WWI K troop, 3rd Cavalry Regt, 3rd CORPS • M1917 “British Contract” Service Coat For Sale

NOTE: I MESSED UP. I had this as a M1917 “Rough Cut” Service Coat. I was wrong. That said, nobody has a III Corps, US Cavalry patch for sale. Now this patch is on an extremely rare M1917 “British Contract” Service Coat. The US Quartermaster Corps stated they possessed 100,000 1917 “British Contract” Service Coat.
For your consideration is this EXTREMELY RARE “K” Troop, 3rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Corps, Cavalry 1917 “British Contract” Service Coat.EVERY SINGLE THING ABOUT THIS COAT IS RARE FROM THE PATCH TO THE COAT. What makes this coat EXTREMELY RARE?1) This coat type was worn until it was literally falling off of the soldier, or it was supposed to have been burned in Europe before the AEF came home.Burning the uniforms was to the spread of the Spanish Flu (This killed 1% of the world’s population), lice, and other communicable diseases. 2) There was very few of these coats that were actually made for the AEF by Britain. It was mentioned that 100,000 1917 British Contract Winter Service Coats.3) The patch on this coat is nearly never seen for sale. This is the ONLY real K Troop, 3d Cavalry Regt, 3d Corps, Cavalry.Also K Troop, 3rd Cavalry was the only US Cavalry unit outside of the 2nd US Cavalry to serve during WWI. They were allowed to wear the 3rd Corps, Cavalry patch and the 3rd Army patch. This coat doesn’t have a 3rd Army patch. It didn’t fall off it just came that way.I have taken pictures of every aspect of the coat, if you have any questions please message me. I will try to answer them.1917 “British Contract”Service CoatNo known specification numberIts estimated time of adoption was the summer or autumn of 1917This pattern of coat appears to have been in service on a limited scale until the end of the warBecause of the delays in obtaining woolen clothing from America, it became necessary for the AEF to place orders abroad for various articles of clothing that were urgently needed.

At the time of posting, no information as to when this practice actually began has made itself available. However, AEF Quartermaster documents show that by April of 1918 large amounts of clothing of all types had been ordered from both France and Great Britain, including 1,440,000 British manufactured “tunics” made from English tartan drab No. 5 woolen cloth. One does not to stretch one’s imagination too far to presume that the above figure may have represented the purchase of 1917 British Contract Service Coats, as the same document had already mentioned that 100,000 “suits of British uniform clothing”* had been purchased.

*The “suits of British uniform clothing” were very likely the 1907 Pattern Service Jacket and Trousers that were regulation issue to the British Tommy. It has been well documented that the AEF purchased and issued British uniforms to American Doughboys during the winter of 1917- 1918 and beyond when there were not enough regulation U.S. Army garments available in France. Since the “British manufactured tunics were listed as a separate line item, it is believed that that the “tunics” were in fact, 1917 British Contract Service Coats.

Externally, the 1917 British Contract Service Coats closely followed the pattern of their U.S. made counterpart. However, all of the British contract service coats were made from a coarser grade of woolen material; they were unlined and many featured a double row of stitching around their lower sleeves. That stitching was merely a coincidence; it is in no way connected to the 1911 pattern service coat. A closer look at the British contract sleeve stitching actually reveals that there were three rows of stitching, one near the lower edge of the sleeve and two more above that.
WWI “K” Troop, 3rd Cavalry In World War I, K Troop, 3rd Cavalry Regiment was the only unit of its regiment to see combat. Detached from the 3rd Squadron and assigned to the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF), the troop fought as dismounted cavalry across major Western Front campaigns, including the Aisne-Marne, Vesle, Oise-Aisne, and Meuse-Argonne Offensives.Combat History and OperationsDuring World War I, the broader 3rd Cavalry Regiment was stationed in Tréveray, France, with a "remount" mission to manage horses. However, K Troop was detached for frontline duty and heavily engaged in four pivotal offensives:• Aisne-Marne Offensive (July 18 – Aug 6, 1918) attached to I Corps.• Vesle Front (Aug 7 – 17, 1918) attached to III • Corps.Oise-Aisne Offensive (Aug 18 – Sept 9, 1918).• Meuse-Argonne Offensive (Sept 14 – Nov 11, 1918).Throughout these campaigns, the troopers fought on the front lines and were authorized to wear the 3rd Corps patch.Post-ArmisticeFollowing the November 1918 armistice, Troop K joined the March to the Rhine and served in the American Sector of the Army of Occupation in Germany until July 1919. Note: this information came from US Militaria Forum : A.E.F. Service Coats by World War I Ner