Lineage and Honors, and more along those lines
(c) 152nd Field Artillery Association, 2010
1st Battalion, 152nd Field Artillery
Certificate dated 1997
Pre-War: 1st Battalion, 152nd Field Artillery
WW2: 203rd FA Battalion
Post-War: 1st Battalion, 152nd Field Artillery
Organized and Federally recognized 15 May 1922 in the Maine National Guard in northeastern Maine as the 1st Battalion, 152nd Field Artillery, with Headquarters in Houlton, an element of the 43d Division
Expanded and reorganized 3 April 1929 as the 152nd Field Artillery with Headquarters at Bangor
Inducted into Federal service 24 February 1941 at home stations
Redesignated (less 2d Battalion) 19 February 1942 as the 203rd Field Artillery (less 2d Battalion) and relieved from assignment to the 43d Division (2d Battalion concurrently reorganized and redesignated as the 152d Field Artillery Battalion - hereafter separate lineage)
203d Field Artillery (less Headquarters Battery and 2d Battalion) reorganized and redesignated 1 March 1943 as the 203rd Field Artillery Battalion (Headquarters Battery concurrently reorganized and redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 203rd Field Artillery Group - hereafter separate lineage)
203d Field Artillery Battalion inactivated 26 October 1945 at Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia
Redesignated 21 May 1946 as the 152d Field Artillery Battalion
Reorganized and Federally recognized 6 January 1947 in northeastern Maine with Headquarters at Caribou
Reorganized and redesignated 1 March 1959 as the 152d Artillery, a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System, to consist of the 1st Automatic Weapons Battalion
Reorganized 1 June 1961 to consist of the 1st Howitzer Battalion
Reorganized 1 December 1964 to consist of the 1st Howitzer Battalion and Battery F
Reorganized 31 December 1967 to consist of the 1st Battalion
Redesignated 1 February 1972 as the 152d Field Artillery
Withdrawn 1 June 1989 from the Combat Arms Regimental System and reorganized under the United States Army Regimental System
CAMPAIGN PARTICIPATION CREDIT
World War II
Normandy
Northern France
Rhineland
Ardennes-Alsace
Central Europe
B Battery (Houlton), 1st Battalion, additionally entitled to:
World War I
Champagne-Marne
Alsne-Marne
St. Mihiel
Meuse-Argonne
Ile de France 1918
Lorraine 1918
DECORATIONS
None
Certificate dated 1997
Pre-War: 1st Battalion, 152nd Field Artillery
WW2: 203rd FA Battalion
Post-War: 1st Battalion, 152nd Field Artillery
Organized and Federally recognized 15 May 1922 in the Maine National Guard in northeastern Maine as the 1st Battalion, 152nd Field Artillery, with Headquarters in Houlton, an element of the 43d Division
Expanded and reorganized 3 April 1929 as the 152nd Field Artillery with Headquarters at Bangor
Inducted into Federal service 24 February 1941 at home stations
Redesignated (less 2d Battalion) 19 February 1942 as the 203rd Field Artillery (less 2d Battalion) and relieved from assignment to the 43d Division (2d Battalion concurrently reorganized and redesignated as the 152d Field Artillery Battalion - hereafter separate lineage)
203d Field Artillery (less Headquarters Battery and 2d Battalion) reorganized and redesignated 1 March 1943 as the 203rd Field Artillery Battalion (Headquarters Battery concurrently reorganized and redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 203rd Field Artillery Group - hereafter separate lineage)
203d Field Artillery Battalion inactivated 26 October 1945 at Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia
Redesignated 21 May 1946 as the 152d Field Artillery Battalion
Reorganized and Federally recognized 6 January 1947 in northeastern Maine with Headquarters at Caribou
Reorganized and redesignated 1 March 1959 as the 152d Artillery, a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System, to consist of the 1st Automatic Weapons Battalion
Reorganized 1 June 1961 to consist of the 1st Howitzer Battalion
Reorganized 1 December 1964 to consist of the 1st Howitzer Battalion and Battery F
Reorganized 31 December 1967 to consist of the 1st Battalion
Redesignated 1 February 1972 as the 152d Field Artillery
Withdrawn 1 June 1989 from the Combat Arms Regimental System and reorganized under the United States Army Regimental System
CAMPAIGN PARTICIPATION CREDIT
World War II
Normandy
Northern France
Rhineland
Ardennes-Alsace
Central Europe
B Battery (Houlton), 1st Battalion, additionally entitled to:
World War I
Champagne-Marne
Alsne-Marne
St. Mihiel
Meuse-Argonne
Ile de France 1918
Lorraine 1918
DECORATIONS
None
152nd Field Artillery Association
2nd Battalion, 152nd Field Artillery
From a 1954 OCS Form 10
Pre-War: 2d Battalion, 152nd Field Artillery
WW2: 152nd FA Battalion
Post-War: 203d FA Battalion (never reorganized)
Organized and Federally recognized 3 April 1929 as 2d Battalion, 152d Field Artillery Regiment, Maine National Guard, with Headquarters at Bangor, Me.
