WW1 US Engineering Officer Tunic

[Gildwiller1918]

Here is a nice WW1 US Army Engineering Officers Tunic. The quality of the wool used is much finer than what the enlisted troops would have (unless privately purchased). The cuffs have the officers braiding, and on the wearer's left cuff there are 3 inverted chevrons denating 3 - 6 months tours overseas. The tunic has the engineering department buttons instead of the typical US Eagle. The collar has the castle emblem of the engineers as well as the US collar brass, these have the "NA" which stood for National Army. The rank is on the epaulets and signifies a 1st Lieutenant. 

In WW1 US army divisions were segregated into 3 classes, first being the older regular army divisions, followed by state national guard divisions, and lastly, national army divisions.  Organization of these divisions were as follows: for the Regular Army, divisions were numbered up to 25, while numbers 26 through 49 were reserved for the National Guard and 50 through higher numbers for divisions of the National Army. So this tunic would be from a division number 50 or higher which could be one of 19 divisions in WW1. Engineering regiments were attached to Infantry divisions and regiments. An example of this would be the 90th Infantry Division, which had the 357th, 358th, 359th and 360th Infantry Regiments, also included were the 343rd, 344th, 345th Machine gun Battalions, followed by the 343rd, 344th and 345th Field Artillery regiments, with the 315th Engineering regiment attached.