WWI Coast Artillery Corps Helmets AEF

[repbrock]

Thanks Eric,

 

I appreciate the help on this, and already aware of the discrepancies. I even looked through both ship manifests for close matches to the name written in the tunic.

 

Other than the 28th Division Patch, the uniform is and helmet is correct. So it may. E the case that this soldier served in the 55th Artillery and then returned home and served in the 28th Division with the National Guard. If the uniform is correct, we know he was a PFC, wounded, served 12 months and was in Battery E.

 

NARA probably has the regimental records and they may list wounded soldiers, so that is my next task. Even my Grandfathers unit that never saw action listed every soldier that was sick or died of illness.

 

For those interested in more details on a specific regiment, I highly recommended a trip to College Park MD.

 

One last thing, there are some letters stamped in the chin strap of the helmet that are interesting. They are not from a manufacturer.

[repbrock]

What’s also interesting about this uniform is the use of a single stripe on both sleeves above the round PFC patch. This is definitely post war and possibly a parade uniform for American Legion or VFW. Many soldiers wore their uniforms into the 30s(possibly longer)during parades.

[Ranger-1972]

Not seeing my grandfather's CAC unit listed -- 64th. They were scheduled to head to the front 4 days after the armistice, so saw no combat.

 

G

HQ 34th Artillery Brigade: 64th CA Regt (British 8"), 70th CA Regt (US-assembled British 8"), 71st CA Regt (British 8") - not in combat

[atb]

Those round patches on the sleeves are not PFC chevrons. They are qualification insignia for First Class Gunner, I believe. Artillery PFC for both Coast and Field Artillery are round crossed cannon chevrons.

[GIl Sanow]

HQ 34th Artillery Brigade: 64th CA Regt (British 8"), 70th CA Regt (US-assembled British 8"), 71st CA Regt (British 8") - not in combat

Very good -- I did not see it in the earlier list. Grandpa Joseph E. McCrone was in Battery E, 64th.

 

G

[repbrock]

Yes. You are right. The patch for PFC with Crossed cannons was lose inside the pocket. Sorry for confusion. Next stop NARA.

[repbrock]

Where can I get a copy of chapter and verse for uniform regulars for period 1917-1919? Please post if you have or send a link? Thanks

[Ranger-1972]

The Hathi Trust webpage is a great place to look for U.S. Army uniform regulations

https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/006539002

 

Here is a .pdf of the Regulations for the Uniforms of the U.S. Army, 1917

https://history.army.mil/html/bookshelves/resmat/wwi/historical_resources/default/sec04/PDF/regulationsforun1917uniform.pdf

 

There was no set of U.S. Army Uniform Regulations published in 1919. Bill Emerson lists the following for pre-WWI, WWI, post-WWI:

 

1911: Regulations for the Uniform of the United States Army, 26 Dec 1911.

1912 Specification for the Uniforms of the United States Army, 25 Jan 1912.

1913: Specification for the Uniforms of the United States Army, February 15, 1913.

1914: Regulations for the Uniform of the United States Army (Revised Edition), July 22, 1914.

1917: Special Regulations Number 41, Regulations for the Uniform of the United States Army, August 15, 1917; Special Regulations Number 42, Specifications for the Uniform of the United States, August 15, 1917.

1921: Army Regulations (AR) 600-35, 14 Oct 1921, Prescribed Service Uniform; AR 600-40, Sept 1921, Wearing of Service Uniform.

1924: AR 600-35, 25 Nov 1924, Prescribed Service Uniform.

1926: AR 600-35, 31 Dec 1926, Prescribed Service Uniform; AR 600-40, 31 Dec 1926, Wearing of Service Uniform.

[repbrock]

On 3/9/2019 at 8:55 PM, manayunkman said:

 

Is this a painted construction helmet? It has that high top shape.

No, it just looks like that.  photo distorted.

 

[Primoris Scio]

On 3/8/2019 at 1:14 AM, Ranger-1972 said:

At the time of the Armistice, the following CAC units were in France (though seven of the brigades / 21 regiments had arrived too late to see combat):

HQ 30th Artillery Brigade: 42nd CA Regt (French 24cm), 43rd CA Regt (French 19cm), 52nd CA Regt (French 32cm), 53rd CA Regt (French 19cm, 340mm & 400mm) - First Army

HQ 31st Artillery Brigade: 55th CA Regt (155mm GPF), 56th CA Regt (155mm GPF), 57th CA Regt (155mm GPF) - First Army

HQ 32nd Artillery Brigade: 58th CA Regt (British 8” howitzer), 59th CA Regt (British 8”howitzer), 65th CA Regt (British 9.2”) - First Army

 

Based on the information that Ranger-1972 posted above, which SSI patch did these CAC units wear, was it the artillery version of the 1st Army patch?

