THE PLATES
A1: Sgt., 6th Marines, 2nd Marine Brigade; San Diego, California, 1941
Blues were the most distinctive of Marine uniforms and prescribed in two classes, dress and undress. Officers wore the M1935 ‘Sam Browne’ belt in place of the garrison belt. Officers and staff sergeants and higher were authorised a swagger stick, a practice that quickly fell from use. On the left shoulder is the fourragère (‘pogey rope’) of the French Croix de Guerre awarded to the 5th and 6th Marines in World War I. Legend says the scarlet trouser stripes represent Marine blood shed during the Mexican War storming of Chapultepec (1847), but they were worn from 1798. Rank chevrons are gold on scarlet, as are service stripes; one ‘hash mark’ represents four years of service. The cap and collar ‘globe and anchor’ devices are gilt. On the breast are the Expert Rifleman Badge with a Requalification Bar and Basic Badge with two Weapons Qualification Bars. Above the badges is the Marine Corps Good Conduct Ribbon.
A2: Capt., Headquarters, 2nd Marine Brigade; San Diego, California, 1941
The forest green winter service uniform is worn with the ‘Sam Browne’ belt. Bronze cap and collar ‘globe and anchor’ devices are worn on greens by all ranks. A different style, but no less traditional, eagle and anchor device adorn dress and service uniform buttons (2a). This design has been used since 1804 and is the oldest military insignia in continuous use in the United States. The ribbons are (from left to right) the Second Nicaraguan Campaign, Yangtze Service (1937–38 Shanghai duty), and China Service; beneath them are the Sharpshooter Rifleman and Basic Qualification Badges. Officers do not wear service stripes.
Marines of the 5th MarDiv rush up the stepped black volcanic sand of Iwo Jima as seen from this landing craft eye view, 1945. A backpacked ‘walki-talki’ radio can be seen in the lower left.
A3: Lt.Col., Headquarters, Marine Corps; Washington D.C., 1945
Generals and field grade officers wear gilt oak leaves and acorns on their service cap’s visor as well as a gilt chin-strap. The embroidered braid quatrefoil can be seen on the cap’s crown. The tradition of the quatrefoil has it origins in the Corps’ beginnings, when Marine officers affixed black cord crosses atop their caps in order to be recognised by sharpshooters in the rigging; it was formally adopted in 1859. Officers wear gilt and silver cap and collar devices (3a). This four-star general’s aide-de-camp is identified by a gold and scarlet shoulder aiguillette and distinctive collar badges. Aide-de-camps’ ranks are progressively higher with each star the general possessed: brigadier generals have lieutenants while full generals rate a lieutenant colonel. They also rated one enlisted orderly per star. The ribbons are the Bronze Star with ‘V’ Device (for Valor), Navy Presidential Unit Citation with Bronze Battle Star (one for each additional action for which the unit was cited), American Defense Service with Bronze Battle Star, Asiatic-Pacific Theater with Silver and Bronze Battle Stars (a Silver Star equates to five Bronze), and World War II Victory Medal.
‘Coed’, an M4A3 Sherman medium tank of the 4th Tank Battalion, awaits a fire support mission. The sandbags in front protected the crew sleeping position. The hull sides are sided with 2 in. thick wood planks to ward off Japanese hand-emplaced Type 99 magnetic charges.
B1: Pfc., Company A, 1st Engincer Battalion, 1st Marine Brigade; Iceland, 1942
The forest green winter service uniform and overcoat doubled as a field uniform in the Icelandic winter. This was supplemented with a forest green wool winter cap with brown fur car-flaps and bill (previously used in North China). A bronze ‘globe and anchor’ collar device was affixed to a red backing on the upturned bill. Mustard-coloured wool shirts, wool underwear, heavy wool socks and black rubber overshoes completed the outfit; the trousers were tucked into the tops of the white socks. Hip-length drab canvas, sheepskin-lined coats were rush purchased from Sears Roebuck, as were canvas and rubber foul-weather outfits. The British 79th Division, also garrisoning the island, invited the brigade to wear its ‘Polar Bear’ patch as a sign of unity. It was accepted and worn on both shoulders in British style. The patches, or ‘shoulder marks’, as the British called them, were mirrored, so that the polar bear would face forward. The brigade wore the patch with pride until it rejoined the 2nd MarDiv in California. This engineer is outfitted with scrubbed and Blancoed web gear comprising an M1923 cartridge belt (ten pockets with two five-round clips each), M1924 first aid pouch, M1910 canteen and cover, M1905 bayonet and M1910 scabbard, M1910 entrenching tool, ND Mk III gas mask (ND-Navy Diaphragm) and M1928 backpack. His rifle is a Springfield M1903.
