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FULLY RESEARCHED WWI VETERAN ARCHIVE
Corporal William Dabney Hunter Jr. — Company A, 101st Engineers, 26th “Yankee” Division
Two Original Named 1935 & 1938 Reunion Badges with Cerberus Gallery Historical Research & Provenance Dossier
Offered by Cerberus Gallery is an extensively researched World War I veteran grouping centered on two original, personally named Yankee Division Veterans Association badges belonging to W. D. Hunter.
This collection is accompanied by a professionally prepared, illustrated historical dossier documenting the military service, identity, and postwar veterans\' activities of Corporal William Dabney Hunter Jr. of Melrose, Massachusetts.
Our research has recovered Hunter\'s actual Army transportation record, his military serial number, a wartime company record, a surviving soldier portrait identified by the Massachusetts State Library, and primary-source documentation concerning the combat history of his unit.
The two original badges, printed research dossier, original extensive research archive document, archival reproductions, and presentation display are offered together as a single historical collection.
The original artifacts
1935 — 16th Reunion, Yankee Division Veterans Association, New Haven, Connecticut
An original reunion badge with gold-tone metalwork, red-white-blue ribbon, blue enamel Yankee Division insignia, and original typed identification.
The name insert reads “WM. D. HUNTER / 101 INF. CO. A.”
The reverse is maker-marked ROBBINS CO., ATTLEBORO, a recognized American manufacturer of military and organizational insignia.
The badge measures approximately 85 mm in overall height, with a name-bar width of 46–47 mm and a pendant width of approximately 33 mm. Recorded weight is 25.5 grams.
Condition is very good, with strong original finish, substantially intact enamel, localized ribbon wear, and natural age-related toning.
The 1935 insert identifies “101 INF.” while Hunter\'s military records confirm service in the 101st Engineers. This discrepancy is fully disclosed in our accompanying research. A reunion-era typing error is possible but remains unproven.
1938 — 19th Annual Convention, Yankee Division Veterans Association
The second original convention badge retains its handwritten W. D. Hunter identification and a unit notation referring to Company A, 101st Engineers.
It features original metalwork, blue enamel decoration, red-white-blue ribbon, and period fastening hardware.
Overall height is approximately 85 mm, with a name-bar width of 40 mm and pendant width of 31–32 mm. Recorded weight is 28.2 grams.
Condition is good, with age-related metal oxidation, surface wear, original enamel substantially intact, and ribbon fraying/loss.
These are original postwar veterans\' convention badges, not official WWI campaign medals or valor decorations.
Identifying Corporal William Dabney Hunter Jr.
Cerberus Gallery\'s research establishes a strong documentary connection between the named badges and the veteran.
Original Army transportation documents identify:
William D. Hunter — Corporal, Company A, 101st Engineers, 26th Division
Army Serial Number: 184272
His family contact is recorded as Mrs. Myra H. Hunter, his mother, at 198 Upham Street, Melrose, Massachusetts.
An independent 1910 Melrose municipal record identifies William Dabney Hunter Jr. in the same community.
Recovered Company A material from 1917 independently connects W. D. Hunter with the same Melrose address.
These documents establish a persuasive historical identification through matching names, military service, rank, family information, and geography.
A surviving wartime photograph of Hunter
One of the most significant discoveries made during our investigation is a surviving World War I soldier portrait preserved by the Massachusetts State Library.
The photograph is cataloged as:
“Photograph of W. D. Hunter, 101st Eng. Co. A.”
The identification slate within the original photograph also records W. D. Hunter and Company A.
A reproduction of this historically identified photograph, with institutional attribution, is included in the Cerberus Gallery provenance dossier.
This offers collectors an unusually direct visual connection between the named historical artifacts and the identified WWI serviceman.
Hunter\'s company in the First World War
The 101st Engineers served with the famed 26th “Yankee” Division during World War I.
Military records establish the regiment\'s overseas movement in September 1917 and identify Hunter with Company A.
Seicheprey — April 20, 1918
Contemporary divisional histories specifically document that Company A, 101st Engineers, served as combatant infantry during the German attack at Seicheprey.
The unit was positioned in the Beaumont/Seicheprey sector during the fighting.
This was a significant early engagement involving American soldiers in France. Our research documents Company A\'s participation while distinguishing unit service from Hunter\'s individual actions, which have not been separately established for the battle.
Château-Thierry and the Belleau sector — July 1918
Research has also established Company A\'s exposure to intense combat conditions during the July 1918 fighting.
Company commander Harry R. Howe received the Distinguished Service Cross following his conduct during a mustard-gas and high-explosive bombardment on July 14.
Company A soldier James G. Walsh received the Distinguished Service Cross for extraordinary heroism during actions on July 16–18.
These accounts provide documented historical context for Hunter\'s company, but neither decoration was awarded to Hunter.
The 101st Engineers subsequently participated in major American operations including St. Mihiel and the Meuse-Argonne, carrying out essential combat-engineering duties.
Hunter\'s documented return from France
The strongest surviving individual military evidence is Hunter\'s U.S. Army return transportation record.
This original document identifies him as a corporal in Company A, 101st Engineers, Army Serial Number 184272.
He is listed aboard the transport Mount Vernon, departing Brest, France, on March 27, 1919.
The record also identifies his mother and Melrose family address.
Contemporary reports confirm the transport\'s return to Boston in early April 1919.
A reproduction and analysis of this military record are included in the provenance dossier.
Postwar life and the Yankee Division Veterans Association
Following the First World War, veterans of the 26th Division maintained their connections through reunions, conventions, memorial events, and veterans\' organizations.
Hunter\'s surviving 1935 and 1938 badges document his association with this veteran community years after returning from France.
The two named objects preserve an important connection between wartime military service and the experience of American veterans during the interwar years.
What the buyer receives
The purchase includes the original artifacts and the Cerberus Gallery research package:
Both original, named 1935 and 1938 Yankee Division Veterans Association badges, preserved together.
The modern presentation display shown in the listing photographs.
A printed, illustrated Cerberus Gallery research and provenance dossier prepared specifically for this collection.
A credited archival reproduction of Hunter\'s WWI soldier portrait from the Massachusetts State Library.
Reproductions and analysis of the recovered U.S. Army transport documentation identifying Hunter, his military unit, rank, serial number, and family information.
Supporting 1917 Company A documentation and relevant historical military records.
Research on Company A\'s service at Seicheprey and during the 1918 campaigns, with supporting contemporary and official historical material.
Individual artifact photographs, dimensions, maker-mark documentation, physical condition reports, historical interpretation, source references, and bibliography.
The historical records and photographs in the dossier are research reproductions, not original wartime paperwork or photographic prints offered separately.
Provenance and historical documentation
This collection has been researched using original military documents, contemporary publications, institutional collections, municipal records, and regimental histories.
The attribution is supported by multiple independent sources rather than an unidentified name on a badge.
Cerberus Gallery distinguishes confirmed individual evidence from wider company and regimental history. An uninterrupted ownership history from the 1930s has not been established, and no unverified personal combat exploits or decorations are claimed.
Both historical badges retain their original named inserts, ribbons, period hardware, and age-related character. No restoration is represented.
Offered as one complete, fully researched and documented historical grouping.
CERBERUS GALLERYHistorical Objects • Militaria • Numismatics • Archival Research
