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Officer's Coat, Engineers 77th Div. (Bullion Patch)


FightenIrish35
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FightenIrish35

Thank you guys!!!! Im still in shock..i know I will never find out who wore it but what i do know is....the Captain had TASTE!!!! ;)

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FightenIrish35

I have the WW1 77th Book made in 1919 i believe and under the citation section there are 4 or 5 captains in the 302nd that recieved them...Maybe someone will have a roster of the 302nd in ww1,but I think there will be a BUNCH of captains in a regiment,right?

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I have the WW1 77th Book made in 1919 i believe and under the citation section there are 4 or 5 captains in the 302nd that recieved them...Maybe someone will have a roster of the 302nd in ww1,but I think there will be a BUNCH of captains in a regiment,right?

 

 

Still, you'll know it was one of 'em! Best bet is a 1919 roster when he was a Capt. He was almost certainly a 1st or 2d looey in 17 or 18. Also have you searched the entire tunic inside and out? Names/initials often turn up in the armpits on the inside, inside pockets, on the inside of the lining, when not sewn down... Give it a try!

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FightenIrish35

Ive looked "inside and out". In the sleeves..inside pockets...Nothing...he must have not been worried about his tunic being confused with anyones else? I will keep my eye open for the 302nd engineers in ww1 book I believe it has a roster

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I have a very similar tunic from a tailoring standpoint .... down to the quality bullion patch and stripped fabric in the sleeves. Mine was tailored in Germany during the occupation. No tags, but there was a receipt in the pocket from a german tailor shop.

 

Nice tunic thumbsup.gif

 

Tim

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FightenIrish35

thank you thank you Steve....this is my pride and joy right now...ive spent more time with ms liberty past day and half than i have with the GF haha..oh well she will get over it... :lol:

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IMPERIAL QUEST
thank you thank you Steve....this is my pride and joy right now...ive spent more time with ms liberty past day and half than i have with the GF haha..oh well she will get over it... :lol:

 

 

I hear ya. Affter getting Wingate, the wife was relegated to the couch for a week!

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FightenIrish35
I'm so jealous......Fantastic item, way to go! thumbsup.gif

 

 

Dont be jalous its just proof that a little waiting around and awesome items come along....thanks for the compliments fellas!!

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  • 3 weeks later...
FightenIrish35

fooled around with the camera and got a couple nice shorts of the bullion..i was caught off guard because I had no clue I could take shts so close!!!!

post-3581-1235642862.jpg

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Hate to say it but it looks like maybe a pen/marker has been used to add the face (and bellybutton?) Never knew that Lady Liberty had a bellybutton? think.gif

 

Perhaps a cotton swab with a light amount acetone or lacquer thinner might remove them? I think either will be safe and should not harm the patina on the wire.

 

Whoever led you to that tunic should have paid more attention!!!!! whistling.gif

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world war I nerd

Here is some information that will either help you or just confuse matters, in regards to the origin of the good captains uniform.

 

In my experience with private purchase/tailor made WW I uniforms of the AEF, the service coats with deeply scalloped pocket flaps were definately influenced by the British officer's uniform which was considered to be much more stylish when compared to the rather plain regulation M1911 Officer's Service Coat which had pointed pocket flaps. The French officer, on the other hand, often had a much straighter or even flat pocket flap. But when it comes to officers coats of any country many minor variations appear and anything is possible.

 

Anyway the exagerated scallops on the pocket flaps, combined with the London maker of the Corps of Engineer buttons seem to point towards the uniformbeing made in Great Britain. It may be worth while to check and see if the 77th Division went to France via Liverpool, London or Manchester, as over half of the Doughboys that shipped out for France first landed in England, most of them went directly to Southhampton but a few were stranded in country for as much as a week and don't forget the officer could have ordered it and had it shipped to France, so all he would have needed was an hour or so to get measured and pickout fabri, etc.

 

Another trait of aan English made coat are oversize lower pockets, which often had a straight pocket flap. Attached is a photo of a typical British officer's tunic.

 

The 1917 "Regulations and Notes for the Uniform Of the U.S. Army, Section 1, Officers" lists the 'Essayons' buttons for Engineers. The Corps of Engineers was the only branch of service that was authorized to have its own unique button ( I think it has something to do with the French helping us out during the revolutionary War). Anywat the regs state's under buttons,

 

"Officer's of the Engineers.-To be of a dull-finish bronze metal, well laquered, and of permanent finish, circular and slightly convex in shape, having for the devicean eagle holding in its beak a scroll bearing the word "Essayons". In the distance a bastion with embrasures surrounded with water. A rising sun on the horizon. To be of 36 ligne for large and 25 linge for small buttons." (Note the buttons were only authorized for officers)

 

The secod attachment is a photo of a French made 1st lieutenant of the Medical Department's Service Coat with a 2nd Army Corps patch. This is one of the few officers tunics, I've seen with the collar ornaments sewn on. On this particular one the pins have been removed and only the thread holds themon, while the rank insignia is pinned and not sewn. The Paris tailor label is visible at the neck. Its difficult to say if sewing the collar brass on was a French thing or not. (disregard all the crap piled on top of the coat as this photo was done for something else)

 

No doubt there were French tailor shops that catered to the interests of the Brits so your coat could just as well have been made in France and cut in an English style but my monet is on England.

 

"O

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post-5143-1235652600.jpg

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