Unauthorized Combat Infantryman Badges

[Cobra 6 Actual]

Thanks for that info, Gomorgan. I will have to keep my eyes open for one of those UA MP ones in metal.

 

Bluehawk, most of these are still available out there in Internet land. Left me run down the list as to availability and/or difficulty to find:

 

UA Combat Artilleryman Badge with crossed cannons over the Musket: Somewhat difficult to find.

 

UA WWII handmade bone CIB: Tough one to find. Personally, Ive never seen another.

 

UA CIB with M-1 instead of a Musket: Very tough to find. Never seen another.

 

UA Combat Armor: Easy. Still found on eBay.

 

UA CIB with M-16 instead of Musket: Very tough to find. I know of only one other out there.

 

UA Combat Cavalryman with red/white background and one large sword: Not too hard. Pop up on eBay occasionally.

 

UA Combat Cavalryman with two crossed swords on yellow background: Easy. Still found on eBay.

 

UA 3rd Award Combat Artilleryman with cannon, cannon balls, etc: Tough to find (frankly, I am not even sure this is US Military; instead it might be a reenactors group award).

 

UA Combat Artilleryman with two crossed cannons: Easy. Still found on eBay.

 

UA Combat Engineer: Easy. Still found on eBay.

 

UA cloth Combat MP: Pretty easy. Turn up occasionally on eBay.

 

So, there you have it: many that are easy to obtain and then sliding on down to really tough ones to find. Bear in mind also, that just because Ive only seen one or two of some badge does not mean that there are not more out there. Good hunting!

[Bluehawk]

Thank you! Who'da even "thunk" it

 

The ingenuity of the American GI never ceases to be astounding...

[Cobra 6 Actual]

You are right, Bluehawk ... the are probably infinite variations out there. Here is a UA Sniper CIB with an M24 Sniper rifle instead of a 1795 Springfield Musket:

 

 

I got this one off of eBay a few years ago. Unfortunately, I have not seen any lately.

 

Both the quality and the detail on this badge is excellent.

[FIGMO]

These unauthorized badges are very interesting! Any idea of when and/or where they were made?

[Cobra 6 Actual]

Hello FIGMO. The only ones I know about for sure are the first two:

 

1. The UA Combat Artilleryman Badge (with the crossed cannons over the Musket) was made circa the Korean War era.

 

2. The hand carved bone UA CIB was made in the CBI Theater during or immediately post-World War II.

[gomorgan]

I've also got a tanker badge with a large star on the front of the tank for 2nd award I guess, looks like it was soldered on, didn't these originate during the Korean War, have seen the combat atr'y. version with Japan maker back mark.

[Cobra 6 Actual]

Gomorgan, I am pretty sure that the UA Combat Artillery Badge with the crossed cannons over the rifle is circa the Korean War era. But, I honestly do not know about the era for the UA Combat Armor Badge. What you wrote makes sense, I just do not have any actual evidence to that end.

[rd12]

Neat to see all these together! It's my understanding that the first of the "unauthorized" badges was the combat artillery badge. These came into favor during the Korean War when so many Artilleryman found themselves fighting as Infantrymen, especially following the Chinese intervention and US retreat South. Many of these can be found manufactured in the same manner as period theater made CIBs, and were made in Japan. The combat Armor and Cavalry badges seem to be of a better quality and possibly came a bit later. These were made in theater but US made examples can also be found. These commonly match CIBs manufactured in the '60s and 70's. Its very hard to find pictures of these badges actually being worn. They may have been tolerated in Korea, Japan, Vietnam and Germany - but probably never stateside.

Interesting side note; these same sentiments of non-Infantry soldiers engaging in combat and wanting a CIB would ultimately lead to the adoption of the Combat Action Badge.

 

Forum member Captainofthe7th has great uniforms with these badges;

https://www.rcmcollection.com/koreanwar

[Cobra 6 Actual]

Thank you, rd12. I appreciate the good information.

[Sivart]

Here are mine. These are a neat sideline and I'm glad you made this thread!

[Cobra 6 Actual]

Thanks, Sivart: you have got quite a collection, too! I have that UA Sniper one that is similar to yours with the Sniper bar, but mine has no bar or any holes for one:

 

[Sivart]

Several were made by American Insignia

[Cobra 6 Actual]

Thanks, Sivart, for that additional info! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a miniature UA Combat Artillery Badge before, either.

[rd12]

Agreed, first time I have seen a miniature version

[rd12]

Here is one of the best write ups I have come across regarding the Combat Artillery Badge. This appeared in an issue of the Field Artillery Journal in the 1980's. I have the exact date at home. It's long but well worth the read.

