Memorabilia

• This lot features an AEF 21st Engineers Uniform from World War I, complete with an ID tag and a Victory Medal.
• The enlisted issue M1912 olive drab wool service coat is adorned with "US / 21" and Engineer discs, a Sergeant First Class of Engineers rank chevron, two overseas service chevrons, an honorable discharge chevron, and a 1st Army Engineers shoulder insignia.
• The left chest displays a US WWI Victory Medal with St. Mihiel and Defensive Sector clasps.
• The interior is marked "M Jackson" in purple laundry pen.
• The set includes breeches and an ID tag from "S.F. CAHILL / HQ DET / 21 ENGRS."

Research indicates that Sylvester F. Cahill was from the Bay Area of California, but was listed as a Private in transport records, suggesting the uniform was not originally his. The Victory Medal is plausible for the 21st Engineers, eligible for St. Mihiel and Meuse Argonne, but likely added later. The components are original but a

WWI US Army 80th Division 314th MG Bn. Soldier's Coat & Painted Helmet with Variant Insignia

 Olive drab cotton summer issue service coat has collar with grommets but discs not currently in place.  Left shoulder has two-piece red and white wool divided disc insignia, and left cuff has a single overseas service chevron.  No name, initials, or inscription inside the coat.  US M1917 helmet has the same painted insignia on the front; interior has broken chinstrap, lacks liner.  Includes a Red Cross gift bag inscribed "Pvt. W.M. Gohn / 314 M.G. Bn. / Co. A".

A search of the US Army Transport Service records from WWI show that there is only one "Gohn" that would match these initials, and conveniently he is listed as a Private in Co. A, 314th Machine Gun Battalion.  Private Waldo M. Gohn listed his wife Ruth Gohn as his contact, and an address in Johnstown, PA.  

The 314th MG Bn. insignia is normally represented as a red and white divided shield.  This is more analogous to the blue and gray 29th Division insignia, but clearly makes sense as a variant for the 314th.

$100 - $200

WWI US Army Enlisted Uniform Lot: 1st Army Artillery & Motor Transport Corps (variant)

First is a very nice officer quality enlisted private purchase tailored dark olive drab wool coat and breeches; coat has "US" and Artillery discs, one overseas service chevron, and a 1st Army Artillery shoulder insignia.  Includes matching breeches.  Interior of the coat has a retailer label, but no name or identification.  Nice set with no readily apparent mothing.  

Second is an enlisted issue 1917 pattern olive drab wool service coat has "US" and Motor Transport Corps collar discs, one overseas service chevron, honorable discharge chevron, and a variant MTC shoulder insignia in which the "C" takes the shape of a sideways stirrup.  Interior has initials "CR" on the lining.  No readily apparent mothing.  

$100 - $200

WWI US Army Enlisted Overcoats: Lot of Three

Lot of three US 1917 pattern enlisted issue olive drab wool overcoats.  These demonstrate the variety of OD wool shades in use, ranging from 'mustard khaki' on the one to a very deep, dark olive on another.  Dark example is missing a few buttons and has several minor moth bites.  The 'mustard khaki' example has some stains but is complete with all buttons.  Third example has a few very minor moth bites, quite nice overall. 

$100 - $150

WWI US Army Chemical Corps Officer's Uniform

Private purchase light olive drab wool twill uniform; coat has "US" and Chemical Corps officer's bronze collar devices, one overseas service chevron, and Chemical Corps shoulder sleeve insignia comprised of wool applied diagonally bisected cobalt blue and yellow shield.  Coat has a couple of inconspicuous pinhead moth bites; nice overall.  Matching breeches have a few scattered bites, stains, wear along pocket edges and are missing a button.  No name or initials, but a good original Chemical Corps officer set, and that is not something that we see very often! 

