Original U.S. WWI Polar Bear North Russian Expedition Uniform with Incredibly Rare 339th Infantry Collar Disc & Polar Bear Patch
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Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. Few seem to know of the U.S. Army’s involvement in Russia at the end of World War I. Allied Forces served in both North Russia and Siberia with the brunt of the combat taking place in North Russia. These forces were there to recover and protect military supplies left at Russian ports for the anti-Bolshevik "White Russian" forces fighting both the Germans and the Bolshevik "Red" army in the Russian Civil War. They were also to rescue the Czech Legion stranded along the Trans-Siberian Railroad.
This is a great example of a uniform worn by a Private in Company G, 339th Infantry Regiment, North Russian Expedition. This soldier was one of the 5,000 soldiers diverted from the 85th division on its way to France in 1918 to north Russia to become part of the American North Russia Expeditionary Force (ANREF). Company G would take part in the Battle of Korporgora on the Pinega river over 100 miles east of the city of Archangel, Russia in December 1918. The soldiers would come to call themselves Polar Bears on their return to the United States in the summer of 1919.
The left sleeve has an incredibly rare polar bear patch, with a red honorable discharge chevron on the sleeve below it. Below this is a set of two overseas chevrons, denoting 12-17 months overseas. On the collar is the most difficult-to-find part of this uniform, the Company G, 339th Infantry Regiment collar disc. There is no name or any other markings we could find in the jacket. There is a depot tag under the lining, dated October 8th, 1918, perfect for a polar bear issue jacket. There is one button missing, but otherwise there’s just some basic mothing.
Comes ready for further research and display!
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