World War I Real Photograph Postcard of U.S. Army Officers, by Alan Bogan

World War I Real Photograph Postcard of U.S. Army Officers

Alan Bogan

Recently acquired at a local show is this World War I period real photo postcard. It shows a large group of U.S. Army officers of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) on board a ship. They appear to be at sea and some sailors are in the background. Most, if not all, of the officers are captains and lieutenants. My best guess it is a group of casual officers on their way back to the United States from Europe in 1919. On the reverse of the postcard are the words, “Carte Postale.”

The most interesting aspect of the image is the variety of AEF Shoulder Sleeve Insignia (SSI) visible on the officers’ uniforms. I believe I found SSI for all of the AEF Regular Army divisions except the 8th plus a lone IV Corps.