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AEF Supply Shoulder Patch Question?


world war I nerd
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world war I nerd

Somewhere on this forum there is a topic devoted to this particular AEF "supply/quartermaster" white on blue patch design. I've tried to find it with no luck. Can anybody provide the link to it?

 

I recall from that thread that there were a number of variations in the shape of the patch background, each of which was thought to represent a different supply section or supply occupation that fell under the very broad umbrella of the Service of Supply operations at Base Section No. 2.

 

Has any new, or more definitive, information come to light on this somewhat enigmatic AEF shoulder patch?

 

Thanks in advance for any new information, and the link to the above mentioned topic ... World War I Nerd

 

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Gerradtgrant
Somewhere on this forum there is a topic devoted to this particular AEF "supply/quartermaster" white on blue patch design. I've tried to find it with no luck. Can anybody provide the link to it?
 
I recall from that thread that there were a number of variations in the shape of the patch background, each of which was thought to represent a different supply section or supply occupation that fell under the very broad umbrella of the Service of Supply operations at Base Section No. 2.
 
Has any new, or more definitive, information come to light on this somewhat enigmatic AEF shoulder patch?
 
Thanks in advance for any new information, and the link to the above mentioned topic ... World War I Nerd
 
736921054_eBayImageI.jpg.7a4856ff2a9894bc432584e0e5b78146.jpg
 
1751166909_eBayImageII.jpg.3f0db91747d8a01834a33138cbf65296.jpg
It recently resurfaced. Something along the lines of coffee roaster. It was a neat interesting read.

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Salvage Sailor
On 8/28/2020 at 4:58 AM, world war I nerd said:

Somewhere on this forum there is a topic devoted to this particular AEF "supply/quartermaster" white on blue patch design. I've tried to find it with no luck. Can anybody provide the link to it?

 

Thanks in advance for any new information, and the link to the above mentioned topic ... World War I Nerd

 

eBay Image I.jpg

 

eBay Image II.jpg

 

 

Here ya go Nerd  - Unidentified WWI Patch

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world war I nerd

Tredhed, Gerrad, Rolfi, and Salvage Sailor, thanks for all the info, and especially for the link!

 

Despite knowing that it's connected to the SOS supply operations in and around Base Section No. 2, I'm still hoping for a definitive ID on this series of Quartermaster shoulder patches.

 

Another example of one on the diamond shaped background has been identified by Advance Guard Militaria as belonging to a soldier who served in the 329th Supply Company. However, what we still don't know is if that patch was the insignia of the 329th Supply Company, or if it was the insignia of the parent organization to which the 329th was attached?

 

Also what about the same design on a circle background, the square background, the shield shaped background, and the shield shaped background with "arms"? There is still a lot that we don't know about this series of AEF patch designs. Regardless, thanks to all who posted information.

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Gerradtgrant
Tredhed, Gerrad, Rolfi, and Salvage Sailor, thanks for all the info, and especially for the link!
 
Despite knowing that it's connected to the SOS supply operations in and around Base Section No. 2, I'm still hoping for a definitive ID on this series of Quartermaster shoulder patches.
 
Another example of one on the diamond shaped background has been identified by Advance Guard Militaria as belonging to a soldier who served in the 329th Supply Company. However, what we still don't know is if that patch was the insignia of the 329th Supply Company, or if it was the insignia of the parent organization to which the 329th was attached?
 
Also what about the same design on a circle background, the square background, the shield shaped background, and the shield shaped background with "arms"? There is still a lot that we don't know about this series of AEF patch designs. Regardless, thanks to all who posted information.
Hopefully someone will unearth some more information shedding light on the differences. Please keep us posted if you find more info.

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world war I nerd

I've obtained a bit more information, plus a couple of photos from forum member John Adams-Graf. According to his notes (I'm paraphrasing):

 

Around 2001, Advance Guard Militaria (AGM) offered for sale a service coat with an example of the three entwined crescents shoulder patch on a blue circular background. This uniform was attributed to the soldier who wore it: Raymond E. Haifley. For whatever reason, it was thought that Haifley served in the 112th Supply Train, 37th Division (which he did not). This is likely how the crescent insignia became incorrectly associated with the 37th Infantry Division.

 

Further research revealed that Raymond E. Haifley, whose service number 3123491 was stamped on the identification tag in the AGM uniform group, was a private in the Quartermaster Corp’s Supply Company 331 when he sailed for France on September 30, 1918. When he returned to the United States a year later, he was described in Transport records as a member of the “Quartermaster Corps at Large” and traveled with the Bordeaux Casual Company 2034, QMC. Thus providing real evidence that the crescent insignia was affiliated in some way with the AEF Quartermaster Corps.

 

This is the insignia as it appeared on Haifley's service coat. Note that it appears to be sewn on upside down. Other insignia on the coat was comprised of U.S. and Quartermaster collar discs, two gold overseas service chevrons, and a red discharge chevron.

 

Quartermaster-Supply-Co-331-a.jpg

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world war I nerd

Then in 2010, AGM offered for sale a uniform group, which contained another service coat bearing an example of the three entwined crescents shoulder patch. This time, the crescents were on a blue diamond shaped background. The group included several letters written by former Corporal Harold C. Smith to the collector who originally bought Smith's uniform. In one of the letters, Smith wrote:

 

"I served in the 329th Supply Company, Quartermaster Corps at APO 705 located at Bassens, France, just down the Gironde River from Bordeaux … Our company was in charge of the American docks and handled the unloading of supplies from the United States.”  He went on to say, “While there, I was one of 20 men sent into Bordeaux to run the only coffee roasting plant for the U.S. Army in Europe."

 

The coffee plant to which Smith referred was situated within the Service of Supply’s Base Section No. 2. It produced a daily output of 10 tons of coffee.

 

Now we have the connection to Supply Company No. 329, and to the "coffee grinding plant", and to "Base Section No. 2". We also have two confirmed IDs of the Quartermaster units that wore the round crescent patch and the diamond shaped crescent patch. They are: Supply Company No. 331 and Supply Company No. 329. Thus, it is likely, but not proven beyond a reasonable doubt, that the crescent insignia designs on a blue backing are not that of the coffee grinding plant, nor that of Base Section No. 2 as previously asserted.

 

This is the insignia as it appeared on Smith's service coat. Other insignia on the coat was comprised of U.S. and Quartermaster collar discs, two gold overseas service chevrons and a red discharge chevron.

 

Quartermaster-329th-Supply-Co.jpg

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world war I nerd

A year later in 2011, AGM offered for sale, another service coat bearing, yet another example of the entwined crescents shoulder patch. This time on a square shaped background. other than the insignia on the coat, there was nothing else on, or inside, the coat to identify its former owner, or the unit with which he served.

 

The only elements tying this coat to the above pair of Supply Company coats is the similar patch design and the presence of a Quartermaster collar disc. If the round and diamond shaped patches both belonged to supply companies, one could reasonably assert that this patch also belonged to a supply company within the same AEF Quartermaster organization.

 

This is the insignia as it appeared on the unidentified service coat. Note that this patch also appears to be sewn on upside down. Other insignia on the coat was comprised of U.S. and Quartermaster collar discs, two gold overseas service chevrons and a red discharge chevron.

 

Quartermaster-Square-a.jpg

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This insignia on the blue diamond was misidentified a long time ago as being for the 37th Division in several of the older SSI reference books. The three crescents are a symbol for the city of Bordeaux, so it makes sense it would be for units based there. I'm leaning toward it being for Base Section No. 2 as a whole.

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world war I nerd

At some point (date unknown), AGM offered for sale, another small group containing a service coat bearing, once again, bearing another example of the entwined crescents shoulder patch. This time on a triangular shaped background. Among the items in the group was a pair of identity tags. The name and service number stamped on both tags was: "Corp Charles Staiger 2949050". The unit with which Corporal Staiger served has not yet been identified. If anyone has the resources available to research this name, please do so and post the results.