B2: Pfc., 4th Marines (Reinforced); Corregidor, 1942
Khakis were employed as the field uniform until Guadalcanal, when utilities became the combat uniform of choice. The M1917A1 ‘dishpan’ helmet was painted Marine forest green. Although not an official practice, they were often drilled to attach a bronze service cap ‘globe and anchor’. This machine gunner is armed with a Lewis Mk 6 Mod 1 machine gun and M1911 pistol. The carrying bag holds a 47-round drum. Besides the khaki M1928 backpack, the Marines also had a forest green version with khaki straps and edge binding.
B3: Chief Marine Gunner, Marine Corps Equipment Board; Quantico, Virginia, 1943
The chief Marine gunner was a chief warrant officer (CWO) grade designating ordnance specialist. Their rank insignia was a flaming grenade worn on the collars, and a medium blue and gold bar on the shoulder straps. Marine gunners did not wear the bars. In December 1943 CWOs were redesignated commissioned warrant officers, but were still addressed as ‘Chief. A bronze ‘globe and anchor’ is worn on the tropical fibre helmet. In 1943 bronze-colour devices and buttons were introduced to conserve materials critical to the war effort. Impressed with the Japanese 50 mm ‘knee mortar’, the Marines searched for a similar weapon. One candidate was the 60 mm T20 mortar. It was fired by a prone gunner at ranges up to 200 yards. While 100 T20s were tested in combat, it was not standardised.
An 81 mm mortar squad blasts Mt. Suribachi, Iwo Jima, as the 28th Marines advance towards the volcano’s base. Emplaced in a bomb crater reinforced by sand-filled ammunition cases, the mortar bears a backup white-painted aiming line on its tube.
B4: Capt., Infantry Battalion, Training Centre; New River, North Carolina, 1942
This company commander wears the OD wool felt field hat with the officer’s scarlet and gold hat cords. Drill instructors (DI) and rifle teams continued to wear the ‘campaign hat’ after its general issue ceased in 1943. They were occasionally used in the Pacific, generally in a somewhat more battered condition.
C1: Cpl., 1st Marines, 1st MarDiv; Guadalcanal, 1942
The two-piece utility suit soon became the standard field uniform. The black stencilled USMC and ‘globe and anchor’ adorned the left breast on virtually all field uniforms. The M1 ‘steel pot’ had completely replaced the ‘dishpan’. Field leggings and boonbockers remained the standard footwear for the war’s duration. The venerable ‘03 Springfield’ still armed riflemen, but the M1 rifle was soon to replace it. The wartime tan Marine web gear had begun to be issued.
C2: Pfc., 7th Marines, 1st MarDiv; Guadalcanal, 1943
Assistant automatic riflemen were armed with M1 carbines. This necessitated the use of a pistol belt and two-cell magazine pockets for the 15-round magazines. They were also issued with three-pocket BAR magazine carriers that could hold six 20-round magazines. The utility cap was widely worn in rear areas, and leggings were frequently discarded due to chaffing and because of their increased weight when wet. The cumbersome M1928 backpack was replaced by the M1941 pack system (). Here the haversack is worn in the marching pack order with an M1910 pick-mattock.
After the famous flag raising (actually the second raising) on Mt. Suribachi, 2nd Battalion, 28th Marines cluster around the site. Three of the six flag raisers died on the island. The flag came from LST 779 and the staff was a Japanese pipe.
C3: Pfc., 9th Marines, 3rd MarDiv; Bougainville, 1943
The Army’s one-piece jungle suit was the first camouflage uniform issued to the Marines. Scout-observer-sniper teams made use of this hot, cumbersome suit. Many added a burlap helmet cover. This sniper has dabbed green paint on his cover, web gear and leggings in an effort to subdue their light colour. From November 1943 snipers used ‘special reference’ M1903A1s with a Unertl 8× target scope, which came with a Micarta carrying case. Additional ammunition is carried in a six-pocket bandoleer; each pocket held two five-round clips. While snipers made life difficult for unwary opponents, a key role was counter-sniping. They were usually covered by men armed with Thompsons and BARs. The 3rd MarDiv patch is insert (3a).
