Civilian Conservation Corps Patches Insignia

[Garth Thompson]

As the Monty Python Troupe used to say “now for something completely different”, The Civilian Conservation Corps or CCC was established in March 1933 as part of the Roosevelt administration New Deal. The economic conditions of the country were terrible. Many young men were laid off or could not find employment. At the same time our abundant natural resources were ravaged by time and man. The CCC was seen as a solution to both problems. Three million young men passed through the CCC, many going on to WW2 as part of the greatest generation, my father and uncles included. Although they were hesitant to tell their war stories all of them talked freely about their days in the CCC. The CCC was disbanded on June 30, 1942 seven months after the United States entry into WW2. The amount of work done in those 9 years was staggering. Our National Park system today owes much to the CCC.

Initially their uniforms were WW1 surplus but later developed into the unique “Spruce Green” uniform. They had rank insignia, unit patches and a whole plethora of souvenir type items: key chains, cigarette cases, pins, rings, etc. As a whole this part of our history has been ignored by collectors. There is only one recent book “The Tree Army” by Stan Cohen on the subject. It does cover and illustrate some of the uniform items and souvenir items. There is also a reprint of a small insignia company pamphlet done by CCC collector Kenneth Kipp of Allenwood, PA that covers some of the insignia.

 

Here are some pieces I’ve managed to put together, I hope you enjoy them,

Garth

 

The basic CCC insignia some with company numbers plus some unit specific patches.

[Garth Thompson]

Some more unit insignia plus a Co numbered belt buckle and some collar insignia

[Garth Thompson]

Finally a page from the Kipp reprinted pamplet briefly discussing CCC insignia.

[SARGE]

Very neat insignia. Thanks for sharing.

[ehrentitle]

Here is a good background article on the Army's support to the CCC:

http://www.qmmuseum.lee.army.mil/ccc_forest.htm

Kevin

[Jim Baker]

Garth,

 

Great collection. Remember the thread when I was looking for something different? I believe Gary M. was going to start collecting CCC. I wonder what he's found? I think Coastie has some CCC stuff too. I believe his Dad was also in the CCC.

 

Anyway, great collection! I'm getting that itch again.

[coastie]

Garth,

 

Great collection. Remember the thread when I was looking for something different? I believe Gary M. was going to start collecting CCC. I wonder what he's found? I think Coastie has some CCC stuff too. I believe his Dad was also in the CCC.

 

Anyway, great collection! I'm getting that itch again.

 

 

Yep I do, I have to dig it all out.

 

Here is a listing of all the camps if don't already know.

 

 

http://www.cccalumni.org/states/index.html

[rrobertscv]

I have just started to get interested in the CCC. I have one of the garrison hats with a patch like the one in your 1st photo, 4th from the left. I will try to post a photo of it tonight. There is a park in N.E. Mississippi, Tishomingo State Park, my uncle that served in WWII helped build it. There is a indian, drawing a bow, that is made out of iron, he is at the entrance. My uncle was the one who made it, almost 70 years ago.

[GLM]

Garth,

 

Great collection. Remember the thread when I was looking for something different? I believe Gary M. was going to start collecting CCC. I wonder what he's found? I think Coastie has some CCC stuff too. I believe his Dad was also in the CCC.

 

Anyway, great collection! I'm getting that itch again.

 

 

Jim,

It was State Guard I was thinking of starting up, but CCC has always interested me immensily because of my father and my uncles participation in that Corps. Dad and his brothers were members of Co. 809 at Camp SCS 8-C in Wellington, CO in 1936 and 1937, where one of their jobs was mowing the "buffalo grass" with a horse-drawn mower and then threshing it for seed. The grass seed was one experiment the government tried in attempting to stop soil erosion in OK and TX during the big dust storms during the Great Depression.

 

I would dearly love to have a patch from Co. 809, but according to dad and my uncles, no such patch ever existed or at least not that they ever saw. As Garth stated, it would have been easier to pull dad's fingernails out than get him to talk about the war, but the CCC was very dear to his heart and he had many great stories to share about his two years there.

 

Other than a Company 809, Wellington, CO panorama photograph and a few snapshots, this is the only CCC memorabilia I have, a tin holder and CCC bunk card with the same CCC member's discharge certificate. This memorabilia belonged to Harold Baker "Jack" Wood, who asked for discharge from CCC so he could enlist in the US Navy. These things were in with the posthumous medals his mother saved after Jack was killed on Dec. 7, 1941 while serving aboard USS Arizona.

 

Gary

[Jim Baker]

Chief,

 

Great site!! Thanks!

 

 

Gary,

 

Yep, I remember now. Nice certificate.

[S_E_Craig]

That is a really nice collection. I have a few of those myself but nothing as great as yours. Mine started when I statared a Smokey Bear collection which lead to collecting State Forestry patches and then lead into these. One thing just seems to lead to another. Had not seen some of the ones you had so thanks for sharing. SE Craig

[NorBn]

I've had these two patches for some time now and wondering if the 3478 patch was used by the CCC as well? It took a while befroe I was able to ID the CCC patch, but have had no luck with the 3478 patch so far.

