During WWII, Marines fought in Europe, Africa

[thedrifter]

The Lore of the Corps
During WWII, Marines fought in Europe, Africa
By Philip Ewing and Michael Hoffman - mhoffman@militarytimes.com
Posted : August 20, 2007

Public perception has long been that during World War II the Corps owned the war in the Pacific and the war in Europe belonged to the Army.

But the truth is that just as Army units followed the Marines on the Pacific campaigns, leathernecks were on the ground in Europe and North Africa.

They may have been overshadowed by their compatriots fighting on the other side of the world, but the Marines who served in the European theater of operations made important contributions, according to retired Lt. Col. Harry Edwards’ book “A Different War: Marines in Europe and North Africa.”

“These were not large Marine formations, but were, for the most part, individual Marines and small detachments assigned to guard duty at the barracks and naval operating bases established in the United Kingdom, or men assigned as ‘sea-going’ Marines in the detachments of the large fighting ships,” Edwards wrote.

Marines volunteered for service in the Office of Strategic Services, infiltrating European and North African countries occupied by the Germans to establish spy networks.

Marines helped fight fires as air raid wardens in London; a Marine born in Lebanon served as translator between President Roosevelt and a Saudi prince; and many Marines accompanied Navy ships in convoys and during amphibious invasions.

During the summer of 1941, the U.S. sent a detachment of Marines to Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland, to protect U.S. shipping interests, according to retired Col. James A. Donovan’s book “Outpost in the North Atlantic: Marines in the Defense of Iceland.”

Marines also trained with the British Army and Royal Marines, marching long distances, practicing maneuvering down cliffs and learning to cross a stream by sliding down a zip-line tied between two trees on either bank.

Although most of the Operation Overlord invasion force comprised American, British and Canadian soldiers, Marines were part of the massive fleet off Normandy that supported it.

From 1942 to 1944, the Corps deployed leathernecks to the naval base in Londonberry, Northern Ireland, to help protect it from German attacks and sabotage attempts by militant members of the Irish Republican Army, according to Edwards.

After Berlin fell, the Corps changed the name of its detachment at the embassy to Marine Detachment, U.S. Naval Forces, Europe.

The unit ultimately earned the American Defense Service Streamer with a Bronze Star, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Streamer and the World War II Victory Streamer for its service during World War II.

Philip Ewing is deputy news editor of Navy Times. Michael Hoffman, a former Air Force intelligence officer, is deputy news editor of Marine Corps Times.

Ellie

[ggyoung]

One Marine LT.Col. won 2 Navy Cross while working with the OSS in Germen held countrys during WW2.