WWI Air Service Enlisted coat with red cuff "braid"

[TrenchRat]

Good day all,

I recently picked up this US Air Service chief mechanic enlisted service coat.

Can anyone here tell me what the red cuff "braid" or stripes might have meant?

 

Thanks in advance

(sorry for the dark images; these Air Service items are kept in a darker room)

[TrenchRat]

Chief Mechanic rank...

[trenchbuff]

If I remember correctly, the red band means he was a runner for his unit. delivering message from one place to another. There was also a blue band for signals.

[TrenchRat]

If I remember correctly, the red band means he was a runner for his unit. delivering message from one place to another. There was also a blue band for signals.

 

Trenchbuff,

 

Thanks for that!

 

After your response, a light went off in my head so I looked at that very fine posting by the forum's WWI authority, WWI Nerd, on "AEF Special Duty Armbands..." and sure enough you are likely correct. I know I looked at that post many times in the past, but being a runner or messenger didn't occur to me since the bands on my coat are actually sewn on both sleeves and not temporarily pinned on the left sleeve only. The bands are also quite narrow in comparison, much like an officer's braid...

 

Apologies that I did not mention that the bands are on BOTH sleeves...

 

Thanks again...

TR

[trenchbuff]

They are unique for sure. Runner is all I could come up with, but may have been something unique to that particularly unit.

[littlewilly]

Most unusual. I would think, thought, that a chief mechanic would have more important duties to perform. Men of lower rank could certainly be spared for that job. As we all know, there are always exceptions. I have never seen anything like these red bars before. Hope more forum members can chime in on this one! MHJ