The Insignia of the Fourth Marine Brigade
Second Division, AEF.

Note: The following information does not represent original research, is a compilation from various material(s)(overtime) and is put on this site as a courtesy to those interested collectors of U. S. Marine Corps militaria who visit it from time to time.

The second Division, American Expeditionary Force was composed of two Brigades, the Third and Fourth. The former was made up of the 9th and 23rd Army Regiments, the latter the 5th and 6th Marines (Regiments).

The Division Insignia representing a shield with superimposed Indian head was chosen and adopted as a means to expedite unit recognition on and off the battle field. Both the Army and Marine Brigades were required to use this insignia and a simple system was implemented identifying the units within these brigades.

Fourth Brigade Headquarters was designated an oval. The Fifth Marines (Regiment), was designated a square and the 6th Marines a diamond. A system of color identification was applied to the shape of the insignia indicating unit designation. This system applied to both brigades (color only) and is as follows.

• Brigade HQ. Horizontal Oval on a black background with superimposed Indian.
• Sixth Machine Gun Battalion a horizontal oval on a purple background.
• Fifth Regiment – Square background and Sixth Regiment – Diamond Background Units within these two Regiments were further identified by the background color in each insignia. Headquarters , black - 1st. Battalion, red – 2nd. Battalion, yellow – Third Battalion, blue – HQ company, black – Machine Co., purple and Supply Co., green. 

Although the shape and colors of the insignia were uniform, there is a great deal of variation in the Indians head, and the bonnet that dressed it. As the insignias were not only sewn onto uniforms but were eventually painted onto Marines helmets, the final result was heavily influenced by who did the sewing and the painting. This has become an area of interest for collectors. Firstly, the insignia is quite unique and is for the most part “handmade”, represents a form of “art” (painting) at a time when battle uniforms had lost all forms of adornment and ornamentation and served to fill a functional role as unit identification.  

If we do the “math” on insignia types within the Fourth Marine Brigade, we come up with a predictable number of variations. Even when we factor in the Marines assigned to non-Brigade duties, such as Division HQ, Supply Train, or in some cases attachment to an Army Regiment, we can still count the examples. The challenge (and appeal) is the uniqueness of the individual patch or paint which makes the differences in each, no matter how slight, infinitely compelling for the collector.  

The past. The history of collecting these insignia can be traced back to the time when “patches” were cut off tunics and the uniform discarded. Many patch collections include examples of the “Indian head insignia.” Recognition that value was enhanced if the patch was left on the tunic has diminished the practice. More recent emphasis on individual and unit identification has lead to more careful collecting and “dealing” which contributes to the preservation of these “war relics” of our unique Corps.

The future. At the time of this writing, The U.S. Marine Corps is building a new museum in Quantico, VA. The finished project will allow for combining various piecemeal collections from several locations and displaying them under one roof. It should provide a factual and important resource to collectors who seek information on WWI and perhaps eventually attract collections such as yours and mine when the time comes to pass them on to another generation of Marines.

Robert Hunt
USMC Collector