Tuesday, February 25, 2014

V Amphibious Corps Sasebo Japan Christmas 1945 Flyer Program

I came across this interesting V Amphibious Corps Sasebo Japan Christmas 1945 Flyer Program from the Japan occupation era of the 5th MarDiv. I would usually save something like this for Christmas but I just believe that this is a great historical item. I love the litho screen art and style that one usually sees in Japanese graphic arts during the 40's and 50's.

Monday, February 24, 2014

WWII Captain 1st MarDiv Chaplain Colonel Henry Mansfield HBT Coat

Wow! Every once in a while one comes across an incredible item that puts one at a loss of words. This HBT coat appeared on an auction site recently. Incredibly it was IDed to Captain Colonel Henry Mansfield ("Colonel" is his first name) who was in the Chaplain Corps as a Catholic Chaplain and the head Chaplain for the 1st Marine Division in WWII. He also served in WWI and the Korean War and died in 1953. Interesting enough his Mother was a lady in waiting in Napoleon III's court in the 1800's. His three brothers also served in armed forces in the 20-30's. Incredible HBT coat that tells a unique story. UPDATE 5/27/2014 I thought it would be important to update this Blog article. First I received the HBT coat last month and due to the small pictures I realized I made a mistake in IDing this item. Once having it in my hands I realized that the "C" in the name stamping was really a "G"! Yikes I didn't realize this until I received the item. While this could have been a nightmare transaction of myself misidentifying an items it turned out to be a coat just as fascinating as my original misidentification. The two names on the coat both belong to two 3rd Marine Division vets who both served in the same unit, the 12th Marines. Both participated in the Battle of Iwo Jima, with one Marine receiving a Purple Heart for wounds received in battle. I will have to request their records to get more info on these two Marines. Mistakes happen when IDing items from time to time, this being a good example.

Monday, February 3, 2014

WWII USMC Marine Talk! Glossary of Terms Camp Lejune N.C.

A few weeks ago I happened across a lot of paperwork belonging to Marine who served in WWII through the 1950's. In his paperwork was this glossary of Marine terms labeled "Recruit Depot Marine Corps Women's Reserve Schools Camp Lejeune,New River, N.C." Terms marked with (*) are terms that were written by hand in the margins of the sheet.Here is the list:


Glossary of Terms

    A
  • Abaft of-In the Back of
  • Aboard-On The Station
  • Adrift-Loose, Not Made Fast
  • Aft-Towards The Stern
  • Alive-Alert
  • All Hands-Entire Crew
  • Aye, Aye, Sire-Reply That an order is understood and will be Obeyed


  • B
  • Bear A Hand-Assist, Help Someone
  • Belay-To Make Fast, To Rescind an Order
  • Below-Beneath Deck
  • Bill-An Organization shoot or chart, E.I. Watch, quarter and Station Bill
  • Billet-Place alotted an Individual to sleep inm also refers to assignment
  • Binnacle List-List of those excused from duty because of Illness
  • Bunk-Bed
  • Bust-To Reduce in Rank


  • C
  • Cast Off-To Let Go,Leave Port, depart
  • Chin Music-Talk*
  • Chin Strap-Part of Officer's Cap,Formaerly under chin, now above visor and used as ornament
  • Chow-Food
  • Collision Mats-pancakes*
  • Colors-National Ensign
  • Compartment-Room
  • Company Officer-Captains, First and Second Lts.


  • D
  • Deck-Floor
  • Dowse-Put out light, Cover with water
  • Doping Off-Not Paying Attention*
  • Dungarees-Cotton Work Clothes worn by enlisted men


  • E
  • Elephant Hat-Sun Helmets*
  • Ensign-National Flag,Junior Officer


  • F
  • Field Day-Cleaning Time
  • Field Officer-Major, Lt.Col. Colonel
  • First Lt.- Officer Charged with Cleanliness of ship, construction and repair equipment, and ground tackle
  • Flag Officer-Rear Admiral or Higher
  • Fouled-jammed, mixed up
  • Furlough-Special Permission to be absent from the ship or station beyond liberty (enlisted)


  • G
  • Galley-Kitchen
  • General Officer-Brigadier Major & Lt Generals
  • Gismo-Anthing for which you can't think of another word*


  • H
  • Hash Mark-Slang expression for a diagonal mark on an enlisted man's sleeve to denote previous enlistment
  • Head-Toilet
  • Hit The Deck-Get out of Bunk
  • Hold-Lower Portion of Ship, basement, cellar
  • Holiday-Blemish,imperfection,open space


  • I
  • Irish Pennant-loose end, untidy
  • Inbound-Towards the Center


  • K
  • Knock Off-Stop Immediately


  • L
  • Ladder-Stairway
  • Leave-Special Permission to be absent from the ship or station beyond liberty (officer)
  • Lee-Side Protected From weather
  • Liberty-Special Permission to be absent from the ship or station for a short time (enlisted)


  • M
  • Mess-Meal
  • Muster-To Assemble Section and determine absentees


  • O
  • Old Man-Familiar For Commanding Officer
  • O.O.D.(O.D.) Officer of the Day (deck)
  • Officer's Country-Quaters for Officers Only
  • Outboard-Towards Sides, away from Center
  • Overhead-Ceiling


  • P
  • Paige Bait-Candy or Sweets*
  • Pass the Word-Pass the News Around
  • Pipe Down-An Order to keep quiet
  • Policing-Cleaning Up
  • Portside-Left Side,Facing Ahead


  • Q
  • Quarters-Living Compartment


  • R
  • Rank-The garde of a commissioned officer or enlisted man
  • Reveille-Time to Awaken Rev-A-Lee


  • S
  • Sound Off-Make Noise
  • Savvy-In The Know, well informed
  • Scuttle-butt-Drinking Fountain or rumor
  • Secure-Complete an exercise or job, to leave, cease work or drill, to make fast
  • Shipshape-Neat
  • Shove off-To Leave
  • Sick Bay-Dispensary
  • Sing Out-Call Out
  • Skipper-Familiar For Commanding Officer
  • Smart-Snappy
  • Smoking Lamp-When lit, smoking is allowed
  • Snafu-Situation Normal all Fouled up
  • Square away-Straigten up gear
  • Standby-Prepared and remain in readiness to do something
  • Starboard-Right side, facing ahead
  • Stow-Put in Place
  • Stand Fast-Stand Where You Are


  • T
  • Taps-Lights Out
  • Topside-Upstairs, upper side
  • Turn In-To Bunk


  • V
  • Very Well-Reply of Senior to Junior


  • W
  • Watch Officer-Any Officer Standing a duty period or Watch
  • Wardroom-Officer's Messroom
  • Well-An Order meaning Sufficient
  • Windward-Side exposed to weather, pronounced "wind-ard"