American Divisions in the First World War: A photo history

[Wyomingguy]

I thought it my interesting to see a patched representative RPPC or photograph of a soldier from many of the American Divisions that fought in the First World War. 

Up first is this soldier from the First Division or Big Red One. It was organized from regular army units and arrived in France in July of 1917.  They prided themselves as the first division to both inflict enemy casualties and capture prisoners The patch is hard see but is a large number "1"

 

Next is the Second Division formed from units of the regular Army and Marines. They served as part of the Army of Occupation at the end of the war. On the reverse is "The star and indian head you see on my sleeve is the emblem of he famous 2nd Division. And I am proud of it. Clayton Meitzler, Engineers on the Rhine Germany.

 

The Third divison is next. They were known as Rock of the Marne and were organized Novemer 1917 at Camp Greene, Charlotte, North Carolina. Arrived oveseas in May, 1918. 

 

The Fifth Division patch is a red diamond. It was organized from the Regular Army at Camp Logan, Texas in May 1917. The division arrived overseas in March of  1918. This is a member of the 20th Field Artillery, Battery F, Fifth Division. 

A few more this evening and then some more tomorrow. 

The Seventh Division patch was tow black triangles touched on a red circle. The division was nicknamed the Hourglass Division. It was a Regular Army Division organized at Chickamaugua Park, Georgia in January of 1918. They arrived in 1918. The photograph is a favorite of mine as it shows a multigenerational family of soldiers. The central elderly gentleman was an officer in the Spanish-American War. The young man on the viewer's left also appears to be in an older uniform. The soldier on the right is wearing the shoulder patch of the 7th division. 

 

The 26th division patch is co-joined YD on a khaki background. The initials stand for Yankee Division and relates to the organization of the unit in August of 1917 in Boston Massachusetts. The Division was made up men from Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maine and Vermont as well as a contingent from the National Army from Fort Devens, Massachusetts.  They left in September of 1917. 

 

More to follow....

 

[Wyomingguy]

So up next is the 28th Division whose patch is a red keystone insofar as its members were members of the Pennsylvania National Guard (Pennsylvania being the keystone state). It was organized at Camp Hancock, Augusta, Georgia in August of 1917. It arrived overseas in May of 1918. 

 

The 32nd Division whose patch is a red arrow with a cross bar in the middle was organized in September of 1917 from national guard units from Michigan and Wisconsin It arrived overseas in January 1918. 

 

 

[Wyomingguy]

The patch of the 37th Division was a red circle within a white border. Known as the Buckeye Division because its members were from the Ohio National Guard, the division was organized at Camp Sheridan, Montgomery Alabama. It arrived in France in June 1918. 

 

The 42nd or Rainbow Division was so named as it was made up of National Guard units from throughout the United States. The division was organized in August 1917 and went overseas in October of that same year. 

 

[Wyomingguy]

The patch of the 80th division shows three stylized blue mountains for the Blue Mountain Division made up of men from Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. Organized at Camp Lee Virginia. 

 

The 81st Division's patch (hard to see in this image) is a wildcat on a khaki circle. It was composed of National Army soldiers from North and South Carolina along with Tennessee.  Organized in September 1917 at Camp Jackson South Carolina, it arrived overseas in August 1918. 

 

The 82nd Division was the All American Division and had the letters AA in circle of blue on a red square as it's patch. It was initially organized with men from Georgia, Alabama and Florida. In October 1917 the majority of the men were transferred out to other divisions and replaced with men from Camp Devens Massachusetts, Camp Upton New York, Camp Dix New Jersey, Camp Meade Maryland and Camp Lee Virginia. It arrived overseas in May of 1918. 

 

The 88th Division patch has two figure 8's in blue crossed at right angles. It was made up of men from North and South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa and Illinois. Organized at Camp Dodge Iowa in September 1917, the division arrived in Europe in August of 1918. 

 

[Wyomingguy]

We now come to the three armies of the U.S. Army that fought in Europe. First Army's patch was a large letter A in black. It was organized on August 10, 1918 under the command of General Pershing to carry out the St. Mihiel offensive. 

 

Second Army's patch was a split red and white "2" It was created on October 12, 1918 to assist with the Meuse-Argonne offensive campaign. Major General Robert L. Bullard was assigned the command of the 2nd Army and Major General Hunter Liggett commanded 1st. Army. Both were under the command of General Pershing. 

 

The Third Army had a white letter A within a red circle on a blue circle. It was organized on November 14, 1918 under the command of Major General Joseph T. Dickman. It was formed to be the unit of the Army of Occupation after the war. 

 

Of course, I forgot some folks and so my apologies for adding onto this list out of numerical order. The 79th Division was made up of men from Maryland and Pennsylvania and left for overseas in July of 1918. Their patch is the Lorraine Cross on a blue shield.