Original U.S. Pre-WWII Philippine Scouts 26th Cavalry Painted M1917A1 Helmet & Philippine-Made Service Tunic with Great Insignia - Rabaya
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Original Items. One-of-a-Kind Set. This is an outstanding Philippine Scouts uniform & painted helmet grouping, named to Corporal Rabaya of the Machine Gun Troop, 26th Cavalry Regiment. The 26th Cavalry Regiment, Philippine Scouts, was an element of the Philippine Department, U.S. Army, based at Ft. Stotsenburg. Organized in 1922, this organization can trace its lineage to the 3rd Battalion, Philippine Scouts, formed in 1908.
The group consists of an M1917A1 “Kelly” helmet, painted to both the left and right side with the insignia of the Philippine Division. The helmet is complete with the original liner, chin strap, and the small leather skull pad that is often missing from these helmets. The shell has the original OD green paint mostly intact, including the textured "corked" exterior. The shell is stamped 23B.
The uniform jacket, which we believe to be Philippine-made, has gilt collar discs US / 26 and Cavalry Machine Gun MG Troop, for the Machine Gun Troop, 26th Cavalry Regiment. There are Corporal chevrons on each sleeve, and a Philippine Division patch on the left shoulder. The collar has the inscribed name RABAYA, a great research project for someone with the means.
There also came a small sheet of information on the Kelly helmets worn by the Philippine Scouts.
An outstanding Philippine Scout grouping, ready for further research and display!
During the interwar period, the Army began to adopt mechanization and and modernization of the cavalry, accelerated in 1931 by Chief of Staff, General Douglas MacArthur. In 1938, the War Department directed the mechanization of all cavalry units. However, the 26th Cavalry (PS) “had been forgotten.”
At the start of WWII, the 26th Cavalry (PS) fought the Japanese at the shores at Lingayen Gulf. It was here that Sgt. Dan Figuracion fired his M1 Garand, the first American soldier to do so in combat. From there, the regiment conducted delaying actions until the Filipino and American forces made it to the Bataan Peninsula. On Bataan, the 26th Cavalry (PS) conducted much needed offensive actions on horseback, including the last cavalry charge in U.S. Army history, led by Lt. Edwin Ramsey.
The regiment earned three Distinguished Unit Citations and one Philippine Presidential Unit Citation. The Army awarded 37 decorations for valor to the officers and enlistedmen of the regiment, including 5 Distinguished Service Crosses, 28 Silver Star Medals, and 4 Bronze Star Medals. After a hard-fought defense, the 26th Cavalry (PS) surrendered to the Japanese on April 9, 1942.
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