The 316th Cavalry Regiment was a cavalry unit of the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

during the

interwar period In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days), the end of the World War I, First World War to the beginning of the World War II, Second World War. The in ...

. The unit was activated as a Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont, and New Hampshire

Organized Reserve The United States Army Reserve (USAR) is a reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the Army element of the reserve components of the United States Armed Forces. Since July 2020, ...

unit during the interwar period. It was converted into a signal aircraft warning regiment after the United States entered

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

History

The 316th was constituted on 15 October 1921 in the Organized Reserves, part of the 64th Cavalry Division's 158th Cavalry Brigade in the

Fifth Corps Area The Fifth Corps Area was a military district of the United States Army from 1920-21 to the Second World War. The Fifth Corps Area included the states of Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky. Eventually it became Fifth Service Command on 22 Jul ...

. On 14 November, it was transferred to the

First Corps Area 60px, First Service Command insignia The First Corps Area was a Corps area (effectively a military district) of the United States Army 1921-1942. It replaced the Northeastern Department, and was headquartered in Boston Army Base, Massachusetts ...

. It was initiated (activated) on 6 July 1922 with its headquarters at

Northfield, Vermont Northfield is a New England town, town in Washington County, Vermont, United States. The town lies in a valley within the Green Mountains and has been home to Norwich University since 1866. It contains the Northfield (CDP), Vermont, village of No ...

, 1st Squadron at

Burlington, Vermont Burlington is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the seat of Chittenden County. It is located south of the Canada–United States border and south of Montreal. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the population was 44,743. It ...

, and 2nd Squadron at

Manchester, New Hampshire Manchester is a city in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. It is the most populous city in New Hampshire. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 115,644. Manchester is, along with Nashua, one of two seats of New Hamp ...

. On 15 April 1926, the headquarters relocated to

Hartford, Connecticut Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since the ...

, the 1st Squadron to

Waterbury, Connecticut Waterbury is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut on the Naugatuck River, southwest of Hartford and northeast of New York City. Waterbury is the second-largest city in New Haven County, Connecticut. According to the 2020 US Census, in 20 ...

, and the 2nd Squadron to

New Haven, Connecticut New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,02 ...

. At the time, the regiment's units were scattered over Connecticut, western Massachusetts, and northern Vermont and New Hampshire. A new 3rd Squadron at

Montpelier, Vermont Montpelier () is the capital city of the U.S. state of Vermont and the seat of Washington County. The site of Vermont's state government, it is the least populous state capital in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population w ...

was added to the regiment on 1 July 1929. For organization, administration, and training, the 316th was attached to the 76th Division on 17 October 1929 until its relief from the 76th and transfer to the 94th Division on 27 January 1930. The 3rd Squadron and other 316th units in Vermont usually held inactive training period meetings at the Meade Building in

Rutland Rutland () is a ceremonial county and unitary authority in the East Midlands, England. The county is bounded to the west and north by Leicestershire, to the northeast by Lincolnshire and the southeast by Northamptonshire. Its greatest len ...

. Connecticut units held the meetings at Harford's University Club and the A Troop Armory in New Haven, and Rhode Island units held them at Providence's Armory of Mounted Commands. In the fall or winter, Vermont and New Hampshire units conducted annual contact camps at

Norwich University Norwich University – The Military College of Vermont is a private senior military college in Northfield, Vermont. It is the oldest private and senior military college in the United States and offers bachelor's and master's degrees on-campus ...

. The 316th conducted summer training at

Fort Ethan Allen Fort Ethan Allen was a United States Army installation in Vermont, named for American Revolutionary War figure Ethan Allen. Established as a cavalry post in 1894 and closed in 1944, today it is the center of a designated national historic distric ...

with the 1st Squadron, 3rd Cavalry Regiment. As an alternate form of training, it provided cavalry training to civilians through the

Citizens' Military Training Camp Citizens' Military Training Camps (CMTC) were military training programs of the United States. Held annually each summer during the years 1921 to 1940, the CMTC camps differed from National Guard and Organized Reserve training in that the program a ...

at Fort Ethan Allen. The regiment's primary

ROTC The Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC ( or )) is a group of college- and university-based officer-training programs for training commissioned officers of the United States Armed Forces. Overview While ROTC graduate officers serve in all ...

feeder school was Norwich University. Around January 1940, the regimental headquarters and 2nd Squadron moved to

Providence, Rhode Island Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay ...

, and the 1st Squadron to Hartford. The 316th was converted into the 541st Signal Aircraft Warning Regiment on 30 January 1942, after the United States entered

. The regiment was disbanded on 11 November 1944.

Commanders

The 316th was commanded by the following officers: * 1st Lieutenant Martin H. Gleason (6 July–6 August 1922) * Major Walter V. Longwell (6 August–September 1922) * 1st Lieutenant Martin H. Gleason (September–December 1922) * Colonel Frank B. Edwards (April 1924–15 April 1926) * Colonel Clifford L. Cheney (30 April 1926–27 January 1930) * Colonel John H.K. Davis (27 January 1930–29 December 1934) * Lieutenant Colonel Joseph T. Marinan (30 December 1934–18 January 1940 * Lieutenant Colonel Harold C. Thomas (18 January–August 1940)

Heraldry

The regiment's coat of arms and distinctive unit insignia were both approved on 11 March 1927. The distinctive unit insignia consisted of the winged thunderbolt symbol of Tallmadge's Dragoons, a Connecticut Revolutionary War unit. The thunderbolt was located inside an azure

bezant In the Middle Ages, the term bezant (Old French ''besant'', from Latin ''bizantius aureus'') was used in Western Europe to describe several gold coins of the east, all derived ultimately from the Roman ''solidus''. The word itself comes from th ...

and annulet with the unit's motto, "Pata Concita Fulmnt Nati" (The Fatherland having been aroused, its sons thunder forth), which was the motto of Tallmadge's Dragoons. The coat of arms consisted of a blue shield with the winged thunderbolt in the center. The blue copied the color of one of the Tallmadge's Dragoons flags, and the Organized Reserve's

Minuteman Minutemen were members of the organized New England colonial militia companies trained in weaponry, tactics, and military strategies during the American Revolutionary War. They were known for being ready at a minute's notice, hence the name. Mi ...

crest was located above the shield.

References

Citations

Bibliography

* * {{Cite book, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wI8xAQAAIAAJ&dq=%2265th+tank+destroyer+battalion%22&focus=searchwithinvolume&q=%22307th+cavalry%22, title=Cavalry regiments of the US Army, last=Sawicki, first=James A., publisher=Wyvern Publications, year=1985, isbn=9780960240463, location=Dumfries, Virginia Cavalry regiments of the United States Army Military units and formations established in 1922 Military units and formations disestablished in 1942 Military units and formations in Rhode Island Military units and formations in Connecticut Military units and formations in New Hampshire Military units and formations in Vermont 1922 establishments in Vermont 1942 disestablishments in the United States