[Ranger-1972]

There is no 'right' answer to that question.  I've only seen one Coast Artillery Brigade SSI adopted during WWI (39th CAC Bde, composed of the 44th, 51st, and 55th CAC Regts, and subordinate to both the First and Second Armies during the war). During WWI, there were SSIs worn by Army-level and Corps-level artillery headquarters (often with a red quadrant or red ring or red square or red background on the regular Corps or Army SSI). I have one SSI worn by 1LT Longyear, CAC, which has the CAC crossed cannon with shell superimposed on a regular First Army SSI.  Anti-aircraft artillery battalions (which belonged to the CAC) sometimes had a red AA on the First Army SSI. SSI was a very new idea, and there were lots of variations worn by different units.

[Primoris Scio]

Great stuff thank you Ranger!  The Lt.'s CAC 1st Army SSI is a terrific find for you, I never saw that version before, was it custom made for him, or have you seen others?

[kiaiokalewa]

Here's another Coast Artillery Brigade patch worn during WWI.  To the right is the 57th Coast Artillery Regiment patch and to its left is the 31st Coast Artillery Brigade Shoulder Insignia of which the 55th, 56th and 57th were subordinate to.  

[Ranger-1972]

On 1/12/2022 at 1:33 AM, kiaiokalewa said:

Here's another Coast Artillery Brigade patch worn during WWI.  To the right is the 57th Coast Artillery Regiment patch and to its left is the 31st Coast Artillery Brigade Shoulder Insignia of which the 55th, 56th and 57th were subordinate to.  

 

The 31st Coast Artillery Brigade was originally organized in January 1918 at Key West, FL, and consisted of the 55th Regt (155mm Grande Puissance Filloux (G.P.F.) gun), 56th Regt (155mm GPF), and 57th Regt (155mm GPF), CAC). The Brigade HQ moved overseas in March 1918 and was assigned to III Army Corps in August 1918. It was reassigned to First Army from Oct-Nov 1918, and returned to the US in February 1919, being stationed at Camp Lewis, WA.  Eventually, the Brigade HQ moved to Ft Winfield Scott, CA and it was deactivated in April 1921.  It is my understanding this is a post-WWI shoulder patch.  In the 1920s, the subordinate CAC Regiments had shoulder patches that were a white triangle (55th CA Regt), red triangle (56th CA Regt), and blue triangle (59th CA Regt).

 

The 33rd - 48th Coast Artillery Brigades were organized toward the end of the war.  A few of them actually made it to France (32nd - 41st CAC Brigades), but few of them saw combat. The rest of them (42nd - 48th) never left CONUS.

[kiaiokalewa]

Mega Mahalos (thanks) for providing the Brigades CONUS movements after it returned back from the AEF.  I was unaware of its assignment in CA and remained active well into 1921.  I had a feeling that this 31st CA patch was a product of the mainland due to its construction.  The patch is massive in size measuring 4 1/2" in height and width.  What's interesting the white materials used in both of these insignia are one and the same.  This leads me to believe that both were stateside made SSI.  I wonder if there are similar examples for the (56th & 59th CA) too?  I hadn't seen any in the 40 years of collecting yet.  Now I'm talking about the Multi-applique cotton types like the ones above. 

 

 

[kiaiokalewa]

I figure it's best to add images of this full uniform into the thread since it's now on auction and is the same patched uniform of the SSI shown above in thread #36

 

[robinpmeekins]

I am learning about SSI's during WWI.  Is everyone saying that the 53rd Coastal Artillery Corps not have a designated SSI?

[ATMissileman0352]

Beautiful helmets. 

[Salvage Sailor]

On 1/11/2022 at 9:33 PM, kiaiokalewa said:

Here's another Coast Artillery Brigade patch worn during WWI.  To the right is the 57th Coast Artillery Regiment patch and to its left is the 31st Coast Artillery Brigade Shoulder Insignia of which the 55th, 56th and 57th were subordinate to.  

 

Extract from:  Coast Defense Study Group Reprint Page 1 Insignia of the Coast Artillery Corps Mark Berhow