Real Fake US Army Heraldry

 
James Dempster
 
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James Dempster
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25 February 2009 14:07
 

I’ve been reading a book "The Deceivers" by Thaddeus Holt (the former Deputy Under-Secretary of the Army under LBJ) and in it he mentions an interesting part that military heraldry had to play in the allied deception campaigns.


Quote:

Promptly after taking charge, Smith [Col Newman Smith, Zelda Fitzgerald’s brother-in-law] moved to put American notional order of battle on an organized basis…Each such division was equipped with a full roster of bogus component units…

It soon became desirable to provide shoulder patch insignia for these units. Bill Baumer [Major, later General William Baumer]...went down personally to the Heraldic Section of the Office of the Quartermaster-General…and discussed with "the fine old gentleman whose job was creating insignias" (his name was Arthur E. DuBois, chief of the section) the designing of insignia for notional units…Over time, shoulder patches for nearly every notional unit from division up were designed, on exactly the same basis as for real units, including official explanations of the symbolism involved in each patch…

 

In June 1943…National Geographic magazine published a comprehensive full-color booklet of American insignia; and the deceivers were appalled to see that none of their fictitious units were included…in the second edition, published early in 1945, this oversight was corrected; and copies of this were set in motion towards Axis intelligence.


I haven’t found anything on the National Geographic site and 60+ year old runs of back issues aren’t all that common in the UK. It might be worth a hunt out by those that are nearer to such.

 

Appendix III of Holt’s book has 33 pages of information on the phantom units including details of the insignia where such were assigned, but sadly no pictures, which is where National Geographic would come in handy.

 

Other allies had similar bogus units many also with insignia designed by the appropriate departments. There is a considerable number of British units listed and also Indian, New Zealand, South African, African, French, Greek & Polish, though strangely neither Australian nor Canadian.

 

The US contingent consisted of 2 Army Groups, 2 Armies, 9 Corps, 34 Divisions, 3 Regiments, 5 Ranger Bns, a Fleet, 2 Task Forces, a Tactical Air Command and 3 USAAF Groups.

 

Thought someone might be interested.

 

James

 
arriano
 
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arriano
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25 February 2009 16:46
 

A quick Googling found this reference:

Grosvenor, Gilbert et al. Insignia and Decorations of the U.S. Armed Forces (Washington: National Geographic Society, 1944)

An update of the 1943 National Geographic Magazine, which appeared in December of 1944

 
Marcus K
 
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Marcus K
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25 February 2009 17:50
 

This was part of Operation Quicksilver created as a D-Day deception to confuse the Germans where the landing in France would take place.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/48/1st_Army_Group.svg/150px-1st_Army_Group.svg.png

Insignia of the 1st US Army Group, originaly activated as a planing staff in London 1943 under General Omar Bradley. He and his staff was later transfered to build up the 12th US Army Group. The 1st US Army Group then become part of Operation Quicksilver and a wast deception Force was created. The Army Group commanded the fictious 14th US Army and the fictious British 4th Army.

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/da/14th_Army.svg/154px-14th_Army.svg.png

14th US Army.

 

Pictures from Wikipedia.

 
Marcus K
 
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Marcus K
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25 February 2009 18:06
 
 
Marcus K
Marcus K
 
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Marcus K
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26 February 2009 05:38
 

The Infantry Divisions was the 11th, 14th, 22nd, 46th, 48th, 50th, 55th, 59th, 108th, 109, 112th, 119th, 125th, 130th, 141st and 157th. I haven’t be able to find insignia for all of those but here is those I have found, Pictures from Wikimedia.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2e/US_46th_Infantry_Division.png/120px-US_46th_Infantry_Division.png

46th Inf Div.

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/66/US_50th_Infantry_Division.png/120px-US_50th_Infantry_Division.png

50th Inf Div. The Pentagon gives the Number 5 combined with the O it gives the Number 50.

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c5/US_55th_Infantry_Division.png/120px-US_55th_Infantry_Division.png

55th Inf Div. The two Pentagons gives the Number 55.

 
Marcus K
 
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Marcus K
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26 February 2009 05:47
 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/ba/59_INF_DIV_SSI.jpg/116px-59_INF_DIV_SSI.jpg

59th Inf Div.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/87/108-Div-SSI.png/120px-108-Div-SSI.png

108th Inf Div. This Division was in 1946 activated as a real Division in the US Army Reserve as the 108th Airborne Division (an Airborne Tag was added above the SSI). In 1952 the Division lost its Airborne designation becoming 108th Infantry Division which in 1956 become a Training Division. Today the Title is 108th Division (Initial entry Training).

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/eb/119_INF_DIV_SSI.jpg/120px-119_INF_DIV_SSI.jpg

119th Inf Div.

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/72/130_INF_DIV_SSI.jpg/119px-130_INF_DIV_SSI.jpg

130th Inf div.

 
Marcus K
 
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Marcus K
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26 February 2009 05:48
Doug Welsh
 
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Doug Welsh
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26 February 2009 16:08
 

Marcus K;66981 wrote:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7f/141_INF_DIV_SSI.jpg/120px-141_INF_DIV_SSI.jpg

141st Inf Div.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/75/157_INF_DIV_SSI.jpg/120px-157_INF_DIV_SSI.jpg

157th Inf Div.


Do these mean that the 141st is a Highland Division and the 157th is a Chinese-American Division?

 

 

(Aw, c’mon, Guys, haven’t we had enough serious discussion for today?)

 
David E. Cohen
 
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26 February 2009 17:05
 

There are some really good designs here.  Certainly many are better than for a lot of actual units.

 
Marcus K
 
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Marcus K
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26 February 2009 18:07
 

Doug Welsh;67001 wrote:

Do these mean that the 141st is a Highland Division and the 157th is a Chinese-American Division?

 

(Aw, c’mon, Guys, haven’t we had enough serious discussion for today?)


Well acctualy the insignia of 141st is very near that of the British 9th (Scottish) Division:

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/ec/British_9th_(Scottish)_Division_Insignia.png

 

As for the 157th it could be a Great Game Hunter’s Division as I think its insigna should be a heraldic tyger wink

 
James Dempster
 
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James Dempster
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27 February 2009 01:17
 

From Holt’s book


Quote:

141st Infantry Division

Insignia: A white thistle blossom on a blue disc… The blue is for Infantry while the thistle, which is the type of plant which has protecting spines which ward off those approaching it, represents the punishment inflicted by the organization on aggressors… Used in WENLOCK and subsequent Kuriles deceptions.


and


Quote:

157th Infantry Division

Insignia: A yellow heraldic tiger with red tongue and claws on a blue disc…The blue is for Infantry while the heraldic tiger is noted for its savageness and bloodthirstiness, wonderful in strength and most swift in its flight, as if it were an arrow… Used in WENLOCK and subsequent Kuriles deceptions.


James