opinions on my first Ike jacket

[R MICHAEL]

Hello all, Picked up my first Ike today. The QM tags date is June 9 1944. Looks like it had a ribbon bars and the lapel pins but they have since been removed. There is what looks like the soldiers ID in the jacket. He has written W-8165, which I assume is the letter of his last name and last four of his SSN. It has a few moth nips but over all in really great condition.. Would like to hear what everyone thinks... Mike

Will post better picks once I get home, since I took the photo here at work...

[Kurt A.]

Looks like a nice WW2 example to me. He probably served with Patton - 7th and 3rd Army shoulder patches and he was overseas 3 years. If you can provide a closeup of the piping on the hat, we can tell you what branch he was. Looks like red coloring. Probably artillery or engineers.
Interesting that with all that service he had no rank. (not exactly on the military career fast track !)

Kurt

[R MICHAEL]

Kurt, thanks for the reply.. I hadn't had a chance to look up the patches. Very interesting... Yes the cap cording is red. I have a feeling the cap may not be period. I will post closer shots of that tonight. Thanks again...Mike

Looks like a nice WW2 example to me. He probably served with Patton - 7th and 3rd Army shoulder patches and he was overseas 3 years. If you can provide a closeup of the piping on the hat, we can tell you what branch he was. Looks like red coloring. Probably artillery or engineers.

Kurt

[crushercap17]

Yep, this is a great example of a WWII EM Ike jacket. Shame the collar insignia and ribbons have been stripped from it. I have always had a soft spot for IKE jackets. I like it!

[NavyFCO]

A quick search of the NARA archives and it looks like your Ike belonged to Harold A. Williams from Chatham County, Georgia. He enlisted on 16 September 1940 and went directly into the Field Artillery. His ASN was 20408165. Good luck on your further research!

Dave

[NavyFCO]

What do you want to bet too that he's the same Harold A. Williams who was born on 02 May 1915 and died on 04 Nov 1979 in Virginia? His SSN was 153-18-5051.

Dave

[NTZ]

Nice Ike, I also have a thing for Ike's. Best looking jacket of WWII if you ask me. Opps, maybe not, The German black alg tunic is, but it is second.

[R MICHAEL]

Thanks Dave for the information. I was hoping you might help out.. Amazing what you can find out with just so little info..


Question; I know he would have had on his collar the US roundrel. There are two pin holes where that would go but on the other there is only one big hole I guess for crossed cannons? Above the left pocket there are pin holes for at least two seperate bars and another above those maybe for a CIB?
I think I am going to try to find period pins to "restore" this jacket for display purposes. Thanks again guys...

[R MICHAEL]

here is a scan of inside of cap.... Since Dave helped me emmensely and since this fellow was in the field artillery I think this is period to the jacket... Oh and I think my ignorance shows in the last statement... I don't think artillery guys can get the CIB badge. sooooo I wonder what the ribbons bars were.... Mike

[Kurt A.]

Appears to be a nice WW2 era private purchase cap. At least you know what collar disks he should have (US on one side, crossed cannons on the other). The ribbons are probably American Campaign, ETO (probably with some stars) and a WW2 Victory. Despite the hashmark, he probably wasn't in prior to Dec 7th 1941 and thus wouldn't rate a American Defense Medal. I would think someone having been in that long would have had some rank by 1945. But, it's all a guess at this point.

Kurt

[R MICHAEL]

Kurt, Thanks for the info on the cap. That explains the fact that there isn't any tag other than the size.I hardly know a thing about uniforms but have wanted to start collecting here and there and learn along the way..He enlisted on September 16th 1940 so I guess he would rate the ADM as well? I looked the sleeves over and I don't see any place where chevrons have been and no pin holes on the straps... Maybe he was an under achiever or like to get into fights.... Like you said "we are only guessing"....Thanks again! Mike

Appears to be a nice WW2 era private purchase cap. At least you know what collar disks he should have (US on one side, crossed cannons on the other). The ribbons are probably American Campaign, ETO (probably with some stars) and a WW2 Victory. Despite the hashmark, he probably wasn't in prior to Dec 7th 1941 and thus wouldn't rate a American Defense Medal. I would think someone having been in that long would have had some rank by 1945. But, it's all a guess at this point.

Kurt

[Kurt A.]

So much for my guessing! Yes, I' say he would then rate an American Defense Medal ribbon.
Kurt

Kurt, Thanks for the info on the cap. That explains the fact that there isn't any tag other than the size.I hardly know a thing about uniforms but have wanted to start collecting here and there and learn along the way..He enlisted on September 16th 1940 so I guess he would rate the ADM as well? I looked the sleeves over and I don't see any place where chevrons have been and no pin holes on the straps... Maybe he was an under achiever or like to get into fights.... Like you said "we are only guessing"....Thanks again! Mike

[R MICHAEL]

Dave, I am going to send in that NARA form and see what I get....

A quick search of the NARA archives and it looks like your Ike belonged to Harold A. Williams from Chatham County, Georgia. He enlisted on 16 September 1940 and went directly into the Field Artillery. His ASN was 20408165. Good luck on your further research!

Dave

[R MICHAEL]

I have another newbie question... the shoulder patches are for 7th & 3rd armies. Why wouldn't he have division patches instead?