The United States Marine Corps was one of the phenomena of the Second
World War. Greatly expanded from its prewar order of battle of scattered
defense battalions, overseas garrisons and ship detachments, it became a
multi-division force bearing the brunt of the hardest fighting across
the whole vast expanse of the Pacific theater of operations.
In August 1942 Marines were among the first to strike back at the
Japanese in the jungles of Guadalcanal; Marine Raider battalions were
formed to carry the fight to the enemy; and from the Central Solomon's
landings of mid-1943 it was the Marines who spearheaded the 'island -
hopping' amphibious campaign which brought them to Okinawa, on Japan's
doorstep, by VJ-Day. This epic story has been well documented in most
respects - except one: the uniforms, insignia and personal equipment of
the Marines who fought their way across the Pacific. Authoritative,
illustrated reference works of this important aspect of World War II's
physical history have been notoriously lacking.
In this book, longtime collector and researcher Jim Moran fills the gap,
with a systematic, detailed guide illustrated with more than 300
photographs, including some 200 close-ups of surviving items in private
collections on both sides of the Atlantic.
The author covers service and field uniforms at the outbreak of war; the
development of the Marine's 'dungarees'; the introduction and
development of the camouflage uniforms which became the Marine's
trademark in the popular imagination; the '782 gear' webbing equipment;
the various packs and other load-carrying items; the uniforms, insignia
and equipment special to the elite Marine Raiders and Paramarines; the
uniforms and accoutrements of the US Marine Corps Women's Reserve; and a
range of issue and personal small kit items which collectors may
encounter. His research is supported by some 100 wartime photographs
showing the identified item in use. Assisted and encouraged by the US
Marine Corps Historical Center at Quantico, Virginia, Jim Moran has
produced an essential reference for the collector, modeler, illustrator
and uniform historian.
