US Army 20th Armored Division shoulder sleeve patch with tank, gun, and red lightning bolt

Identifier
irn35147
Language of Description
English
Alt. Identifiers
  • 2004.749.9
Level of Description
Item
Source
EHRI Partner

Extent and Medium

overall: Height: 3.500 inches (8.89 cm) | Width: 3.875 inches (9.843 cm)

Archival History

The badge was acquired by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2004.

Acquisition

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection

Scope and Content

Shoulder sleeve insignia, 20th Armored Division, United States Army, sometimes called Armoraiders, of the type used during World War II. The patch design was used by all Armored divisions, with the division number, in this case 20, at the apex of the triangle. The colors represent the military branches that form an armored division: yellow for cavalry, blue for infantry, and red for artillery. The symbols represent the characteristics: the tank track, mobility and armor protection; the cannon, fire power; and the red flash of lightning, shock action. The 20th Division landed in Le Havre, France, on February 16, 1945. They advanced through Belgium into Germany. They were one of the three US Army divisions that liberated Dachau concentration camp on April 29, 1945. They discovered over 30,000 survivors in the camp and 2,310 corpses on a train. On April 30, 1945, they captured Munich. When Germany surrendered on May 7, 1945, the Division was in Austria. The Division was placed on occupation duty until they returned to the US on August 2, 1945, and were inactivated on April 2, 1946. This Division was active only during WWII.

Conditions Governing Access

No restrictions on access

Conditions Governing Reproduction

No restrictions on use

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Equilateral triangular patch machine embroidered on white netting with an evenly divided, 3 color field: the top is yellow; bottom left, blue; bottom right, red. Embroidered in black on the center is an Arabic numeral 20 at the apex above a 2-wheeled cannon within a circle of chain link tank track. A red, jagged lightning bolt is embroidered diagonally leftward across the cannon. The patch has a light green border. The patch appears to be unused.

Corporate Bodies

Subjects

Genre

This description is derived directly from structured data provided to EHRI by a partner institution. This collection holding institution considers this description as an accurate reflection of the archival holdings to which it refers at the moment of data transfer.