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daurelio
03-04-08, 11:05 PM
My Father was in Iwo Jima, 4th division Marines, and I have his uniform. He has the number 4 patch on his left arm (upper) and I have an additional #4 patch. Was this patch intended to be sewen on the right arm of his uniform?
Thanks for any info.:flag:

Sgt Leprechaun
03-07-08, 01:14 PM
No, the Marines in WWII only sewed the divisional insignia on to the left sleeve.

And, please fill out a profile.

Thanks!

FistFu68
03-07-08, 01:38 PM
:evilgrin: I HAVE SEEN WW11 VETS,WITH THEIR DIVISION PATCH SEWN ON RIGHT SHOULDER,SIGNIFING THAT THEY HAD RETURNED FROM COMBAT WITH THAT UNIT.LEFT SHOULDER BEFORE,@ DURING!!! ONLY ON ONE SHOULDER,EITHER OR? :usmc: :iwo:

daurelio
03-07-08, 09:18 PM
Thank you.:iwo:

Sgt Leprechaun
03-08-08, 10:55 AM
Army is allowed to. Fist, if you have photos or know of any someplace to show that, I'd like to see it. For Marines to do it, that's pretty rare to see.

FistFu68
03-08-08, 11:53 AM
:evilgrin: I'LL HAVE TOO GO THROUGH MY ARCHIVE PIC'S BUT,I HAVE SOME OF JOHN BASILONE,AND A FEW HIGH RANKING MEMBERS OF THE 1ST.MARINE DIVISION.AFTER RETURN FROM GUADALCANAL,AND SOME CODE TALKERS;WITH THE PATCH ON RIGHT SHOULDER.I'LL TRY AND GET THEM SCANNED IN HEAR FUTURE.:usmc: :iwo:

Sgt Leprechaun
03-08-08, 11:55 AM
That would be cool to see, since it was totally unauthorized by any USMC regs. And we all know how much Marines adhere to regs...esp in wartime!

heheheheheehehehee

:)

Eric Hood
03-08-08, 12:07 PM
I would like to see that too. I remember that Basilone was on the cover of a national magazine, he had the patch on the left shoulder.:usmc:
Eric

Sgt Leprechaun
03-08-08, 12:11 PM
Gents, I stand corrected. Obviously, it was done..here's the proof!

http://www.medalofhonor.com/MitchellPaige_JohnBasilone.jpg

It's even dated (1943) and it CLEARLY shows right side 'combat' patches being worn by no less than MajGen Vandegrift himself!

And the article even mentions the right side patches being worn.

Again, I stand corrected.

FistFu68
03-08-08, 12:19 PM
:evilgrin: THESE PIC'S WERE IN THE SPECIAL ADDITION OF LEATHERNECK MAGAZINE OF THE 1ST.MARINE DIVISION,CIRCA,LATE 70'S.UNLESS THEY WERE A PIC OF A PIC,BUT I NOTICED AT THE TIME THEY WERE WEARING P**S CUTTERS BUT (EGA)WAS ON THE LEFT SIDE OF COVER.I'M TEARING MY HOUSE UP NOW LOOKING FOR THEM NOW.WITH ALL THE STUFF I HAVE GENERATIONS OF THIS HISTORY HANDED DOWN.BUT WE WILL GET IT SORTED OUT.S/F:usmc: :iwo:

FistFu68
03-08-08, 12:21 PM
:evilgrin: THAT'S THE ONE MARINE,THANK'S NOW HELP ME CLEAN UP THE MESS(LOL)THANKS SGT.L!!!OOHRAH:usmc: :thumbup:

Sgt Leprechaun
03-08-08, 12:32 PM
Sorry 'bout that! Owe ya a beer. LOL

drw03
03-09-08, 12:31 AM
Somewhere, somewhere, I have a photo with a patch on the right sleeve. But I never payed attention to it befor, because of years in the Army with the patch on the left and the right. I wear one on both, it just never rang any bells.

gus
03-09-08, 01:01 AM
I have a book about USMC uniform of ww2.
They said in it that Marine have to wear patch as the army while they were in new zealand. It wasn t in the rules but they had to do it so they can be recognise by people.
I will check it later and add some information.

gus
03-10-08, 05:09 PM
I search in my book and here it s what i found
The Marine first wear an insigna in ww2 in the island(the contry). They wear it on both side and it wasn t an american insigna. It was the 49th british division patch. The rules were clear, they had to take it off when theyu left the contry.
Here are 2 photos of
Marines wearing them in 1941
http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/5939/usmcbr2.th.png (http://img151.imageshack.us/my.php?image=usmcbr2.png)http://img375.imageshack.us/img375/5871/usmc2gg3.th.png (http://img375.imageshack.us/my.php?image=usmc2gg3.png)

The first american insigna wear by Marines was the 1st division "guadalcanal".
For what I read in my book, 1st division came back in australia; Lieutenant colonel Meril B Twining saw that lots of Marine wear the army utility because they had problem to receive the usmc one and their uniform suffer from guadalcanal fight.
The low moral, Marine wearing army uniform and a problem to recognise themself made Twining and captain Donal Wilkinson drawing the new insigna.
The book is "USMC uniforms and equipment 1941-1945" by Bruno Alberti and Laurent Pradier; edition "histoire et collection.

