Item number: M217

Year: AD 1938-1945

Size: 29.9 x 22.5 x 7.7 mm

Weight: 7.05 g

Provenance: Private Collector, USA, 2024

This is a unit crest of the 15th Infantry Regiment of the United States Army, it was in AD 1938, just before the outbreak of World War II, that the regiment was redeployed from Tianjin, China, back to the United States. Beginning in AD 1942, the 15th Infantry Regiment was among the first to participate in military operations in North Africa, and subsequently took part in campaigns in Italy, Southern France, and the invasion of Germany as the Allied forces advanced.

The crest is designed as a shield. The upper part features four acorns on a white background and a rock, symbolising the four battles the regiment fought in during the American Civil War and the fierce Battle of Chickamauga in Georgia. The lower part of the shield, set against a blue background, displays a Chinese dragon and a gold scroll inscribed with the pidgin English motto “CAN DO,” representing the regiment’s deep ties with China. The reverse side of the crest is secured with a circular screw and an additional pin clasp.

In AD 1900, the 15th Infantry Regiment first participated in the Eight-Nation Alliance’s military operations in the Tianjin area. Following the outbreak of the Xinhai Revolution in AD 1912, concerns over the safety of expatriates amidst China’s turmoil led the United States to deploy the 1st and 3rd Battalions of the 15th Infantry Regiment to the Tianjin concession. Their primary mission was to ensure the smooth operation of the railway between Tianjin and Beijing. With the onset of World War I, European nations withdrew their troops from Tianjin, making the 15th Infantry Regiment the largest foreign military presence in the city. They served as the main force protecting the concession from the conflicts of Chinese warlords.

In AD 1938, the regiment concluded its 26-year mission in China and earned the nickname “China Regiment.”

物件編號: M217

年代: 公元 1938-1945 年

尺寸: 29.9 x 22.5 x 7.7 mm

重量: 7.05 g

來源: 美國私人收藏 2024

這是一枚公元1938年，第二次世界大戰爆發前夕，方才從中國天津調回美國本土的美軍第15步兵團單位章。公元1942年起，第15步兵團率先參與北非的軍事行動，後續隨著盟軍推進參加義大利、南法和入侵德國本土等系列戰役。

徽章外觀是一面盾牌，上方是白色為背景的四粒橡實和一座岩石，分別象徵該部隊在美國南北戰爭時期參與的四場戰役，跟發生於喬治亞州最為激烈的奇卡莫加戰役。盾牌下方以藍色為背景的中國龍，和金色卷軸上的洋涇濱英文格言「CAN DO」，象徵部隊和中國深淵的關係。徽章背面則以一個圓形的螺絲跟外加的別針版作固定。

公元1900年，第15步兵團首度參與八國聯軍在天津一帶的軍事活動。公元1912年隨著辛亥革命的爆發，出於擔心中國動亂會影響僑民安危，美國派遣第15步兵團轄下的第1團和第3團入駐天津租界，其主要任務是確保天津和北京之間的鐵路暢通。隨著第一次世界大戰爆發，歐洲各國紛紛從天津抽調兵力，使得第15步兵團成為天津最為龐大的外國部隊，作為保護租界免於中國軍閥內戰波及的主力部隊。公元1938年，該部隊正式結束長達26年的駐華任務，並且得到「中國團」綽號。