Insignia

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

This is the division which is mainly responsible for the adoption of these shoulder insignia. The wildcat, which it chose in May, 1918, is common in the mountains of the Carolinas.
The cat is in different colors, according to the brigade, as follows: Headquarters, Machine Gun Battalion, and Engineers, black; One Hundred and Sixty-first Infantry Brigade, white; One Hundred and Sixty-second Infantry Brigade, light blue; One Hundred and Fifty-sixth Field Artillery Brigade and Ammunition Train, red; Field Signal Battalion, orange; Sanitary Train, green, and Supply Train, buff.

Nickname

"Stonewall" Division; also later known as the "Wildcat" Division.

Background

National Army Division established by the War Department on 5 August 1917 to be established at Camp Jackson, SC.  Draftees were from Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina.  Movement overseas commenced on 13 July 1918 and was completed by 25 August 1918.

Primary Units

161st Infantry Brigade:
321st Infantry Regiment
322d Infantry Regiment
317th Machine Gun Battalion

162d Infantry Brigade:
323d Infantry Regiment
324th Infantry Regiment
318th Machine Gun Battalion

156th Field Artillery Brigade:
316th Field Artillery Regiment (155mm)
317th Field Artillery Regiment (75mm)
318th Field Artillery Regiment (75mm)
306th Trench Mortar Battery

Divisional Troops:
316th Machine Gun Battalion
306th Engineer Regiment
306th Field Signal Battalion
306th Train Headquarters and MP
306th Ammunition Train
306th Supply Train
306th Engineer Train
306th Sanitary Train (Ambulance Companies & Field Hospitals 321, 322, 323, 324)

Product Flyers

DB 81-1: 81st Division, Division Histories

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