Wyoming
03-10-08, 05:32 PM
Sorry 'bout that! Owe ya a beer. LOL :beer:

You better take a 2nd job. :D

FistFu68
03-10-08, 06:07 PM
:evilgrin: HAD A GUY TELL ME IN '73 THAT THE 1ST.MARINE DIVISION,PATCH I WORE ON MY ORIGINAL FIELD JACKET.RIGHT SHOULDER,WITH AMERICAN FLAG OVER MY HEART.HE GOES BOY,THOSE 5 STARS ON THAT 1ST.MAR.DIV.PATCH STAND FOR THE NUMBER OF BATTLES THEY WON.I SAID FIRST OF ALL I GOT YOU'RE BOY SWINGING,AND THE STARS STAND FOR THE CONSTELLATION OF THE SOUTHERN CROSS,WHICH IS ONLY VISIBLE IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE CHIT 4 BRAINS.HE GOES HUN???(LMAO)NEW ZEALAND!!!-BIG AL,YOU CRACK ME UP MARINE.:D :iwo:

Sgt Leprechaun
03-13-08, 07:10 AM
You better take a 2nd job. :D

Maaan....

Rough crowd....rough crowd!

Sgt Leprechaun
03-13-08, 07:13 AM
FYI, the Marines wearing those patches in Iceland...it was a 'approved for local use only' type of patch. They did wear it on both shoulders, but only because that is the way the Brits did it.

Getting more technical, the Marines serving in WWI ALSO wore a shoulder sleeve insignia, that of the 2nd Division "IndianHead". Worn on the left sleeve per regulation.

ssgtedusmc
03-28-08, 12:49 AM
Marines serving with the AEF in Europe wore their unit insignia on their left sleeve the same as the Army. That included the 4th Marine Brigade which was part of the 2nd Infantry Division and the 5th Marine Brigade. There was a separate battalion that was attached to Pershing's headquarters but I am not aware of a patch for that battalion. I have color plates of the 4th and 5th Brigade patches if anyone wants a copy.

In June 1941 the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade went to Iceland to relieve the British troops there and wore the same patch the British did on both arms. This was the first Marine Corps authorized shoulder patch since WWI. When the Brigade was replaced by an Army Brigade in 1942 the patches came off. Late 1942 or early 1943 unit patches were authorized for the 1st and 2nd Marine Divisions while they were in Australia and New Zealand after the Guadalcanal campaign and then other units were authorized shoulder patches. All unit patches came off the uniform in 1947. Only one unit since was authorized to wear a unit patch and that was the 1st Marine Brigade in 1950. An original of this patch is extremely rare.

Sgt Leprechaun
03-31-08, 06:06 AM
EXCELLENT info! And, by all means, if you can, (and desire to..) post some pics of those color plates here. Would love to see em!

SierraSixOne
03-31-08, 01:29 PM
Thats some pretty cool stuff, and I agree with Sgt. Lep, pictures would be awesome.

ssgtedusmc
04-01-08, 12:14 AM
Fourth Marine Brigade WWI A. E. F. patches. The Fourth Marine Brigade was an element of the Army 2nd Infantry Division.
http://www.geocities.com/ssgtedusmc/patches1.jpg
The far left and the two at right have a black background the second from laeft has a light purple background.
From left to right; Headquarters Co. 4th Marine Brigade, 6th Machine Gun Bn., Regimental Headquarters Plt. 5th Marine Regiment, Regimental Headquarters Plt. 6th Marine Regiment.

http://www.geocities.com/ssgtedusmc/patches2.jpg
The square patches are 5th Marine Regiment left to right 1st Bn, 2nd Bn., 3rd Bn., Machine Gun Plt., Service & Supply.

The diamond patches are 6th Marine Regiment left to right 1st Bn, 2nd Bn., 3rd Bn., Machine Gun Plt., Service & Supply

Background colors from left to right are red, yellow, dark purple, light purple, dark green.

ssgtedusmc
04-01-08, 12:17 AM
Fifth Marine Brigade WWI A. E. F. patches.
http://www.geocities.com/ssgtedusmc/patches3.jpg
All of the 5th Marine Brigade patches have a red background. The V on the globe is a different color for each unit.

From left to right Headquarters Co. 5th Marine Brigade with yellow V, Machine Gun Bn. With purple V, Regimental Headquarters 11th Marine Regiment with yellow V, Regimental Headquarters 13th Marine Regiment with yellow V.

http://www.geocities.com/ssgtedusmc/patches4.jpg
Top row 11th Marine Regiment from left to right 1st Bn. With red V, 2nd Bn. With white V, 3rd Bn. With light blue V, Machine Gun Plt. With purple V, Service & Supply with a green V.
Bottom row 13th Marine Regiment from left to right 1st Bn, 2nd Bn., 3rd Bn., Machine Gun Plt., Service & Supply.