A 14th Marines 105 mm M2A1 howitzer provides fire support to advancing 4th MarDiv troops on Iwo Jima. The 105 mm served as a general support artillery piece. Most of the crew wear camouflage ponchos to ward off the rain.
C4: Pfc., 1st Samoan Battalion, USMCR; Pago Pago, 1942
American Samoa, administered by the Navy from 1900–51, became a major base area in 1942 as US forces struggled to halt the Japanese tide. The 1st Samoan Battalion was raised in early 1941 as part of the Marine Corps Reserve, to assist the 7th Defense Battalion by manning guns and patrolling beaches. Led by regular Marine officers and senior NCOs, it was an offspring of the Navy’s Fita-Fita Guard (Samoan for ‘courageous’) militia. The Battalion’s unquestionably unique uniform, although less ‘flam-boyant’ than the Fita-Fita’s, included the traditional lava-lava native skirt of scarlet-trimmed khaki. A scarlet-piped khaki garrison cap, white undershirt and scarlet sash completed this one-size-fits-all uniform. A gold ‘globe and anchor’ adorned a scarlet shield at knee-level, and a smaller version was affixed to the cap. Standard gold on scarlet rank stripes were placed below the lava-lava’s shield. M1917A1 helmets were issued.
D1: Pfc., 2nd Raider Battalion; Makin Island, 1942
On 8 August, 221 raiders of the Battalion’s Companies A and B departed Pearl Harbor aboard two submarines. The raiders landed by LCR(2) rubber boat and conducted a reconnaissance in force between 17 and 18 August. Although the raiders lost 30 men, the operation cost the Japanese two troop transports, two aircraft, fuel stores and a radio station. Japanese reinforcements destined for Guadalcanal were subsequently diverted to Makin. Prior to the operation, the raiders were directed to turn in a set of khakis, which were returned to them dyed black. Most wore tennis shoes on the raid. Two hundred Thompson M1928A1 submachine guns were issued to a raider battalion. The Marines were introduced to the Thompson M1921 in 1922 while guarding mail trains after a rash of robberies (which ceased after the Marines took over). Five 20-round magazines were carried in the magazine pocket, the same as used with the Ricsing submachine gun. One of the best known of raider weapons was the ‘Gung Ho’ knife. The Collins No. 18 knife had a 9 in. blade and either a black bakelite or green bone grip. The FMFPac Raider patch is insert (1a).
D2: Cpl., 3rd Amphibian Traction Battalion, 3rd MarDiv; Bougainville, 1943
Amtrac and tank crewmen often wore one-piece mechanic’s coveralls. Rank chevrons were sometimes stencilled (or crudely painted) on field uniforms. This LVT(1) Alligator gunner has donned an M26 life preserver belt. It was also used by Marines aboard landing craft and discarded upon landing. It could be inflated automatically by two CO2 cartridges or orally. Standard LVT(1) armament was an HB-M2 and an M1917A1 machine gun. The latter is carried here in an M7 cover. Amtracs were extremely valuable, being one of the few means available to cross coral reefs surrounding Pacific atolls, but their losses were often heavy: at Tarawa the 2nd Amtrac Battalion assaulted with 125 tractors and lost 90 in 30 hours; the crews suffered 60 per cent casualties.
A 1st MarDiv BAR man fires on counterattacking Japanese, Okinawa, 1945. The weapon’s bipod has been removed to reduce its weight. The BAR man wears an M1937 BAR magazine belt.
