– 9th Infantry Division Call Signs –

In wartime, communications between Divisions, Battalions and Companies had to be done by using so called “Call Signs”. This was a “code” word for each group to protect any form of information that might fall into the hands of the enemy. These call signs can often be found in radio conversations and reports.

During World War 2, the first letter of a Division would usually be the first letter of the call sign name. The code name assigned by the US Army to the 9th Infantry Division was “Notorious“. All components of the Ninth Division were given code names that started with the letter “N”. After doing some research, I was able to find several of the call signs that were used by the 9th Infantry Division. In some of the radio reports we can see how these call signs are being used. Some of them are actually pretty funny to read.

The call signs:

The list of call signs used by the 9th Infantry Division that are known to me:

9th Infantry Division: Notorious

39th Infantry Regiment: Nudge
47th Infantry Regiment: Nostril
60th Infantry Regiment: Nutmeg

9th Infantry Division Artillery HQ: Noisy
26th Field Artillery Battalion: Nudist
34th Field Artillery Battalion: Normal
60th Field Artillery Battalion: Nuptial
84th Field Artillery Battalion: Notary

9th Medical Battalion: Nostrum
9th Infantry Division Reconnaissance Troop: Nomad
9th Infantry Division Signal Company: Nora
9th Quartermaster Company: Nougat
15th Engineer Battalion: Noxema

376th Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion (Mobile): Noble
610th Tank Destroyer Bn (Towed): Nuisance
709th Ordnance Company: Nutty
607th Tank Destroyer Battalion; Nylon

746th Tank Battalion: Campus – Blue
899th Tank Destroyer Battalion: Jersey

Battalion codes:

The Battalions were given the names of colors. To make it easy for you to remember, you can think of the 9th Infantry Division shoulder patch from the top to bottom.
This is not the official reason, only for you to remember the battalions better!

Battalions:
1st Battalion =Red
2nd Battalion = White
3rd Battalion = Blue

Company Names:
The battalions were made up of companies:

1st Battalion:
A = Able
B = Baker
C = Charlie
D = Dog

2nd Battalion:
E = Easy
F = Fox
G = George
H = How

3rd Battalion:
I = Item
K = King
L = Love
M = Mike

If we take a look at this code name example:

“Nutmeg Red Able One Leader”

It can be decoded as:

Nutmeg = 60th Infantry Regiment
Red = 1st Battalion
Able = Company A
One = 1st Platoon
Leader = Leader

This translates to being the 1st Platoon Leader of Company A, part of 1st Battalion, 60th Infantry Regiment.

US Army Staff Designations:

Then we have these different Army Staff “S” – designated numbers:

S-1 = Personnel
S-2 = Intelligence
S-3 = Operations
S-4 = Logistics
S-5 = Executive Officer
S-6 = Commander

So, we know that “Six” or “6” is the commander of a unit. “Nudge Blue Six” means:
Commander of 3rd Battalion of the 39th Infantry Regiment.

In the report above we also see “Omaha”. This is the call sign for the 3rd Armored Division

Corps and Army Call Signs:

V Corps: Victor
VII Corps: Jayhawk
(explains Camp Jay Hawk in Verviers)

First US Army: Master
Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Forces: Liberty