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WW2 ADSEC ETO patch; who wore it?


cbuehler
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We are all familiar with the famous ADSEC ETO star, lightning and chains patch, but I have never understood just what kind of units, and in what capacity, wore it. Can anyone explain?

Thanks,

CB

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I believe what your describing is the HQ, ETO Communications Zone patch. This is widely, and erroneously, referred to by many collectors as “ADSEC” when in fact ADSEC was just one part of the organization.  ETO COMZ had control over all “Technical and Administrative Branches and Services“ in the U.K. and ETO.  Quartermaster, Transportation, Ordnance, Medical, Signal, some Engineer (not combat engineer), etc. 

 

Communication Zone doesn’t literally mean “commo” as in radio and messages.  It was basically the entire area behind the rear boundary of a Field Army (1st, 3rd, 7th, and 9th in this case).  The Advanced Section was the forward most element, there was also by doctrine an intermediate and base section (although ETO COMZ ended up with nearly 10 separate sections due to the massive size and the multiple axis upon which the allied forces were advancing). 
 

I hope this helps

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5 hours ago, vzemke said:

I believe what your describing is the HQ, ETO Communications Zone patch. This is widely, and erroneously, referred to by many collectors as “ADSEC” when in fact ADSEC was just one part of the organization.  ETO COMZ had control over all “Technical and Administrative Branches and Services“ in the U.K. and ETO.  Quartermaster, Transportation, Ordnance, Medical, Signal, some Engineer (not combat engineer), etc. 

 

Communication Zone doesn’t literally mean “commo” as in radio and messages.  It was basically the entire area behind the rear boundary of a Field Army (1st, 3rd, 7th, and 9th in this case).  The Advanced Section was the forward most element, there was also by doctrine an intermediate and base section (although ETO COMZ ended up with nearly 10 separate sections due to the massive size and the multiple axis upon which the allied forces were advancing). 
 

I hope this helps

 

Thank you for taking the time to explain this 

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Vance brought up a very good point,  one that is forgotten quite often. The COM Z patch was the authorized patch worn by so many units. It was such a large command - both in physical area and number of personnel.  It was divided into 10 sections/sectors, and many of these sections had tabs/scrolls. It is incorrect to say a COM Z patch w/ an ADSEC or OISE tab is an "ADSEC patch" or a 'OISE patch". They are respectively a COM Z w/ ADSEC tab or COM Z w/ OISE tab. OISE (pronounced "waahz" is both a ville and a region in France. Here are some tabs for COM Z sections/sector tabs.       

COM Z.jpg

CMDCOMZ w TAB ENCLAVE V2.jpg

CMDCOMZ w TAB V1 OISE.jpg

CMDCOMZ w TAB V2 WESTERN.jpg

CMDCOMZ w TAB V4 ADSEC.jpg

CMDCOMZ w TAB V5 CHANNEL ENCLAVE.jpg

CMDCOMZ w TAB V6 1ST MIL DIST.jpg

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 A early 60s coat that I acquired, saved actually from a house clean out, Lopyan, Alvin A, LTC Reserves New York City. he served as a officer in the 365th Engineer General Service Regiment (Colored) in WWII, a unit as we see that fell under the ETO Advance Base otherwise known as COM Z

image.png.83e967e67b484b635f1d22face76855d.png

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  • 1 year later...

Kudos to tredhed2 here for posting the most correct info I have seen on this whole topic.
 

The Services of Supply-ETO was established in May '42 in London at 20 Grosvenor Sq., and those serving in it wore the common round patch of the SOS - blue star in a white field surrounded by red.  The ETO-HQ patch was the "lightning bolt breaking the chains of Nazi oppression."  The SOS-ETO moved its HQ to Cheltenham, Gloustershire in July, right after DDE was named Theater Commander in late June, and all the space at 20 Grosvenor was taken over by the expanding ETO-HQ. 
In the spring of 1943, the SOS-ETO and ETO-HQ were co-established, but it was determined that the SOS needed its own patch.  The SOS round was inserted into the ETO patch, producing what came to be known as the Com-Z patch.  All three are here below.  The SOS was abolished on D-Day and re-designated the Communications Zone-ETO, with some 445,000 troops assigned that day, and over 930,000 by V-E Day - the largest single Army unit in WWII outside the United States.
The SOS had geographic sections in Britian during the Operation Bolero buildup - Eastern, Southern, Western, Northern Ireland Base Sections, etc.  This carried forward into North Africa and the Mediterranean actions, and then in earnest after Normandy, as the Com-Z expanded its bases, depots, and staging yards.  By V-E Day there were ten sections as said above.  There eighteen Special Staff Sections that performed their functions throughout the campaign; here are two graphics with the commanders of those bases and departments.

ETO-triple.jpg

Com-Z Sections.png

Corps Staff.png

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One last thing - it's remarkable how many I have encountered, here, Facebook, at shows, who have the impression the Com-Z was part of ADSEC.  In fact, last time I was at the WWII Museum in New Orleans, their display (tiny) on logistics in the ETO basically communicated that.  ADSEC was 10% of the Com-Z.

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  • 2 months later...

I realize that I am coming in rather late to the party on this, but wanted to share some information that I received from a veteran many, many , moons ago. He served as an infantryman for his entire time in service, but his Ike jacket sported a Comm Z SSI on his left shoulder and his right shoulder showed the division in which he had served during the war. When I pressed him about reassignment to a non-combat role, he got VERY huffy with me and explained that when he got a sufficient number of points to be sent home from the ETO, he was detached from his unit and assigned to the unit that he returned to the states with, which happened to be an Ordnance Maintenance Company. He wore his former unit patch all of the way home to the separation center. While there, everyone got a brand new "going home" uniform where all their insignia was sewn to the Ike jacket to include the Ruptured Duck. The Separation Center sewed a Comm Z patch on his left shoulder and his combat unit ended up on his right. He said there was no discussion, no arguing. He simply put his jacket on, took his money from the pay officer, and jumped in the truck to take him to the railroad station. I am quite sure that many soldiers ended up in the Comm Z simply because they traveled home with a support unit,

 

Allan

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  • 4 months later...
On 10/7/2022 at 9:08 AM, Allan H. said:

I realize that I am coming in rather late to the party on this, but wanted to share some information that I received from a veteran many, many , moons ago. He served as an infantryman for his entire time in service, but his Ike jacket sported a Comm Z SSI on his left shoulder and his right shoulder showed the division in which he had served during the war. When I pressed him about reassignment to a non-combat role, he got VERY huffy with me and explained that when he got a sufficient number of points to be sent home from the ETO, he was detached from his unit and assigned to the unit that he returned to the states with, which happened to be an Ordnance Maintenance Company. He wore his former unit patch all of the way home to the separation center. While there, everyone got a brand new "going home" uniform where all their insignia was sewn to the Ike jacket to include the Ruptured Duck. The Separation Center sewed a Comm Z patch on his left shoulder and his combat unit ended up on his right. He said there was no discussion, no arguing. He simply put his jacket on, took his money from the pay officer, and jumped in the truck to take him to the railroad station. I am quite sure that many soldiers ended up in the Comm Z simply because they traveled home with a support unit,

 

Allan

Allan, there are also a great many stories of men who were wounded or injured in combat units, but were able-bodied enough to stay in-theater in a support role, and thereafter wore the Com-Z.  Many of these wore two patches as well, but I feel for the guys like you describe.  There was of course disregard if not some animosity for the indispensable support troops at the rear, even though none of the glory stuff would have been possible without it/them.

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