 

The Combat Artillery Badge

In late 1943 the Combat Infantry Badge (CIB) was introduced, and the Combat Medic Badge made its appearance shortly thereafter. Ever since, there have been strong feelings among many members of the other combat arms for an equivalent award. There have likewise been strong feelings among

many infantrymen to retain the uniqueness of their award. Discussion on the subject has continued over the years, but it probably reached its climax during the Korean War. In 1950 and 1951 a war of words over a proposed Combat Artillery Badge (CAB) took place in the pages of the Combat Forces Journal. The first round in this written battle was fired by First Lieutenant Earl J. Lockhead, 52d Field Artillery, when, in December 1950, he sent the following letter to the editor:

 

Since the Combat Forces Journal is a combination of the Infantry and Field Artillery

Journals, I would like to use it to present the case of the combination soldier, the forward observer. We live, fight, and some die with the infantry. We are proud of having served with the infantry and would like the Combat Infantryman Badge to show our association with the infantry. The only requirement that need be changed is the one stating that only infantry are eligible. We spend more time with the infantry than with our battery. We make river crossings with radios on our backs. We come under small arms fire for the combat part. We march for the infantry part. Now all that is lacking is the badge part. I would like this badge for my driver who was killed by enemy artillery fire while with the infantry. It is clear that a forward observer who has served with an infantry unit in combat might feel he deserved a CIB just as much as any infantryman. Many infantry commanders have agreed; and, hoping to slip the paperwork through in a group of other recommendations, some have even attempted to submit their forward observer for a CIB. Other infantrymen have strongly objected to the idea of giving forward observers a CIB, feeling that it diluted the meaning of the award.

A few months after Lieutenant Lockhead's letter, the Combat Forces Journal ran a letter from Captain John D.H. McDonough, 38th FA, which contained the first actual proposal for a Combat Artillery Badge. Captain McDonough suggested that the establishment of a separate CAB would protect the integrity of the CIB while giving just recognition to deserving artillerymen. Captain McDonough had

specific requirements in mind:

 

Forward observers and members of forward observer sections, artillery liaison officers, and members of liaison sections (which serve with the infantry battalions only) should be the only persons eligible. The other requirement should be that the individual must serve a minimum of 30 days, not necessarily consecutively, with a rifle company (in the case of FO sections) or with the infantry battalion committed to the line. Of course, some of the FO or liaison sections are casualties before they can complete the 30-day requirement; therefore, this requirement, in that case, should be waived if the individual has seen duty as a member of an FO or a liaison section during at least one engagement with the enemy. The proof of eligibility should be a certificate signed by the battery commander (for the FO sections) or by the artillery battalion commander (for the liaison sections).

Captain McDonough also proposed a design for the new award. Starting with the basic design of the CIB, he suggested changing the color of the bar from blue to red and superimposing the artillery's

crossed field pieces over the wreath (figure 1). CPT McDonough's proposed design. In a follow-up editorial, the editors of the Combat Forces Journal committed themselves to the cause: ". . . we are going to get into this matter right away and thoroughly and come up with a plan and fight for it." The editors then went on to point out that other groups were deserving of combat recognition too: armor crewmen, combat engineers, and anyone forced by tactical circumstances to fight as infantry. Thus, Captain McDonough's letter sparked a storm of controversy. Artillerymen wrote to support the proposal; infantrymen wrote to deride it; combat engineers wrote demanding just recognition;

and Marine Sergeant Edward J. Hertinch wrote to say that he thought the whole idea of special badges was nonsense: "Why anyone needs special badges and special pay for his services I have no idea." Captain A.D. Cowan wrote suggesting that the field artillery follow the lead of the medics and adopt a unique, artillery design with "no infantry touch." Captain Cowan suggested using the basic red bar and wreath, and replacing the musket with a single field piece (figure 2).

 

The most vehement protest to Captain McDonough's proposal was registered by First Lieutenant Ricardo Cardenas, 7^th Infantry. He wrote:

 

I have just read your article on the so-called Combat Artilleryman Badge. I don't like it. Don't muscle in on the coveted pride of the infantryman. I wear mine with a star on it. Make one similar to ours; and, as much pride as I have in mine, I will throw it in the first Korean river on my next patrol. For all who would like so much to have a Combat Infantryman Badge, let me suggest that it doesn't take too much effort to find yourself in a foxhole as an infantryman.