 

Erik

[Garth Thompson]

I've had these two patches for some time now and wondering if the 3478 patch was used by the CCC as well? It took a while befroe I was able to ID the CCC patch, but have had no luck with the 3478 patch so far.

 

Erik

Erik,

The 3478 is a CCC unit designation patch. The number indicates the camp location.

Garth

[NorBn]

Garth,

 

Thanks a lot, I got the patches in a lot with military and civillian patches, so I was never able to figure out some of them. If any are interested in these two patches send me a PM as I don't collect this kind of insignia.

 

Erik

[S_E_Craig]

Yep I do, I have to dig it all out.

 

Here is a listing of all the camps if don't already know.

http://www.cccalumni.org/states/index.html

 

 

That is really a neat site thanks so much for sharing , has inspired me to work more on my small collection of CCC patches

The CCC really made a impact, I would hate to think what some areas of the county would look like had it not been for their efforts, and for the early efforts of forestry in this country,

[ADMIN]

Very nice display guys! And Garth, thanks for those examples!

[hhbooker2]

"GREETINGS & SALUTATIONS!" During the Great Depression my mother's two younger brothers served in the Civilian Conservation Corps in upstate Wisconsin, they were living in Shawano and later Manitowoc. They stayed in for the duration and money they earned was sent to their parents who had five daughters and themselves to support while my mother's father lost his job skinning dead mules at a tannery. They were both inducted into the Army of the United States and sent to Fort Ord, California where I later served in the 1950s when I attended Advanced Infantry Training after doing Basic Combat Training at Fort Hood, Texas. They both were send to Tank Corps School and one was sent to the Pacific and the other to North Africa, Sicily, Italy, France, and Germany. Later the uncle who fought at the Battle of the Bulge was made a Military Policeman in Patton's 3rd Army, I later worked as a signpainter apprentice for a man in his unit who painted the signs for Patton's 3rd Army, "Lucky 7 Forward." There training in the C.C.C. helped them when they were inducted into Uncle Sam's Army - the Army and Marine Corps benefited from the young men of the C.C.C.! They started inducting in 1940, believe it or not? Seems they wore hand-me-downs from the Army and the Marine Corps and had older men who had been commissioned officers and NCO's in the "Great War." My tattoo-artist buddy's male family members were in the C.C.C. in West Virginia, said it beat risking "Black Lung" in the coal mines! After my uncles were quickly promoted to Sergeants, except they wore a letter "T" as they were Technicians 3rd Grade and 4th Grade, their father joined the Wiusconsin State Guard and we have a picture from the Manitowoc newspaper of "Sergeants Three" which the family proudly displayed and with the Service Flag with two blue stars on it! C.C.C. helped tyoughened up civilians who were not already tough from being farmers and miners, am sure the C.C.C. helped indirectly wing World War Two too! Sarge Booker of Tujunga, California (underage veteran - 16 at enlistment)

[Desertrat]

Garth,

Great collection. I have not seen that many CCC items in one place before.

 

I have a couple of CCC items that I got from my Grandfather. He was stationed at Ft. Leavenworth during 1944-45. He was a Supply Clerk. When soldiers came there, they would exchange old uniforms for new ones. He took the patches off and give them to my Dad.

 

I have a patch similar to the third from the left on the first row, although mine may be a little larger. There is also a shield shaped patch that has a Thunderbird and "Mesa Verde" on it.

 

Thanks for sharing.

[Desertrat]

Toke a while, but here are my CCC patches

 

[Desertrat]

[Garth Thompson]

Garth,

Great collection. I have not seen that many CCC items in one place before.

 

I have a couple of CCC items that I got from my Grandfather. He was stationed at Ft. Leavenworth during 1944-45. He was a Supply Clerk. When soldiers came there, they would exchange old uniforms for new ones. He took the patches off and give them to my Dad.

 

I have a patch similar to the third from the left on the first row, although mine may be a little larger. There is also a shield shaped patch that has a Thunderbird and "Mesa Verde" on it.

 

Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for the comments. I got interested in the CCC hearing my dad talk about his time with the CCC proir to WW2. Your MESA VERDE is a lovely example. There is virually no reference on the CCC insignia and the camp patches were all private purchase so if you like unexplored territory picking up CCC items is a lot of fun and the repro factor is zero.

Garth

[Jim Baker]

Jerry,

 

Being from Colorado, that Mesa Verde is very nice to see. Thanks!

[Stinger Gunner USMC]

Here is a CCC patch for Camp Hutchins Il. This is on my Great Uncles Melton Wool winter Trousers. He told me he took them with him to Europe when he was with the 9th Army and was envied in the Winter of '44 for having them.

[Garth Thompson]

Very nice pach thanks for posting it.

Garth

[Uniforms of the Day]

I recently saw a WWII era uniform shirt with yellow on black chevrons and a 'frying pan'-like design in the center. There was a 3 number tab on the shoulders. I am curious if that could be a CCC shirt? And what does the specialty mark represent?