Iceland 1942

[Bill Murray]

Well, no one seemed to like my Chinese photos so I will send this on which shows a MH used by USMC in Iceland, 1942.

Please note that it also includes a "Bike", Icelandic MK I (1942) and "Children", Icelandic MK 1 (1942).
Cheers,
Bill

[cliff]

Hmmmm.......do you happen to have the data plate info on the bike please Bill?

cheers
Cliff

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

Originally posted by Bill Murray
Well, no one seemed to like my Chinese photos .........

Actually, Bill, I did. The reputation of the Marines in China pre-war is legendary. I just haven't had time in the last few days to react online accordingly.

As stupid as it seems, W.E.B. Griffin's book THE CORPS covers quite a bit, albeit fiction, but it gives a good sense of the times. I suspect there's a grain of truth in several of the succeeding volumes of that series regards the disposition of China Marines after the outbreak of war as well.

[Bill Murray]

Morning all:
Geoff, and Keith, I was just joking!!! They were a bit off the beaten path. Actually, I have 7 photo alblums from China and probably 4 tapes that were dumped from 8mm film that I am going through. Those were the most interesting of the photos for this group. The rest were a lot of architechture shots and tons of the Great Wall of China.

And Geoff, yes the story of the China Marines is very interesting.
Of the very small force that was the Marine Corps of the day, they were the only ones who had knowledge of the Japanese military (Japan having occupied much of China starting 1937) and they used it well later on. When the Corps was rapidly expanded starting 1942, those same China Marines became the cadre for these new units, sharing their experiences with the newbies.

As a further point of interest, my Dad used to tell me and others that the China Marines knew exactly what they were in for when the fighting started. They had watched Japanese tactics in China "up front", forced to stand by and watch. After the occupation, they had to deal with the Japanese Officers and Enlisted troops on a daily basis and they fully understood the determination and the discipline of the Japanese military.

He also said that he felt the experience those few hundred Marines were able to spread to the new expanded Marine Corps was invaluable in making sure that at least "their" brothers in arms did not fall for the propaganda of the day that the Japanese were short, bandy legged, round eyed retards that could not shoot straight and had lousy equipment.

He neither liked them nor admired them but he sure as hell respected their military capabilities.
Bill