Original U.S. WWI Tank Corps Master Engineer Senior Grade Uniform & Painted Helmet Group with Rare French Tank NCO Patch Worn by U.S. 2nd Motor Maintenance Regiment

Original Items. One-of-a-Kind Group. This is an outstanding WWI AEF Tank Corps uniform & painted helmet grouping worn by a Master Engineer, Senior Grade, Tank Corps who may have served with the U.S. 2nd Motor Maintenance Regiment. This regiment, specifically the 2nd Battalion, was being used to salvage and repair French Renault tanks on the front lines. During the Meuse-Argonne Offensive a company of that unit had been sent to Varennes to an improvised tank park there.

In fact, the famous battle-damaged French FT17 Renault tank in the collection of the National WWI Museum in Kansas City, Missouri was actually captured by members of the U.S. 2nd Motor Maintenance Regiment. We know this because several members of the unit scratched their names on the inside of the driver’s compartment armored doors. The 2nd Battalion was attached to the French Tank Corps from May 4, 1918 to Dec. 13, 1918 and employed in repair of French Renault and Schneider tanks at Bourron, France. On Dec. 5, 1918, now General Estienne gave the 2nd Battalion Air Service Mechanics permission to wear the insignia of the French Tank Corps.

This is likely the unit of this Master Engineer who was very well-versed in the maintenance and repair of the French FT17 Renault tank. The uniform jacket has a tremendous mult-piece Tank Corps patch on the left shoulder, an honorable discharge chevron on the left sleeve, and two overseas chevrons on the left cuff. There is a rare Master Engineer, Senior Grade, Tank Corps rate on the right sleeve, and above this is a fantastic French FT17 Renault tank patch, which the members of the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Motor Maintenance Regiment were authorized to wear.

The jacket retains a contract tag with a date of April 12th, 1917, right after the US declared war! Additionally, the left sleeve appears to have torn away from the jacket but was repaired during the period, and likely in the field. 

The M1917 “Doughboy” helmet is in great condition and is painted to the side with the triangular tri-color insignia of the Tank Corps, with amazing age wear that cannot be replicated. The shell retains most of its paint with some loss and oxidation at the crown. The interior retains the full leather and oilcloth liner but the chinstrap is now entirely absent. The shell is stamped 187 ZD which along with the single rivet chinstrap bales denote U.S. manufacture. 

There is no name in the uniform or helmet we could find, but as there would not have been many Master Engineers, Senior Grade in the 2nd Battalion, you could likely make a list of 5-10 possible identifications!

This is an extremely scarce uniform group worn by a Master Engineer tasked with the maintenance, salvage, and repair of French FT17 Renault tanks along the front lines during the final months of World War I. The vast majority of U.S. WWI Tankers did not see any sort of combat, so don’t miss out on this rare opportunity!

Comes ready for further research and display!

Approximate Measurements
Collar to shoulder: 9.5"
Shoulder to sleeve: 23.5”
Shoulder to shoulder: 14"
Chest width: 17”
Waist: 15"
Hip: 21"
Front length: 28"