Insignia

[Excerpt from Wyllie, Col. Robert E. "The Romance of Military Insignia."
 The National Geographic Magazine, Vol. XXXVI, No. 6. December, 1919. ]

The colors of this division’s insignia are said to have been chosen because they were the only paints available when it became necessary to mark the equipment in Texas before leaving for France.

[Excerpt from "A Soldier's Diary" by Will Judy]

29 JANUARY 1919
I answered an inquiry from the War Department about our insignia and nickname. I wrote "We choose as our nickname ‘The Yellow Cross Division.’ " General Bell was not pleased and directed me to change it to "The Prairie Division."

Nickname

"Prairie" Division, from the State of Illinois, whose National Guard units composed the division.  Sometimes called the "Yellow Cross" Division, from the insignia painted on the division's equipment and adopted as the shoulder sleeve insignia. 

Background

On 18 July 1917, the War Department directed the National Guard units of Illinois to form the 33d Division.  Concentration began 3 August 1917 at Camp Logan.  Movement overseas commenced 23 April 1918 and was completed by 15 June 1918. 

Primary Units

65th Infantry Brigade:
129th Infantry Regiment
130th Infantry Regiment
123d Machine Gun Battalion

66th Infantry Brigade:
131st Infantry Regiment
132d Infantry Regiment
124th Machine Gun Battalion

58th Field Artillery Brigade:
122d Field Artillery Regiment (75mm)
123d Field Artillery Regiment (155mm)
124th Field Artillery Regiment (75mm)
108th Trench Mortar Battery

Divisional Troops:
122d Machine Gun Battalion
108th Engineers
108th Field Signal Battalion
108th Train Headquarters and MP
108th Ammunition Train
108th Supply Train
108th Engineer Train
108th Sanitary Train (Ambulance Companies & Field Hospitals 129, 130, 131, 132)

Product Flyers

DB 33-1: 33d Division, Division Histories, Vol. 1

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