Item Description
Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. This is an absolutely stunning WWII Ike jacket with great bullion patches and a scarce “Buff Strap” leather cord, the distinctive trimming for the 3rd Infantry Regiment, the “Old Guard”. The 3rd Infantry Regiment arrived in Le Havre, France on 18 March 1945, and was attached to the reconstituted 106th Infantry Division with the mission of containing the isolated German garrison at St. Nazaire.
The jacket bears gorgeous German-made bullion patches for the 106th Infantry Division on the right shoulder, and for the XXIII Corps on the left shoulder. There are sergeant chevrons on both sleeves, with two bullion overseas stripes on the left cuff. The left arm has the 3rd Infantry Regiment “Buff Strap” worn like a cord, brown in color with white tabs. It is secured by a snap. There is a “Ruptured Duck” honorable discharge patch above the right breast pocket, and a 3-place ribbon bar with the Army Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, and European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with one star. There is a number written on the interior liner, 2584. There is a size tag in the jacket, 36R.
The 106th Infantry Division is a very sought-after unit due to their tragic defeat & capture at the Battle of the Bulge, where two of its three regiments were overrun and surrounded in the initial days of the battle, being forced to surrender to German forces on 19 December 1944. The division's 422nd and 423rd Infantry Regiments were encircled and cut off by a junction of enemy forces in the vicinity of Schönberg. They regrouped for a counterattack, but were blocked by the enemy. The two regiments surrendered on 19 December. The Germans gained 6,000 prisoners in one of the largest mass surrenders in American military history.
The remainder of the division that evaded the German pincer movement was reinforced by the 112th Infantry Regiment of the 28th Infantry Division and withdrew over the Our River and joined other units at Saint Vith. Along with the city of Bastogne to the south, St. Vith was a road and rail junction city considered vital to the German goal of breaking through Allied lines to split American and British forces and reach the Belgian port city of Antwerp. A scratch force of 106th Division personnel, in particular the division's 81st Engineer Combat Battalion, was organized and led by the 81st's 28-year-old commanding officer, Lt. Col. Thomas Riggs, in a five-day holding action (17–21 December) on a thin ridge line a mile outside St. Vith, against German forces vastly superior in numbers and armament (only a few hundred green Americans versus many thousands of veteran Germans). For this action, the 81st Engineer Combat Battalion was later awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation for gallantry. The defense of St. Vith by the 106th has been credited with ruining the German timetable for reaching Antwerp, hampering the Bulge offensive for the Germans.
This is a fantastic uniform with gorgeous insignia and a fantastic backstory. The insignia is all in great shape as well as the uniform. Comes ready for further research and display!
- This product is available for international shipping. Shipping not available to: Australia, France, or Germany
- Due to legal restrictions this item cannot be shipped to Australia, France or Germany. This is not a comprehensive list and other countries may be added in the future.
- Not eligible for payment with Paypal or Amazon
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