WW1 Enlisted Man Tunic

Unknown soldier - H Co, 332nd Infantry Regiment

This is a beautiful WWI 332nd Regiment double patched M-1917 Enlisted Men Tunic, and Italian War Service Medal. 332nd Infantry Regiment items are very hard to find and extremely sought after amongst WW1 collectors. This Tunic filled a tough hole in my collection! The underlying rationale for having two (or more) shoulder patches is simple. For the US "doughboys" of the Great War, multiple patches reflect not only their current unit, but also that of the unit’s higher headquarters. Taking this idea to the extreme were the soldiers of the 332nd Infantry Regiment who served in Italy in 1918 and 1919. Stacking their patches up to three-high, they proudly reflected their membership to the 332nd Infantry Regiment of the 83rd Division but also their nominal assignment to the US Third Army.

This particular uniform has two patches, on top the 332nd Regiment and on the bottom a regular 83rd Infantry Division patch.

This Model 1917 double patch tunic has the 332nd Regimental patch, the 83rd Divisional patch, a red discharge stripe, pointed upwards under his 83rd Division patch, and a beautifully made bullion service stripe on the lower left sleeve. The Italian War Service Ribbon can be found on the left breast pocket. All members of the 332nd Regiment who served on the Italian Front in World War One were awarded the Italian War Service Ribbon. This was the only foreign award that the soldiers of the 332nd Infantry Reg. were officially authorized to wear.

The original WW1 Campaign hat in the right picture was added for display purposes and helps tell the story of the 332nd. The approximately 3000 members of the unit became famous for succesfully putting up the illusion of a much larger force to the Austrian soldiers. They did so by going on long marches in plain view using different headgear (such as the campaign hat) or uniform items.

Above left, the beautiful 332nd Infantry Regiment patch selected to reflect their unique service in Italy. It consisted of a bullion embroidered winged Lion of St. Mark with one paw resting on an open Bible with the numbers "332" inscribed. Above right, a WW1 83rd Infantry Division patch.

The full size Italian campaign medal is an original period piece from my collection but was not originally with the uniform.

Finally, the tunic also has two enlisted men collar discs. A rare 332nd Infantry Regiment, Company H disc and a US National Army (interwined) collar disc, 1917 pattern.