 

Photo taken? Could be anywhere from 1948-50 up in Vermont or after the 43rd Inf Div was federalized in early September 1950 (Anyone know where the 43rd Inf Div was sent after Federalization? Ft Campbell, Ft Dix?) Or in Germany, before August-September 1952, after which the Blue Infantry Collar Discs Backings and Rope come out, (Photo from member rrobertscv).

 

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  • 1 month later...

New find from the 30s, seems wearing the Non Stag DI for this unit. Also he is wearing the Garrison Cap, an item not standard in the rest of the Army at this time, worn more in the Air Corps and the Tank Corps, may have been common within the 43rd Division then.

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  • 1 year later...

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