$200 - $300

Two US WWI Army Enlisted Uniforms: Liffel Le Grand Railhead & Aviation

Enlisted olive drab cotton M1912 summer issue uniform has US and Engineer discs, Corporal rank chevron, two overseas service chevrons, honorable discharge chevron, and Liffel Le Grand Railhead shoulder insignia with bullion "R" designation.   If the bullion was originally gold (rather than the tarnished silver as it appears to be), this would be Treves railhead.  Pocket contains a photocopy of a discharge for Corporal Frank Whitley, 18th Company, Transportation Corps. This is confirmed in Fold3, where he is listed among passengers from 18th Co, TC / 14th Grand Division upon his return to the US. Interior of the coat has purple ink inscription with his name, rank, and Co. B, 31st Eng. / 2nd Co. 14th G.D. T.C. / Joliet Illinois."  

Enlisted olive drab wool M1912 uniform has "US" and Aviation collar discs, enlisted aviator wing badge on the right sleeve, one overseas service chevron, and honorable discharge chevron.  No name or ID.  These enlisted aviator wings are something that I frankly just always assume to be incorrect, as there were precious few of these enlisted pilots to begin with.. but plenty of wings in circulation.  On a Private's uniform, I honestly just don't believe it.  That said, the wing is at least plausible (it looks more plausible than the one we had years ago directly from the J. Duncan Campbell collection, actually.)  As far as guaranteeing the wing to be of the period - we are not.  Selling this one as a put-together uniform with a great looking, but likely reproduction wing.  If we are wrong, then then that is to your benefit!

$200 - $300

WWI US Victory Medal Collector's Lot
Lot of five WWI US Victory Medals. Three feature Navy service clasps, one with Salvage, one with Asiatic and Overseas, and one with Europe, Armed Guard, and Patrol.  Two feature Army clasps.  The first of these has the (very rare) Lys bar, Champagne-Marne, Somme Offensive, Ypres-Lys, St. Mihiel, and Defensive Sector.   The second of these has a facsimile Vittorio-Veneto bar attached to a replacement ribbon.
I believe ALL of these to be collector-assembled pieces.  The Navy clasps are likely from the large hoard of loose original clasps that was discovered a few years ago, but it is not correct for US WWI Victory Medals to display more than one Navy service clasp.  The medal with Army clasps was initially very intriguing, but I failed to discover any organization that would qualify for that combination of bars.  The medal appears to be correctly assembled, and it is possible that I am overlooking something like some Reserve Mallet drivers who were eligible for upwards of nine bars.. but the combination of bars just does not check even against the nine-bar Reserve Mallet set that we had years ago.  But even as such, the Lys bar on its own is a very difficult one to find.
$100 - $200

WWI US AEF Medals &  91st Division Insignia Lot

US WWI Victory Medal has St. Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne, and Defensive Sector clasps on a soiled original ribbon with wear on the corners.  Second US WWI Victory Medal has nice original ribbon with France clasp.  French Croix-de-Guerre has 1914-1918 reverse.  An interesting die-cut wool 91st Division shoulder insignia with yellow embroidered "91st" designation; stitch holes around the edge and fading on the obverse and edges all suggest that it was once worn on a uniform and has been removed.  Also includes a green enameled pinback 91st Division insignia, and a very nice enameled service banner motif picture frame with blue star and outer edge.  This frame is 5.2cm wide x 7.5cm tall (2" x 3").  

$100 - $150

WWI Interallied Victory Medal & Table Medal Lot: France, Belgium, Italy, Great Britain, & US Navy Service Clasps

Includes the following WWI Victory Medals: France, Italy (two examples), Belgium (two examples), and Great Britain.  The British medal has rim impressed with the name of an Indian soldier serving in the 25th Cavalry.

US Navy WWI Victory Medal clasps are mounted on a piece of ribbon for display.  There are nine, including Mobile Base, Grand Fleet, Aviation, Submarine, Transport, Atlantic Fleet, Destroyer, England, and Italy.

Lot further includes a 62mm diameter bronze "American Doughboy" table medal by Marcel Lordonnois; depicting a US soldier charging across a WWI battlefront; reverse has Cross of Lorraine insignia and "1917 / FRANCE / 1918".  On the reverse of the medal, the artist's signature "C BY M. LORDONNOIS 1919" appears along the lower right edge beneath the soldier's left foot. "BRONZE" stamped along the medal's rim edge.  Includes one bronze color and one silver color small (26.5mm diameter) watch fob versions of the same artwork.  