 

As the controversy raged, some commanders in Korea took the matter into their own hands. Unofficial Combat Artillery Badges were manufactured in Japan and awarded by local commanders. The most common design consisted of a red bar, wreath, and crossed field pieces (figure 3), similar to McDonough's design but without the musket. An embroidered version for the dress blue uniform was also put out by enterprising Japanese manufacturers (figure 4). Following the lead of the artillery, local armor commanders also began awarding unofficial Combat Armor Badges. The Combat Armor Badge consisted of the bar and wreath design with the armor crossed sabers and a tank superimposed on the wreath. Versions with yellow bars (cavalry) and green bars (armor) were both used. As the Korean war dragged on, the issue of special combat badges got mixed into the controversy over combat pay. And as the war wound down, the issue slowly disappeared from the pages of the Combat Forces Journal without ever being resolved. During the Vietnam conflict the issue never really resurfaced with quite the same intensity — a particularly strange phenomenon considering the plethora of other unauthorized badges that emerged during the Vietnam War. Armor's quest for recognition was partially satisfied by the Vietnamese Army's Combat Armor Badge, which was awarded to many US tankers. Many forward observers still felt they were unfairly excluded from the CIB, and some infantry commanders still tried to slip their forward observers in for CIBs. But unofficial badges never appeared, and the question was never seriously discussed in the professional publications. The questions remain. Is there a need for such an award? Should it only be restricted to fire support teams attached to infantry battalions? What about the fire support teams attached to armor and cavalry units? And what about firing battery troops who may become involved in highly lethal artillery duels in the modern counterfire environment? Or is there, as Marine Sergeant Hertinch wrote more than 30 years ago, no need for "extra advertisements?"

 

 

[rd12]

Here are the figures referenced, in order from top to bottom;

 

 

 

[Cobra 6 Actual]

Great information again, rd12.

[Cobra 6 Actual]

Ive got a few more more UA CIBs that I had posted on the main CIB thread that actually belong here. First, is a badge that was apparently authorized at the unit level, but not by Department of the Army regulations:

 

 

It is a Spearheader Badge of the 2nd Infantry Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, as awarded in Korea for combat service. During the Korean War this unit served as part of the 2nd Infantry Division. The badge was apparently awarded by the 2/38 and worn in place of the CIB.

 

Size is a bit over 3 inches wide and a bit over 1 inch tall. The spear and the skull are superimposed over the dark blue enamel and give the badge a three dimensional effect.

 

This is a very high quality badge, made by N.B.I. Company of Japan and hallmarked to that company.

[rd12]

Neat badge! I've not been able to find any information about award criteria for these 2-38 Skull badges. They are fairly hard to find so I don't think they were in use for a very long time because not too many of them seem to have been made. The 38th Infantry was in Korea from 1950 until 1958 so these date from sometime in this period. After the cease fire infantryman patrolling along the DMZ were not eligible for the CIB even if they were in an engagement. This badge ( like the 7th Infantry Div Order of the Bayonet ) could have been used at the unit level to reflect combat action since a CIB could not be awarded. That's just a guess though. Mine is also marked NBICo JAPAN and is a clutchback. Here are some photos of the badge being worn, interesting that one is worn on the left side, the other the right. Also note that the soldier has a skull and spear painted on the side of his helmet as well.

 

 

[Cobra 6 Actual]

Thanks for that information and the photos, rd12. I have an Order of the Bayonet around here somewhere. I will have to add it to this thread.

 

Meanwhile, here is a 24th Infantry Division Imjin Badge:

 

 

Sivart had some info for the criteria for this badge and I hope he can locate it. For now, this is apparently another approved at unit level, but not at the DA level badge.

[Cobra 6 Actual]

This is a CIB personalized by a First Infantry Division soldier:

 

 

Apparently this UA addition of the Division pin was somewhat common from WWII to Vietnam. I have seen photos of other CIBs with different Divisions pins.

[rd12]

Thanks for that information and the photos, rd12.

Hope you don't mind me filling your thread with all the text...

[Cobra 6 Actual]

Rd12, nope, in fact I appreciate you coarifying information and photos.

[Cobra 6 Actual]

Rd12, nope, in fact I appreciate you coarifying information and photos.

Sorry, that’s supposed to be “clarifying.”

[Cobra 6 Actual]

The 7th Infantry Division Order of the Bayonet:

 

 

Apparently approved at Division level, but not at the Department of the Army level. There is considerable research on this badge here:

 

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/254846-bayonet-badge-or-order-of-the-bayonet-7th-div-discussion/