D3: Cpl., 3rd Parachute Battalion, IMAC; Bougainville, 1943
The camouflage parachutist utility uniform was worn by the Battalion during its Solomons operations. The Johnson M1941 light machine gun was issued on the basis of three per parachute squad. While actually an automatic rifle, its capabilities were similar to the BAR’s, it did have a quick-change barrel and its magazine could be charged while still in the gun, using Springfield five-round stripper clips. Twelve 20-round magazines were carried in the special bag. The rifle cartridge belt was used to carry five-round clips. Other parachutists’ weapons included Riesing M55 sub-machine guns and M1A1 carbines. One of three versions of the ‘K-Bar’ fighting knife, the Camillus Cutlery 1219C, is carried; the three versions were identical but for slight differences in pommel design and blade shape. The other two were the Union Cutlery KA-BAR and the Blade and Tool PAL. The Quartermaster General resisted the K-Bar’s issue, claiming it was too expensive for the good it would do and that too many Marines would injure themselves; the Commandant overrode that decision.
D4: Staff Sgt., 11th Marines, 1st MarDiv; Australia, 1943
Australian battle dress was issued to the 1st MarDiv as a substitute for green winter service uniforms which were not available. A khaki shirt and ‘field scarf complete the uniform. The ‘Vandegrift jacket’ is adorned with the same bronze collar insignia as worn on forest green uniforms. The forest green garrison cap has the same bronze device as worn on the left jacket collar. Officers wear rank insignia on the cap’s right front. The 1st MarDiv was one of the first units to adopt a shoulder insignia (4a), although some World War I units had worn patches. What were initially called ‘battle blazes’ were officially approved on 15 March 1943 for divisions, aircraft wings, and other selected units. They were worn on the left sleeve of overcoats, service coats, field jackets, and shirts worn as an outer garment, but never on utilities. Blue patches were usually sewn over a scarlet backing that followed the insignia’s outline to make it more visible on blues, greens and ODs. NCOs with straight ‘ties’ in their rank insignia (‘stripes’) were staff specialists rather than ‘line’ NCOs, who were identified by inverted arches or ‘rockers’. Stripes worn on forest green and OD uniforms were forest green on scarlet. From September 1942, rank was worn only on the left sleeve if overseas. Centred on the right sleeve is a Navy Gun Pointer 1st Class distinguishing mark, in Marine colours, indicating service in ships’ detachments. Other authorised marks were Gun Captain, Gun Pointer 2nd Class, and Parachute Man. An Excellence in Gunnery ‘E’ device could be worn 2½ in. above the right cuff. The ribbons are those of the Marine Corps Reserve (four years service) and American Defense Service Medals.
A 37 mm AT gun crew off-loads from the rear ramp of an LVT4 ‘amtrac’ on an Okinawa beach. An M1919A4 light machine gun sits in the foreground.
E1: Pfc., 1st Raider Battalion, 1st Marine Raider Regiment; New Georgia, 1943
The raiders employed a number of unique weapons, among which was the British-designed, Canadian-made .55-cal. Boys Mk I anti-tank rifle. Raiders referred to it as the ‘elephant gun’. They also used: M1 rifles, M1 carbines, M1918A2 BARs, M1879 and M1912 shotguns; M1928A1, M1A1 and M55 submachine guns; and M1911A1 pistols. He carries M1941 web gear with an M4A1 gas mask in an MIII case. Raiders were among the first units to receive two-piece camouflage utilities and helmet covers. They were initially issued flannel belly bands, an unusual practice from the American viewpoint, to ‘protect the [body] surface against the influence of sudden temperature changes’.
E2: Pfc., 10th Defense Battalion; Pavuvu Island, 1943
Marines tended to ‘dress down’ to better endure the ceaseless tropical heat and humidity. However, the steel helmet was an essential part of the ‘uniform’. This gunner wears a Navy Mk 2 ‘talker’ helmet and sound-powered headset telephone of the type used by shipboard gunners. Early Marine identity discs, or ‘dog tags’, were oval (later ones were rectangular). While being replaced by 20 mm guns, .50-cal. M2 watercooled anti-aircraft machine guns still equipped defence battalions. The 20 mm had the advantage of a longer range and a high explosive projectile, but the ‘.50-cal.’ had a flatter trajectory due to a lighter bullet backed by a comparatively heavier propellant charge.
E3: Pfc., 8th Marines, 2nd MarDiv; Betio Island, 1943
Although used earlier, the first widespread use of two-piece camouflage utilities was during the brutal November assault on Tarawa Atoll. While reversible, it was seldom worn brown-side out. Also worn is the early helmet cover. This rifleman, crouching in milky white, artillery churned lagoon water, shelters beside the infamous 600-yd pier. He is armed with an M1 rifle, which then equipped the 1st, 2nd and 3rd MarDivs; an M7 grenade launcher is fitted to its muzzle. The old M1923 cartridge belt was still used, but only one eight-round clip could be carried in each pocket. An M1 cleaning rod case is attached to the belt. While the Corps’ earlier operations proved their valour and skill beyond doubt, it was the controversial Betio assault that convinced even their strongest critics that they had no peers in tenacity and sheer guts. Of the three regiments that assaulted the two-mile-long, 800-yd-wide island and its 4,836 Japanese special naval landing force defenders and Korean construction workers, 1,085 were killed or missing and 2,233 were wounded. Only 17 Japanese and 129 Koreans were taken prisoner. The 2nd MarDiv patch is insert (3a).
A combat loaded 1st MarDiv assistant BAR man rushes across open ground as his unit advances across Okinawa. He carries a BAR magazine belt and rifle ammunition bandoleer.
), and is also armed with an M3 trench knife in an M6 leather scabbard (M8 was plastic). (The M4 carbine bayonet, adopted in May 1944, was based on the M3.) He holds an SCR-536 ‘handitalki’. Individual Marines were issued a printed line-drawing island map for each operation. Its back was ruled to record his chain of command, mission, signal instructions, coordination instructions and so on. The 4th MarDiv patch is insert (3a). 
Combat exhausted Marines take a well-deserved rest after prolonged rain-filled, sleepless nights on Okinawa. An M1941 field transport pack assembly lies in the foreground.
F4: Pvt., 4th Marine Ammunition Company, 5th Field Depot; Guam, 1944
The Marines strongly resisted the introduction of coloured troops until ordered to do so in June 1942. With the exception of the 51st and 52nd Defense Battalions (neither saw combat), the Corps’ 20,000 blacks were relegated to 51 depot and 12 ammunition companies, which were attached to all-white base and field depots. For all practical purposes these companies were stevedore units used to manhandle supplies and ammunition from the beach to the front, leading them sarcastically to call themselves ‘Ration Box Commandos’. Company officers and many NCOs were white. A confidential letter of instruction, issued by the Commandant in March 1943, stated that black NCOs would not be of a grade senior to white NCOs, and that few, if any, would be of the same grade. Seven ammunition and 12 depot companies saw limited combat. The 4th Ammo Company, for example, successfully hunted down Japanese stragglers after Guam was declared secure. This ‘Montford Point Marine’, after the base where blacks were trained, wears a green undershirt, sage green utility hat, and the later type ‘dog tag’.
A 155 mm M1 howitzer of one of three Marine 155 mm howitzer artillery battalions to serve on Okinawa fires on Japanese positions. Note the Navy Mk 2 ‘talker’ helmet worn by the artillery man to the breech’s left.
G1: Demolition Squad, 27th Marines, 5th MarDiv; Iwo Jima, 1945
The 4th and 5th MarDivs formed a provisional ‘assault platoon’ in each battalion. These were armed with M2-2 flamethrowers, 2.36 in. M1A1 rocket launchers, Mk II hand grenades, and demolitions ‘blowtorches, bazookas, pineapples, and corkscrews’. On Iwo, rifle platoons were restructured with two rifle squads and a ‘demolition squad’. It had a ‘pin-up team’ with a bazooka and two BARs, a ‘demolition team’ of riflemen with bangalore torpedoes and satchel charges, and a ‘flamethrower team’ with two flamethrowers and protective riflemen. A stencilled 5th MarDiv clothing and equipment marking can be seen on the rocket gunner’s back. A 5th MarDiv patch is insert (1a).
H1: GySgt., 1st Parachute Battalion; Quantico, Virginia, 1941
The first ‘Paramarines’ wore khakis under the first model sage green coveralls. Two-piece utilities soon became more common jump wear, and were often used without the coveralls. The left beast pocket was for D ration cartons (chocolate bars) while the right held field dressings. A cargo pocket on the back held a poncho. The headgear is the short-lived forest green wool jump helmet. The rough-side-in leather jump boots were initially worn. The Johnson M1941 rifle proved to be short-lived, but did see limited combat in the Solomons. Its unique bayonet is attached to the cartridge belt, while a Western Knife Co. W31 utility knife is carried in the coveralls’ left side pocket; both edged weapons had leather scabbards.
H2: 1st Lt., 2nd Parachute Battalion; San Diego, California, 1942.
The reversible camouflage parachutist coveralls were similar to the sage green model, but had modified pockets and pads. It is worn over the camouflage parachutist utility uniform, which influenced the design of the 1944 modified utilities. The A-7 flying helmet is worn under the M1 helmet. The high-top jump boot version of the boonbockers are worn. In combat, the Reising M55 sub-machine gun proved to have serious flaws; some Marines said it was not even a good club! While the Reising was often strapped behind the chest-mounted reserve parachute when jumping, a camouflage leg bag was also issued. A padded camouflage M1910 entrenching tool cover is worn. The IMAC Paramarine patch is insert (2a).
Marines pause in one of Okinawa’s many flattened towns. A K-ration carton is strapped to this rifleman’s M1941 haversack along with an M1943 entrenching tool.
H3: Pfc., 4th Parachute Battalion; New River, North Carolina, 1943
The modified parachutist camouflage coveralls were issued only to the last parachute battalion activated – the 4th, which was formed from the East Coast Parachute School. An Army-issue M1C parachutist helmet is worn along with Army ‘Corcoran’ jump boots. He is armed with an M1A1 carbine and Camillus Cutlery Fairbrain commando knife. The carbine will be placed in a tan drop bag and attached under the reserve chest parachute. The NAF 68514 troop parachute’s main and reserve had white 28 ft canopies (NAF – Navy Air Factory).
I1: Maj., Headquarters, IIIAC; Okinawa, 1945
Few modified utility uniforms, with their distinctive cargo pockets, reached combat troops, but they were seen in the rear areas. This staff officer wears miniature rank on his collars; full-size insignia were reserved for dress and service uniforms’ shoulder straps. He wears an M7 shoulder holster, designed for the Army Air Forces, with an M1911A1 pistol. On his belt are an M1942 first aid pouch, a pistol magazine pocket, and a lensatic compass pouch. An early type document case is carried at his side. The IIIAC patch is insert (1a).
12: Pfc., 4th Marine War Dog Platoon, FMFPac; Okinawa, 1945
War dogs were used as trackers and first employed on Bougainville in 1943. A platoon had 36 scout dogs. The dogs, which the Japanese called ‘Devil Dogs’, were considered weapons because their powers of smell and hearing enhanced a unit’s observation capabilities. Dogs were also used as messengers, with messages placed in a first aid pouch attached to its choke chain or leather collar. Mongrels were considered the most effective, followed by German Shepherds. Dobermans were the most widely used, but were considered too jumpy. The modified camouflage utility uniform was similar in design to the sage green modified utilities, but saw wider use. This dog handler was issued Army canteen covers; Army web gear was widely issued to the Marines by this stage of the war. He is armed with an M1 carbine and PAL ‘K-Bar’ knife. Each handler carried: 6- and 20-ft leather leashes; a muzzle; a towel; a grooming brush; a third canteen; and cans of dog food or extra C rations. An FMFPac War Dog Platoon patch is insert (2a).
). Note: Private – Grade 7, had no insignia.
Diamond could be vertical or horizontal, open or solid.
), it remained in wide use. K4: Late war platoon sergeant
Modified M1941 haversack with jungle first aid kit () and M1943 entrenching tool and carrier; modified M1941 knapsack; M1941 suspenders; M1932 pistol belt; two carbine magazine pockets; two canteens with late-type covers (large drain hole); KA-Bar knife; and M1942 first aid pouch with M15 white phosphorus grenade is attached.
Qualification badges. 1–5 were silver, 6–8 gilt.
(1) Expert Rifleman
(2) Sharpshooter
(3) Marksman
(4) Basic Weapons Qualification (with an Expert Pistol Bar)
(5) Parachutist
(6) Aviator
(7) Aviation Observer
(8) Air Crewman (stars represent campaign participation).
Bars were also available for BAR (AUTO-RIFLE), Thompson sub-machine gun (T.S.M.G.), machine gun (MACH.GUN), bayonet, and various artillery pieces. Bar weapons designations were preceded by EX – Expert, SS – Sharpshooter, or MM – Marksman (similar Army bars did not have prefixes).
K5: Early M1941 haversack
Early M1941 haversacks and knapsacks had normal closure flaps and small side flaps. Haversacks had integral shoulder straps.
K6: Modified M1941 haversack
Modified M1941 haversacks and knapsacks were introduced in 1943 and had a simplified closure system. The pack’s body was extended into a throat, which was folded over as a flap. This appeared shorter than early versions’ flaps. An M1 bayonet with M7 plastic scabbard, adopted in 1943, is attached.
L: US Marine Corps Women’s Reserve
The USMCWR was formed on 13 February 1943 to relieve manpower shortages (some 300 Marine Reservists [Female] had served in World War I). Women had been assigned to the Marine Corps since late 1942, but were part of the reserve and not a separate branch as in the Army. At the end of 1942 there were 3,100 women in the Marines; none were officers. Female officers were authorised in early 1943, and by mid-1943 there were over 21,300 Women Marines. They served in clerical, administrative and light maintenance assignments in the States. The few deployed overseas were stationed in Hawaii. By VJ-Day there were 18,460 Women Marines. USMCWR uniforms paralleled their male counterparts’, although there were no blues. Lacking a catchy title like other services’ women, a female reporter coined the term BAM – ‘Beautiful American Marines’. It was soon rephrased to mean ‘Broad Ass Marines’. The women retaliated by calling the men HAMs – ‘Hairy Ass Marines’.
L1: 1st Lt., USMCWR; Marine Barracks, Washington D.C., 1943
The USMCWR forest green winter service coat was of the same basic cut as the men’s and was worn with a khaki blouse and tie. Officers had a white braid cord on the service cap while enlisted wore scarlet. The six-panel skirt extended 1½ in. below the knee. This uniform could be worn without the coat. A forest green double-breasted trench coat was provided, with a scarlet wool knit scarf. Winter uniform accoutrements included a dark brown leather handbag and light brown leather gloves. Dark brown leather pumps or oxfords and beige stockings were worn with all service uniforms. Women wore the same metal insignia as their male counterparts, but did not wear shoulder patches. ‘Montezuma red’ lipstick, matching uniform scarlet, was required.
L2: Cpl., USMCWR; Headquarters Company, Marine Training and Replacement Command; San Diego, California, 1944
The pale green and white striped cotton seersucker summer service uniform was the women’s counterpart to men’s khakis; its buttons were light green plastic. The scarlet-piped light green summer garrison cap is worn here (officers’ were white-piped), but a light green summer dress cap, of the same design as the winter service cap (L1), or an earlier, full-brimmed ‘Daisy May’ light green summer service hat (replaced by the garrison cap in 1944) could be worn. The summer undress jacket was of the same design, but had long sleeves and only three buttons. An optional white short-sleeved summer uniform was available (five gilt buttons), worn with white pumps. Girdles were mandatory. A light green cloth handbag cover and strap were added to the leather handbag for summer use, as were white cloth gloves. Women’s light green on white chevrons worn on summer uniforms (including whites) were smaller than men’s, but men’s scarlet on forest green stripes were worn on winter service coats.
Navy style distinguishing marks. Available in gold on scarlet (for blues), forest green on scarlet (for greens), and forest green on khaki (for khakis).
(1) Gun Captain
(2) Excellence in Gunnery (Navy ‘E’)
(3) Gun Pointer 2nd Class
(4) Gun Pointer 1st Class
(5) Parachute Man.
L3: Pvt., USMCWR, Headquarters, FMFPac; Pearl Harbor, T.H., 1945
Women were initially issued men’s HBT utilities, but in 1944 a woman’s cotton twill field uniform was provided. The short-sleeved shirt is worn here along with the sage green ‘Daisy May’ field hat; a garrison style HBT field cap was also available. The slacks had a bib front and integral suspenders. Women’s dark brown field boots complete the outfit. A three-button (brown plastic) long-sleeved shirt, similar to men’s utilities, was issued along with an OD field jacket (). The Military Police brassard was worn by all Marine MP personnel while on duty.
Blanco was a webbing cleaner issued in powder or cake form.
The phrase ‘Gung Ho’ was introduced by Lt.Col. Evans Carlson, 2nd Raider Battalion. Chinese for ‘work together’, it became a Marine by word.