$200 - $300

AEF 27th Division Purple Heart with Oakleaf Cluster to Twice Wounded 106th Infantry Corporal

Original 1932 issue Purple Heart with Oakleaf Cluster has split brooch suspension, worn but intact original ribbon is mounted by subsequent award oakleaf cluster appurtenance.  Rim has number "364".  Reverse is officially engraved "EDWARD C. LEE".  A copy of his medal card notes "Awarded for wounds received in action September 2, 1918 and Oct. 17, 1918.  His New York Abstract of WWI Military Service notes participation in engagements at Dickebusch, Mt. Kemmel, East Poperinghe, Ceirstraat Crossing, Quillemont, the Hindenburg Line, and La Salle River.  It further notes that his September 2, 1918 wound was "slight", and his other wound listed here as transpiring on October 15 was "Severely".  Lot includes his lapel pin, and medal ribbon bar also with an oakleaf cluster.

$300 - $500

WWI US AEF 14th Engineers Shoulder Insignia

Unused example of this seldom-encountered insignia: red wool felt square on point with applied green center stripe that has a bullion-embroidered Liberty Bell insignia.  This one had me stumped for quite a while until I mentioned it to a friend who knew of an identical insignia on a uniform identified to a soldier in the 14th Engineers (Railway Operation.) The insignia is quite similar to the British 41st Division battle flash, only displayed on point instead of square, and with a green stripe in the center instead of white.  The British insignia may well have been the inspiration for this AEF shoulder insignia, as the 14th was one of several Engineer organizations detached from the AEF for service directly under British command.  This one is not identified to an individual soldier, but remains a good tunic with a rare and very attractive insignia.  

The 14th Engineers (Railway Operation), organized in 1917, was one of the U.S. Army’s specialized engineer regiments formed to operate and maintain military railways on the Western Front. Consisting largely of experienced American railroad men, the unit deployed to France with the first contingents of the American Expeditionary Forces.  The regiment was primarily organized in the Boston area, and most of its personnel were experienced railroad employees from New England railroads. Specifically, the 14th Engineers drew men from the Boston & Maine, Maine Central, Boston & Albany, Bangor & Aroostook, and New York, New Haven & Hartford railroads. Many of the regiment’s officers and enlisted men were directly employed by these companies at the time of their enlistment, ensuring the unit’s expertise in railway operations was both practical and immediate for overseas service. 

Assigned to British command, the regiment worked on vital lines supplying the front during major offensives such as Cambrai and the Somme. Their duties included repairing battle-damaged track, running trains under fire, and sustaining the vast logistical network that supported Allied armies. The 14th Engineers exemplified the essential but often overlooked technical expertise that underpinned modern industrial warfare.

$100 - $200

WWI US AEF 93rd Division Shoulder Insignia

Nice original example; applied wool construction depicts the profile of a horizon blue French Adrian helmet against a black disc background, on a backing of olive drab wool.  

The 93rd Division of the U.S. Army, activated in December 1917, was a pioneering African American combat unit and part of the segregated "Colored" troops in World War I. Unique in its service, the division's regiments were assigned to the French Army instead of fighting as a complete American division due to persistent racism and reluctance from many in the American command to deploy Black troops in combat. Embraced by the French, who were accustomed to colonial soldiers of color, the men of the 93rd were issued French equipment—including the distinctive blue-painted Adrian helmets, which inspired the division's iconic insignia: a blue French helmet on a black circle. The 93rd Division never fought together as a whole in France; instead, its four regiments (369th, 370th, 371st, and 372nd) served alongside French formations during the Second Battle of the Marne and the Champagne and Meuse-Argonne Offensives. Issued French weapons and helmets while retaining U.S. uniforms, their blue Adrian helmets became a defining symbol of their unique experience and were memorialized in the division’s insignia.

