What are Insignia?
Insignia are patches, badges, pins and arm bands that indicate military designations such as rank, membership in a branch or a particular unit, special authority such as Military Police, duty assignment, or prior service . Throughout military history, uniforms have always carried these insignia so others could tell at a glance the membership and relative authority of another soldier. While the meaning of insignia is usually clear to trained members of the service, they may be complex and obscure to outsiders.
Here is a list of some common types of insignia. Each category is linked to the ebay listings for that category, thousands of individual items on sale today.
Shoulder Patch: 101st Airborne Division
101st Airborne Division soldiers on D-Day minus 1, 5 June 1944.
Where and How to Find Insignia
In one word: eBay The ebay on-line auction is by far the largest marketplace for militaria of all kinds, including paper items. Almost anything you might be interested in will sooner or later show up there. On any given day, over 100,000 militaria items will be on auction, including some things you are probably interested in. On this page (near the top, left) we show some current listings that are active right now -- there are always many more. For other ideas, visit the Olive-Drab Militaria page.
Keeping track of all the units that have shipped out or arrived through Hampton Roads Port of Embarkation, 15 April 1944. (Mrs. Filmore Hughes of Baltimore, MD and Lt. Nicholas Van Eck of Stamford, CT.)
Books About Insignia, Medals and Awards
For more comprehensive information on this subject, the following books are recommended:
- The Decorations, Medals, Ribbons, Badges and Insignia of the United States Army: World War II to Present by Frank C. Foster
- Decorations, Medals, Ribbons, Badges and Insignia of the United States Navy: World War II to Present by James G. Thompson
- Decorations, Medals, Ribbons, Badges and Insignia of the United States Marine Corps by James Thompson
- United States Military Patch Guide by J. L. Pete Morgan, J.L. Pete Morgan
Find More Information on the Web
There are many fine websites that have additional information on this topic, too many to list here and too many to keep up with as they come and go. Use this Google web search form to get an up to date report of what's out there.
For good results, try entering this: insignia. Then click the Search button.
Especially recommended:
