Insignia

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

The division was known as the Middle West Division and the insignia is the letter "W," which when inverted becomes an "M." The central open space is colored to show the organization as follows: One Hundred Seventy-seventh Infantry Brigade, sky blue; One Hundred Seventy-eighth Infantry Brigade, navy blue; One Hundred Sixty-fourth Field Artillery Brigade, scarlet; Engineers, scarlet, edged with white; Three Hundred Forty-first Machine Gun Battalion, half sky blue and half scarlet; Three Hundred Forty-second Machine Gun Battalion, half navy blue and half scarlet; Three Hundred Forty-third Machine Gun Battalion, half orange and half scarlet; Signal Battalion, orange; Supply Train, purple, edged with white, Sanitary Train, white, with red cross, and Division headquarters, no color.

[Excerpt from Division history]

It was during this period that the Division insignia was adopted. The device consists of the letter W enclosed in a circle. The official explanation of its meaning made at the time is that it designates the "Middle West" Division, as the central letter can in one aspect be read as an M and in another as a W. The official explanation also adds that in another aspect the letter can be read as a Greek Sigma, the symbol of summation; and that the circle implies the ability to exert force in any direction and to rest in any position. In other words, if the observer be rotated about his center, as in turning what the small boys call a cart wheel, he will, at successive periods of his revolution be enabled to read M for Middle, W for West and, if he is a Greek scholar, Sigma for summation. Probably, however, the part about coming to rest in any position would not apply in the case supposed.

Notwithstanding the official explanation, there is ground for the suspicion that the symbol has another and esoteric meaning. The W in the circle might serve to recall to memory an old general pining in inaction in the states and be read as "Wood’s Own;" while at the same time it could with equal propriety suggest the personality of the assiduous and conscientious leader who was then shaping the Division for its great task, and be read as "Winn’s Own." By a happy turn of circumstance, the general destined later to lead the Division into battle bore the same initial, rounding out its combat history as "Wright’s Own." Thus the Division’s insignia will ever serve to call to remembrance the trinity of commanding officers, so different in type, yet each so uniquely qualified for the work of the moment, and all held equal in respect and regard by the Division. The happy combination of names also served sometimes as a sort of slogan, "Wright, Wood, Winn,"—"Right would win."

The adoption of insignia by the different divisions became, about this time, universal in the A. E. F. Aside from the satisfaction of the instinctive desire of all human organizations to adopt some device other than a mere numerical designation, these symbols served a distinct military purpose by facilitating the identification of our own troops and making the work of the enemy’s spies more difficult. It was realized, of course, that all these symbols would soon become known to the Intelligence Department of the German High Command. But the ordinary spy, the small village shopkeeper or workman, would not in the nature of things have this information. In reporting the presence or movement of a body of troops to his superiors he would often be compelled to resort to a description of the symbol; such description was often inaccurate and always difficult to put into a code or brief message.

MISCELLANEOUS
RATINGS SHOWN ON DIVISION INSIGNIA
(See Page 309)

At the close of each training period, while the Division was in the Army of Occupation, the regiments in each brigade, battalions in each regiment and companies in each battalion were given, by their respective commanders, a relative rating. The Division commander determined the relative rating of the brigades and of divisional troops.

(A) The members of each company or battery rated as No. 1 in its battalion were authorized to wear a white patch or inlay in the lower forward space of the division shoulder insignia.

(B) The members of the battalion rated as No. 1 in each regiment, or among divisional troops, were authorized to wear a white inlay in the upper forward space of the division insignia.

(C) The members of the regiment rated highest in its brigade were authorized to wear a white inlay in the upper rear space of the division shoulder insignia.

(D) The members of that brigade declared by the Division commander as having the greatest degree of excellence were authorized to wear a white inlay in the lower rear space of the division shoulder insignia.

Thus every member of a highest rated organization was enabled to wear a striking evidence of that fact, and relative excellence was indicated by the number of white inlays. Hence, a member of that company rated highest in the winning battalion of the winning regiment of the winning brigade would have four white inlays, entirely surrounding the "W" of the shoulder insignia, for the "shell" (S) or middle section of the "W" was already filled with an inlay of appropriate color for his branch of the service, blue for infantry, red for artillery, etc.

These white inlays were worn until a new rating at the end of the next training period brought changes in standing. The competitive instinct was stimulated and results were considered very beneficial, although for practical reasons ratings were not always made as between infantry and artillery brigades and the divisional troops.

The following illustrates these markings:

White inlay, (A) Best company or battery in the battalion.
White inlay, (B) Best battalion in the regiment.
White inlay, (C) Best regiment in the brigade.
White inlay, (D) Best brigade in the division.
Colored inlay, (S) "Shell" colored according to branch of the service.

Nickname

"Middle West" Division.  Most of the soldiers initially assigned to the division were draftees from the Mid-West.

Background

National Army Division established by the War Department on 5 August 1917 to be established at Camp Funston, KS.  Draftees were from Arizona, Colorado , Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico and South Dakota.  Movement overseas commenced on 21 May 1918 and was completed by 8 July 1918.

Primary Units

177th Infantry Brigade:
353d Infantry Regiment
354th Infantry Regiment
341st Machine Gun Battalion

178th Infantry Brigade:
355th Infantry Regiment
356th Infantry Regiment
342d Machine Gun Battalion

164th Field Artillery Brigade:
340th Field Artillery Regiment (75mm)
341st Field Artillery Regiment (75mm)
342d Field Artillery Regiment (155mm)
314th Trench Mortar Battery

Divisional Troops:
340th Machine Gun Battalion
314th Engineer Regiment
314th Field Signal Battalion
314th Train Headquarters and MP
314th Ammunition Train
314th Supply Train
314th Engineer Train
314th Sanitary Train (Ambulance Companies & Field Hospitals 353, 354, 355, 356)

Product Flyers

DB 89-1: 89th Division, Division Histories

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