Product Details
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Original Item: One-of-a-kind. On August 15th, 1943, five officers and 70 enlisted volunteers, arrived at Fort Knox, Kentucky from the 20th Armored Division, to be assigned to the first unit of it's kind - the 151st Airborne Tank Company. The unit trained under the guidance of Captain Arthur Cromillion, the assigned company commander, and First Sergeant Geroge C. Norton. Additional personnel we assigned from the 20th Armored Division, the Armor School and the Demonstration Regiment (of the Armor School). 1st Lieutenant Richard McCabe assumed command, as Captain Cromillion was reassigned to the newly formed 28th Airborne Tank Battalion as of December 6, 1943. In the July of that year, they were relocated from their original base at Fort Knox to Camp Mackall in North Carolina. The 28th were redesignated as a standard Tank Battalion following a loss of interest by Airborne Command in October 1944.
This unit trained with M22 tanks flying on CG-10A gliders. The unit was made up of 70 enlisted men and 5 officers who were glider qualified. They were the only units we know of that were authorized to wear the Airborne tab above the Armored triangle. A very specialized unit and incredible this is a uniform from only 5 officers in the company.
Lieutenant August Frank Dreier ASN 0-1017595 from York, Nebraska was one of only 5 officers in the 151st Airborne Tank Company.
- Original Class A Uniform Jacket named to Dreier in excellent condition features a armored division patch on left shoulder with AIRBORNE tab above, original sterling silver glider badge, medal ribbons that include: American Campaign, European-African Middle East Campaign with 2 battle stars and the WWII Victory Medal ribbon. The lapels have gold armored tank pins and the epaulets bear gold 2nd lieutenant bars.
- 4 x Officer overseas garrison caps.
- 2 x pants, shirt, sweaters, socks, etc.
- Personal grooming kit, with shoelaces, shave brush, belt buckles and more.
- Camp Mackall silk scarf
- Multiple unattached insignia, airborne glider patch, armored patches, medal ribbons, ruptured duck, etc.
- Lots of original paperwork including wartime driving permits and more.
- War Department Identification card
- Wartime period photos
- "Yard Long" photo of Dreier (seated officer far right) with the 151st Airborne Tank Company
- Inert 37MM training shell in the original waxed cardboard tube dated August 1942
- His original wartime stenciled name.
- University and Fraternity documents.
- And Much More!
A unique grouping from a short lived company, the only unit authorized to wear both the Armored Division patch with Airborne tab.
