Infantry Unit Markings - Am I reading this right?

[MySonsDad]

This is a photo of the markings on a M-1910 canteen cover/dismount. Cover has L-D Inc. 1917 marked inside.

Although hard to read, what I am getting off of this canteen cover is 123rd Infantry, F Company but I can't seem to identify this as a WWI Unit. Am I reading this wrong or just looking in the wrong place for info?



As always, any unput would be greatly appreciated.

Russ & Son

[Adrian Stevenson]

The way you are reading it is correct. Regt number above the crossed rifles and Company letter underneath.

But I cannot come up with this unit as a WW1 Regt either. Markings done in this style would be a bit late for a unit raised in 1942. This makes me think that we are reading the number incorrectly. I think the "2" is the original marking representing the Regt's number. The other numbers look badly alined. These were usually applied by stencil, so I think the other numbers have been added for some other reason. Looks like a 113 to me?

Hope this all makes sense?

Cheers, Ade.

[MySonsDad]

Yes, I agree, all the alignment does look off. I was thinking that it was 1-2-3 with the 1 and 3 aligned and the 2 dropped a bit, thinking maybe this was how they might have marked thier Regt but now that you mention it, the 1 and the 3 do not look to be aligned. Not even sure what the mark is next to the 2. The other thing that does not seem right is that there is no legible "US" under the Company letter. I can not make out what those markings are but they do not resemble a US in any way that I can see. The look, feel and inside makrings are true to form so I have to believe it's a good cover/dismount, just need to somehow figure out these markings.

Thanks for your input.

Russ & Son

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Russ, I think I see the "US" OK, just washed out a bit.

Cheers, Ade.

[Rudolf Karl]

Not sure if this makes sense.
1st Army
2nd Infantry Division
3rd Brigade

I was in the 2nd Infantry and remember 1st of the 3rd.

Edit: On 2nd thought that may not be correct. I'm confusing it with my 1st of the 7th Cavalry.
Sorry about that.

Rudy

[crazy horse]

it might be the National Guard also. I have a helmet liner that has a yellow shield, with the 3 stars from TN. & at the bottom I think I haven't looked at it in a long while it says flaming missles, so I have no idea where in TN it is from, but every state has so many N.G units it's hard to track them down, some were formed for different wars, some changed what they were, some were just disbanded, a lot of them were after ww2, the one I was in for a little while went from m110 a1 howitzer unit which was an 8 inch gun barrel sitting on a tank body- vietnam technology, heck I have even seen pic's of them in ww2 & Korea also, but when we got back from Iraq in 91, we changed to a MLRS unit, thats when I got out of the N.G. & went regular army, so if you have a N.G. item it might be very hard to find it. good luck with your search. the #'s on top are hard to really make out good, but I have a DAK bayonet frog, the date 1943 is easy to see, but under that it looks like Luftwaffe, but I'm not really sure?

[JLHORAK]

My Grandfather was a member of A Company, 123rd Infantry, 31st Division, "National Army", during the First World War.

The markings on the canteen cover look correct for WW1. Let me know if you want more information on the 31st "Dixie Division" at Camp Wheeler, Macon Georgia 1917-1919.

Any other items associated with this find ?

SEMPER FI