Inducted into Federal service 24 February 1941 at Bangor, Me.
Redesignated 19 February 1942 as 152d Field Artillery Battalion, an element of 43d Division.
Inactivated 14 October 1945 at Camp Stoneman, Calif.
Redisgnated 21 May 1946 as the 203d Field Artillery Battalion and relieved from assignment to 43d Infantry Division, and consolidated 1 July 1946 with the 314th Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion.
CAMPAIGN PARTICIPATION CREDIT
World War II
Guadalcanal
New Guinea
Northern Solomons
Luzon (with Arrowhead)
From a 1954 OCS Form 10
Pre-War: 2d Battalion, 152nd Field Artillery
WW2: 152nd FA Battalion
Post-War: 203d FA Battalion (never reorganized)
Organized and Federally recognized 3 April 1929 as 2d Battalion, 152d Field Artillery Regiment, Maine National Guard, with Headquarters at Bangor, Me.
Inducted into Federal service 24 February 1941 at Bangor, Me.
Redesignated 19 February 1942 as 152d Field Artillery Battalion, an element of 43d Division.
Inactivated 14 October 1945 at Camp Stoneman, Calif.
Redisgnated 21 May 1946 as the 203d Field Artillery Battalion and relieved from assignment to 43d Infantry Division, and consolidated 1 July 1946 with the 314th Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion.
CAMPAIGN PARTICIPATION CREDIT
World War II
Guadalcanal
New Guinea
Northern Solomons
Luzon (with Arrowhead)
In a Nutshell....the 1st Battalion 152nd Field Artillery was organized in 1922. In 1929 the 2nd Battalion and the Regimental HQ
were added. In 1941 the entire regiment was federalized as part of the 43rd Infantry Division, a relationship that had existed for
many years.
In 1942 the Army reorganized the Infantry Division structure, eliminating the field artillery regiments. So one battalion, the 2nd
Battalion, remained with the 43rd and was redesignated the "152nd Field Artillery Battalion." The Regimental HQ was
redesignated as the "203rd Field Artillery Regiment," consisting of two battalions: the former 1st Battalion, 152nd Field Artillery
was redisignated as the 1st Battalion, 203rd Field Artillery, and the former 1st Battalion, 192nd Field Artillery (also originally part
of the 43rd Division, from Connecticut) became the 2nd Battalion, 203rd Field Artillery.
Just a year later, in March 1943, more changes resulted in the Regimental HQ being redesignated the 203rd Field Aritllery Group, the 1st Battalion became the 203rd Field Artillery Battalion, the the 2nd Battalion became the 963rd Field Artillery Battalion (hereafter separate lineage).
All three units fought in World War 2 and represented the Maine National Guard in an exemplary manner.
Just a year later, in March 1943, more changes resulted in the Regimental HQ being redesignated the 203rd Field Aritllery Group, the 1st Battalion became the 203rd Field Artillery Battalion, the the 2nd Battalion became the 963rd Field Artillery Battalion (hereafter separate lineage).
All three units fought in World War 2 and represented the Maine National Guard in an exemplary manner.
