"YANKEE DIVISION"
Flags & Guidons of the 26th Infantry Division
Massachusetts Army National Guard
1931 Regulations
Notes
The interwar US Army's basic tactical formation was the infantry division. Organizationally, the division had changed little since World War I: It was still a "square" division with two infantry brigades controlling two infantry regiments each and an artillery brigade controlling three field artillery regiments. With a total of twelve infantry battalions and six field artillery battalions, the square division was a powerful but somewhat unwieldy unit.
Infantry regiments consisted of a regimental headquarters company, three infantry battalions, a regimental cannon company, a regimental machinegun company and a regimental service company. Field artillery regiments consisted of a regimental headquarters company, two field artillery battalions, an observation battery and a regimental service battery.
The division train was responsible for supply and transportation, and the field artillery brigade had its own ammunition train.
Credit: The drawings on this page are based on the specifications given in Army Regulation 260-10 dated 20 November 1931, a copy of which was kindly provided by FOTW Mailing List member Joseph McMillan.
DISTINGUISHING FLAGS
26th
INFANTRY DIVISION
Left: 51st INFANTRY
BRIGADE Right:
52nd INFANTRY BRIGADE
51st FIELD ARTILLERY BRIGADE
Infantry divisions were authorized distinguishing flags with two equal horizontal stripes, scarlet over national flag blue, and the divisional shoulder sleeve insignia in proper colors centered. For brigades, the flags were national flag blue for infantry and scarlet for field artillery, with the numerical designation of the brigade centered in white and yellow respectively. The flags were made of wool bunting, 3 feet at the hoist by 4 feet on the fly.
HEADQUARTERS COMPANY &
BATTERY GUIDONS
Headquarters Company,
26th Infantry Division
Left: Headquarters
Company, 51st Infantry Brigade Right: Headquarters
Company, 52nd Infantry Brigade
Headquarters Company, 51st Field Artillery Brigade
Headquarters companies and batteries of divisions and brigades had guidons similar to the brigade flags, but with the designation HQ added. These and all other guidons were made of wool bunting, 1 foot 8 inches at the hoist by 2 feet 4 inches on the fly, with a 10-inch fork.
UNIT COMPANY & BATTERY
GUIDONS
Left: Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 101st Infantry
Right: Regimental
Machinegun Company, 104th Infantry
Left: Regimental
Cannon Company, 181st Infantry Right: Company H,
182nd Infantry
Battery B, 101st
Field Artillery (75mm Gun Truck-D)
Left: Regimental Headquarters Battery, 102nd Field Artillery (75mm Gun Truck-D)
Right: Battery D,
180th Field Artillery (155mm Howitzer Truck-D)
Regimental Headquarters
Company, 101st Engineers
Left: Company C, 26th Infantry Division Train
Right: Company B, 51st Field Artillery Brigade Ammunition Train
Guidons for infantry, field artillery and engineer regiments were similar to those used today, but since line companies and batteries were lettered in sequence regardless of battalion assignment, no battalion numeral appeared on their guidons. The guidon of the regimental headquarters company had the designation HQ below the branch insignia and battalion headquarters companies had the battalion number below the insignia. The companies of the division's supply and ammunitions trains also had branch oriented guidons. In the case of the latter, the badge was a combination of the Field Artillery (crossed cannons) and Ordnance Corps (flaming bomb) branch insignias.
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