 

Once again, the elements tying this coat to the above trio of Supply Company coats is the similar patch design and the presence of a Quartermaster collar disc.

 

This is the insignia as it appeared on Staiger's service coat. Note that this patch also appears to be sewn on upside down. Other insignia on the coat was comprised of U.S. National Army and Quartermaster collar discs, sergeant's chevron, two gold overseas service chevrons and a red discharge chevron.

 

Quartermaster Triangle.jpg

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world war I nerd

Currently, the known number of different background shapes on which the entwined crescent design has been found is five. They are: circle, diamond, square, triangle, shield, and shield with arms.

 

This is an example of the crescent insignia on a shield with arms shaped backing cloth. It was sold by Bill Griffith Militaria and listed as a variant of the insignia of the 39th Division.

Early patch collectors, because a crescent moon shape was present on an early design of the 39th Division, erroneously attributed this design (likely because of the three crescent shapes) to the 39th Division as well.

 

 

Quartermaster-Shield-with-Arms.jpg

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world war I nerd

The final background shape on which the crescent design has been seen on is the shield. I personally have never seen one. This image was created by forum member "rolfi" as part of a graphic that illustrated the various shaped backgrounds on which the crescent design has been found. If available, perhaps rolfi will post further information regarding the provenance of this particular background shape?

 

Quartermaster-Shield.jpg

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world war I nerd

ATB, the jury is definitely still out in regard to a definitive unit to which this insignia can be attached. Base Section No. 2 is still a contender in my mind. However, I am leaning more toward it belonging to a Quartermaster supply outfit based in or around base Section No. 2 or Bordeaux, or both. Only time and more research can tell us for sure.

 

By the way, the city of Bordeaux adopted the three entwined crescents sometime in the 17 century for its city crest. it is known as the "chiffre de Bordeaux" (the symbol of Bordeaux). In 1896, the newly formed Bordeaux Football Club (previously known as the Club Bordelais) also adopted the chiffre de Bordeaux for its team patch and logo.

 

So whatever unit adopted the "chiffre de Bordeau" as the primary design of its shoulder patch must have had more than a tenuous connection to the city of Bordeaux.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
world war I nerd

Here's another example of the same design on different shield shaped background. No ID on this one, other than the service coat it was on having a Quartermaster PFC chevron, two gold overseas service chevrons and a red discharge chevron.

 

 

QM 2 BKa.jpg

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On 8/31/2020 at 9:46 PM, world war I nerd said:

At some point (date unknown), AGM offered for sale, another small group containing a service coat bearing, once again, bearing another example of the entwined crescents shoulder patch. This time on a triangular shaped background. Among the items in the group was a pair of identity tags. The name and service number stamped on both tags was: "Corp Charles Staiger 2949050". The unit with which Corporal Staiger served has not yet been identified. If anyone has the resources available to research this name, please do so and post the results.

 

Once again, the elements tying this coat to the above trio of Supply Company coats is the similar patch design and the presence of a Quartermaster collar disc.

 

This is the insignia as it appeared on Staiger's service coat. Note that this patch also appears to be sewn on upside down. Other insignia on the coat was comprised of U.S. National Army and Quartermaster collar discs, sergeant's chevron, two gold overseas service chevrons and a red discharge chevron.

 

Quartermaster Triangle.jpg

Corp. Charles Staiger served in Butchery Company #329, Q.M.C.

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Also, Corp Staiger, finished the war as a Sgt with the Bordeaux Casual Company #3025, leaving Bordeaux in Sept 1919. Hope this helps with ID.

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  • 1 month later...
world war I nerd

Another example, currently on eBay as a "Buy It Now". One with a slightly different shield shape. No ID, but the service coat had a medical collar disc, sergeant chevron, one gold overseas service chevron, and a discharge chevron. I'm pretty sure that this is the first time I've seen a medical disc paired up with this style of shoulder patch.

eBay Medical Collar disca.jpg

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