After the war, the 203rd FA battalion was redesignated back to the 1st Battalion 152nd Field Artillery, and went on to be
reorganized back home in Aroostook County in 1947 and stayed there until inactivation in 2008. Briefly, from 1959 to 1961, the
battalion was reorganized as the 1st Automatic Weapons Battalion, 152nd Artillery, an Anti-Aircraft Artillery unit, with the M42
"Duster".
In 1946 the 152nd Field Artillery battalion was redesignated as well....not back to their original 2nd Battalion....but as the 203rd Field Artillery Battalion!!
Try to keep up....the 2d Battalion/203rd FA Battalion were only redesignated on paper; they never reorganized after the war. In 1947 they were consolidated, on paper, with the 314th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion. So their lineage and campaign credits survived, but as part of the 314th. More research is needed, but it's interesting to note that the 314th's Distinctive Unit Insignia includes the familiar 152nd blazonry (see photo below).
So, below is the official Lineage and Honors for what existed as the 1st Battalion, 152nd Field Artillery as of 1997, when the certificate was issued. Also is a summary of the 2nd Battalion's lineage, from a 1954 document. Also provided are scanned original official memos that support the above summary.
Also, note that the 1970 and earlier versions of the Lineage and Honors omit the Ardennes-Alsace campaign credit for the WW2 203rd. I don't know how it got corrected, but in 1971 a correction was published by Department of the Army General Order granting the credit.
Oh, and remember the 152nd Regimental HQ that turned into the 203rd FA Group HQ (and fought with Patton's Third Army)? After the war, they were "converted and redesignated" as the 136th Engineer Combat Company, effective 21 May 1946.
In 1946 the 152nd Field Artillery battalion was redesignated as well....not back to their original 2nd Battalion....but as the 203rd Field Artillery Battalion!!
Try to keep up....the 2d Battalion/203rd FA Battalion were only redesignated on paper; they never reorganized after the war. In 1947 they were consolidated, on paper, with the 314th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion. So their lineage and campaign credits survived, but as part of the 314th. More research is needed, but it's interesting to note that the 314th's Distinctive Unit Insignia includes the familiar 152nd blazonry (see photo below).
So, below is the official Lineage and Honors for what existed as the 1st Battalion, 152nd Field Artillery as of 1997, when the certificate was issued. Also is a summary of the 2nd Battalion's lineage, from a 1954 document. Also provided are scanned original official memos that support the above summary.
Also, note that the 1970 and earlier versions of the Lineage and Honors omit the Ardennes-Alsace campaign credit for the WW2 203rd. I don't know how it got corrected, but in 1971 a correction was published by Department of the Army General Order granting the credit.
Oh, and remember the 152nd Regimental HQ that turned into the 203rd FA Group HQ (and fought with Patton's Third Army)? After the war, they were "converted and redesignated" as the 136th Engineer Combat Company, effective 21 May 1946.
Notice the upper left corner of this
314th AAA Battalion Unit Insignia,
signifying the consolidation of the
203d FA (but really the 2d Bn, 152d
FA). The 314th AAA Bn was in the
Maine Nat'l Guard from '47 - '59.
Link to the Post-War 203rd FA Battalion (formerly the 2d
Battalion 152nd FA) Lineage memo. The info is listed as an
annex to the 314th AAA battalion lineage, with whom they had
consolidated.
*New* - The 203rd Field Artillery motto, "Skill on the Way," is a
combination of the 192nd FA motto "Skill and Force" and the
152nd's "On the Way." The new unit coat of arms contained the
shield of the 192nd FA and the projectile of the 152nd's crest.
Read the memo.
Campaign credit to 203rd Field Artillery for Ardennes-Alsace
campaign in WW2 - DA General Orders (scroll to near end of
document)
The long process of tryng to get "unit crests" for a new unit is
shown in this series of letters from 1942-1943 between the
203rd and a vendor, and a memo to the batteries regarding
paying their fair share. Incomplete, but gives one an
interesting view of the process. The crests apparently
eventually were produced because they're seen on Ebay once
in a great while.