Patches in action: Photos of SSI being worn by the troops.

[patches]

Next up is Ralph W. Zwicker the 5th Infantry Division Assistant Division Commander wearing the White Bordered Red Diamond Patch. Zwicker also a highly decorated officer, 2nd Infantry Division WWII. Zwicker as his own WIKI so we'll let that tell us about him HERE.

 

[patches]

And three of the many photos in this yearbook were the White Bordered Red Diamond Divsion is worn by Trainees and Cadre.

 

This one is interesting in that we see the Red Diamond on the liner, yet this has no White Border, in fact none of the liners that we see with the division insignia on them have it. Not sure if the insignia is a decal or is a stencil.

[patches]

[patches]

[mysteriousoozlefinch]

Great pictures, patches! I need to scan pictures out of my 44th ID yearbook from the same time period.

[z19]

Really neat photo taken during the occupation period of a 1st ID / 17th Airborne guy. He s wearing a beautiful bullion 17th AB patch on the right shoulder.

[patches]

Chow Time in the field with the Bayonet Division early May 1955 South Korea, sub unit unknown.

 

[4mygal]

2nd Service Corps WACs, I think Fort Wadsworth Staten Island NY NY.

 

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Interesting that one WAC wears the patch in reverse.

[seanmc1114]

Major General Francis Bowditch Wilby, 39th Superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy from 1942 to 1945. Note his unusual manner of wearing his ribbons.

 

[patches]

A Twofer for Tonight, a Big Red One GI Normandy, the POW is presumably from the 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division.

 

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And another Ball of Fire sighting, Korea 1953, that we curiously see no BALL OF FIRE Tab worn, neither on the helmet decal nor the shoulder patch. See This photo HERE. to see what we mean. (Also note te other GI down the rank is wearing the official Sunshine Division shoulder patch)

 

[seanmc1114]

Here's an unusual one. A female chaplain of the 2nd Infantry Division sometime in the 70's or possibly early 80's.

[seanmc1114]

French soldiers wearing the 2nd Infantry Division SSI with FRANCEE tabs in Korea.

[patches]

Twofer For Tonight.

 

METZ, November 1944. 5th Inf Div GIs on the left, note to how these guys still have scrim, something really not seen after Normandy, so perhaps these are old timers and were in from the start after the 5th Div comes ashore in July, the ones on the left are of the 95th Inf Div as we see. The 95th Inf Div and the 5th Inf Div fights around the same time at Metz.

 

[patches]

And a GI of the 160th Inf 40th Inf Div, see the border on the patch, unknown what it could be, Garrison Cap Infantry piping, Yellow piping to match the Yellow Sun, or Silver Bullion. Photo probably in Japan I suspect, juusst after the Reg change abolishing the wearing of the collar discs on the lower lapels in October 1951 and juusst before the Sunshine Division ships out and over to Korea in January 1952. He's probably is a Sergeant cause we see Green Leadership Loops on him.

 

[tredhed2]

And a GI of the 160th Inf 40th Inf Div, see the border on the patch, unknown what it could be, Garrison Cap Infantry piping, Yellow piping to match the Yellow Sun, or Silver Bullion. Photo probably in Japan I suspect, juusst after the Reg change abolishing the wearing of the collar discs on the lower lapels in October 1951 and juusst before the Sunshine Division ships out and over to Korea in January 1952. He's probably is a Sergeant cause we see Green Leadership Loops on him.

 

PYH2009050401560001301_P4.jpg

 

This might be the patch this NG is wearing. They are fairly common.

[seanmc1114]

I believe this soldier is wearing the SSI of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment. At any rate, he is wearing a SSI. Nothing unusual about that. However, note he is wearing two U.S. collar discs and no name tag and is posing in front of a U.S. flag. This looks very much like a basic training photo.

[seanmc1114]

Brigadier General William R, Woodward, commander of the 104th Division Artillery at the end of World War II. Note that he is wearing the ribbon for the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with one campaign star and Navy Presidential Unit Citation. He had previously served with the Americal Division on Guadalcanal. He is also wearing the Soviet Order Of Kutuzov 2nd Class.

[patches]

I believe this soldier is wearing the SSI of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment. At any rate, he is wearing a SSI. Nothing unusual about that. However, note he is wearing two U.S. collar discs and no name tag and is posing in front of a U.S. flag. This looks very much like a basic training photo.

Here's that one you posted back in November 2016 of a 18th Airborne Corps wearing GI, a trainee too he like the 3rd Armored Cavalry patch wearing trainee, was probably that Basic-AIT fashion of wearing unit patches of the unit they knew they were being sent to after all the training. It was in my day, done in AIT not Basic, so it is curious, though it may have been done in basic to at some posts in the 70s. The 18th Airborne Corps worn by this guy may just indicate he is a Support Arms Trainee, 18th Airborne Corps, back then and I'm sure today had a few non jump units as Corps Troops, Signals in example, but they would eventually have a patch of their own by the mid 80s, and with a Tab, even though they are not a jump unit, so maybe this 70s trainee was going to one of these units.

 

See this for one of the earliest views in the 70s I think.

 

HERE

[patches]

Here's one more view of the White bordered Red Diamond Division patch, here on OD Poplin Overcoats, like the OD Wool Overcoats it replaced, full cloth shoulder sleeve insignia was worn on them as was EM ranks, worn like this till 1967 when the type was replaced by the new Green Overcoat and Green Raincoat, on these two new items no insignia was to be worn, not even ranks for EMs, officers yes, on the shoulder loops, EMs no. Also we see the liners here have their decals on the sides of the liners rather than what was seen earlier, that being on the fronts, without the White border, these on the sides do have White borders with some kind of additional device on the diamond, maybe regiment number?

 

[patches]

A Member of the Philippine Division back home after the war, a former POW.

 

 

 

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One Cpl Jerry Huntington 187th RCT Japan 1953.

 

 

 

[patches]

A 35th Div man, last name Graf.

 

 

 

[patches]

One Tech 5 Joseph Connelley Tank Destroyer Forces, battalion unknown.

 

 

 

[Salvage Sailor]

33rd Infantry Division (Golden Cross), Summer 1943 - Newly arrived from California, on Oahu for Jungle Training prior to the invasion of New Guinea (Morotai)

 

"The Bearcats" - The 2nd Battalion, 136th Infantry traces it lineage back to the 2nd Regiment, Minnesota Volunteer Infantry

The 136th Infantry was again activated in April of 1942 for World War II and assigned to the 33rd Division. After a stay in New Guinea, they moved to the island of Morotai where for 20 days they fought virtually alone against fanatical Japanese resistance. The next fight for the 136th Infantry was Luzon, in the Phillippines. The 136th Infantry overcame resistance at such places as Kennon Road and Skyline Ridge to help secure the island.

 

Photo from my collection - Probably the HQ group of the 2nd Battalion, 136th Regiment, 33rd Division