The 93rd's regiments distinguished themselves in major battles, participating in grueling assaults, capturing prisoners, guns, and materiel, and pressing advances despite fierce resistance. The Harlem Hellfighters (369th Infantry Regiment) among other regiments became internationally renowned for valor, with men like Sgt. Henry Johnson and Cpl. Freddie Stowers receiving France’s highest honors and later being posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor by the United States. The service of the 93rd Division proved that Black soldiers could fight as fiercely and skillfully as any, challenging racist stereotypes and opening the door—slowly—to further integration of the U.S. armed forces. The blue Adrian helmet insignia remains an enduring symbol of their courage and partnership with the French, representing the bridge between cultures and the struggle for recognition both abroad and at home. Their legacy is commemorated in museums and public memory, serving as a formative chapter in American military and civil rights history, and inspiring future generations in the ongoing pursuit of equality and justice.

$100 - $200

WWI US Army Officer Collar & Rank Insignia Lot: 50 Pieces Including Tank, Chemical, Interpreter

50 pieces of insignia including 5th Pioneer Infantry, 131st Infantry (33rd Division), 5th Machine Gun Battalion (2nd Division), 2nd Cavalry Quartermaster, 54th Artillery Coast Artillery Corps, Chemical Corps, Aviation, Tank Corps, Interpreter, General Staff, Adjutant, Judge Advocate General, etc.  Includes a silver Christian Chaplain insignia with the proper period 'c' catch for the pin attachment.  Includes Medical Corps collar insignias with letter designations: "ANC" (Army Nurse Corps), "V" (Veterinary Corps), "A" (Ambulance Corps), "D" (Dental Corps), "S" (Sanitary Corps), and "R" (Medical Reserve Corps).  Includes 8 shirt size officer "US" and branch of service insignias as well, and 7 officer rank insignias (singles) from Second Lieutenant to Brigadier General, including a nice Colonel eagle insignia.

23rd Infantry Co. G, 3rd Cavalry Troop F, and 6th Field Artillery Battery D are bonuses; those are enlisted collar insignia for the earlier khaki enlisted uniform.

$200 - $300

WWI US Army Shoulder Sleeve Insignia Lot: Eight Patches Including 12th Division

Lot of eight insignias including a nice example of the 12th Division shoulder patch, also includes an interesting 3rd Army variant, two versions of the 77th Division, 1st Corps, Port of Embarkation, 41st Division, and a 356th Aero Squadron enlisted sleeve insignia.

$100 - $200

WWI US Army Shoulder Sleeve Insignia Lot: Seven Patches Including 78th Division

Lot of seven insignias including a nice example of the variant cloud and lightning bolts 78th Division shoulder patch, also includes 1st Division, 4th Division, 7th Division, 27th Division, 88th Division, and 36th Division.

$100 - $200

WWI US Army Shoulder Sleeve Insignia Lot: Seven Patches Including Anti-Aircraft & 13th Engineers

Lot of seven insignias including two nice examples of Anti-Aircraft shoulder patches, also Advance Sector (Service of Supply), 5th Division, 1st Army Engineers, 13th Engineers (a standard gauge railway operation unit), and a 'Liberty Loan' General Headquarters woven insignia.  

$100 - $200

WWI US Army Shoulder Sleeve Insignia Lot: Nine Patches Including 81st Division

Lot of nine insignias including 1st Army Pioneer Infantry, 42nd Division, Advance Sector (Service of Supply), 90th Division, 7th Division, Service of Supply, 8th Corps, a small 3rd Army insignia, and 81st Division with light blue background designating the 162nd Infantry Brigade (323rd Infantry, 324th Infantry, and 318th Machine Gun Battalion).  8th Corps has adhesive residue on the reverse where it was once pasted into an album.

$100 - $200

WWI US Army Shoulder Sleeve Insignia Lot: Seven Patches Including 19th Division

Lot of seven insignias including 91st Division, Advance Sector (Service of Supply), 7th Corps, 85th Division, Camp Pontanezen, General Headquarters, and 19th Division.

$100 - $200

WWI US Army Shoulder Sleeve Insignia Lot: Nine Patches Including A Velvet GHQ

Lot of nine insignias including 1st Army Pioneers, 2nd Army, 26th Division, Port of Embarkation, Advance Sector, Service of Supply, 77th Division, 87th Division, and a very attractive red, white, and blue velvet GHQ General Headquarters insignia which is decoratively sewn.  

$100 - $200

WWI US Army Shoulder Sleeve Insignia Lot: Twelve Patches Including A Nice 87th Division

Lot of twelve insignias including 6th Division, Advance Sector, 2nd Army, Service of Supply, District of Paris, 77th Division, 1st Division, 83rd Division, 3rd Army, 6th Corps, a 'Liberty Loan' woven Air Service roundel variation with black rather than blue for the outer ring, and a nice 87th Division example with elaborately embroidered acorn insignia.

$100 - $200

US Army WWI Headgear & Accoutrement Lot with British Small Box Respirator

Includes M1907 winter cap, British-made (though unmarked as such) US Army overseas cap, two private purchase overseas caps, one with a French-made pinback Signal Corps disc, and American Legion cap with Legion medals and a US WWI Victory Medal.

Accoutrements include a Browning Automatic Rifle gunner belt, 1919 grenade vest, M1916 general purpose pouch, Spanish-American War era haversack with WWI reissue Aero Squadron markings, two bayonet tip periscope mirrors, and a US box respirator gas mask without carrier, in rough condition with deteriorating rubberized fabric.

Also includes a set of leggings, two pair of wool wrap puttees, a condiment can, bacon can, issue knife and spoon, and a set of brown leather puttees.  

Lot further includes a British SBR Small Box Respirator gas mask, with stained but good condition carrier; interior has a broken mask with partial filter, hose and mask torn away and in rough conditon.  Mask portion is relic condition, but the British carrier will still fill out and display nicely.

$100 - $200

US M1917 Helmet with Camouflage Finish

US M1917 helmet has a nice original camouflage painted finish worked in grass green, dark green, church bus blue, brick red, cadaver gray, and light salmon, in small to medium size irregular flowing shapes with thin black separating lines.  Interior has liner with gray felt crown pad and and a worn but intact brown leather chinstrap. 

$100 - $150

Includes a nice British issue helmet with US 76th Division 302nd Field Artillery painted insignia; interior has third pattern liner which has pulled through the crown pad as is normally expected, and brown leather chinstrap secured on one side by a leather thong rather than the metal ring originally used.  Second helmet is an unissued US M1917 that has soil and storage wear on the dark olive textured exterior; interior has a good liner with most of the instruction tag and an intact felt crown pad.  The helmet chinstrap is broken on one side.  Liner has residue of the paper that was stacked in between helmets in storage.  This is now adhered to the edges of the oilcloth liner.  Also includes an Army issue overseas cap with "US" disc.  $100-$150

US WWI Helmet Lot: Four Helmets Including an AEF 27th Division Painted British Helmet

Features a British helmet with 27th Division insignia on one side, and a triangular unit insignia painted on the other; interior has third pattern Brodies liner with broken chinstrap and lacking the felt crown pad.  Second helmet is a British issue helmet with a worn and partially complete second pattern liner, lacks chinstrap.  Third is a US 1917 helmet with extensive wear or defacing of the finish; interior is inscribed with a young collector's name painted around the interior of the brim.  Fourth is a good average condition example of the US M1917 helmet with a good textured olive drab finish; interior has worn but good liner with felt crown pad, and intact leather chinstrap.

$100 - $150

US WWI Headgear Lot: USMC Helmet, British Helmet, & Four Overseas Caps

Features a US M1917 Helmet with applied US Marine Corps Eagle, Globe, and Anchor insignia.  The retaining nut is secured so solidly that I did not want to risk damage or defacing this to wrestle it loose for the purpose of checking to see if the hole is punched or drilled; it appears from the back side to have been in this configuration for a considerable length of time.  Helmet has a worn but good liner with gray felt crown pad and intact brown leather chinstrap.  

Also includes a British issue helmet with third pattern liner lacking the felt crown pad.  Lot further includes four overseas caps: one French style with an enamel Red Cross insignia, one with a "US" disc which is named to an Ordnance soldier, one with an Artillery disc, and one with an Engineer disc. 

$200 - $300