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When World's Collide: At the Intersection of the "Sand Pebbles" and the China Marines


Dirk
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Many of us are familiar with the gunboat sailors made famous by the movie "The Sand Pebbles". And a number are familiar with the China Marines. But rarely do we think of any relationship between the two groups. Study one of these groups long enough and you will see how their stories do indeed intertwine at certain points. Here is one of those points, which to me at least, was an unexpected surprise. During the first half of the 20th century the US Navy, like a number of the "Great Powers" sent gunboats up and down several of China's great rivers. The United States at any one time might have had 5-7 gunboats patrolling these rivers, with the bulk covering the Yangtze River. In the Americans case, they were there to protect American business interests and American citizens who came to trade, conduct missionary work, or as tourists. Because China's central government had for the most part broken down, warlords, armed bandits, Nationalists and Communist armies held sway over large portions of the country. When these groups chose to rampage, or fight with each other there was very little that stop them. Sometime this fighting, both intentionally and unintentionally, impacted foreigners living in the path of any conflict and forcing foreign nationals to be sheltered or evacuated by gunboat. Other gunboat duties involved acting as an armed escort to American flagged ships plying the rivers. As has been pointed out by numerous Forum threads, these Gunboat sailors, insulated from the regulation-bound sea going Navy, developed their own unique culture and traditions. Referring to themselves as "River Rats" they glorified themselves (particularly those on the upper reaches of the Yangtze) formally with a spoof certificate honoring their service....the Yangtze River Rats Certificate of Service as members of the "Noble Order of the Mighty Rats of the Yangtze". Around 1928 with the Nationalists, Communists and Warlords locked in a three way power struggle, the Yangtze gunboats found their meager resources stretched, so they turned to the Marines. The Marines had a 1000 man plus regiment in Shanghai not doing to much at the time, so the the 4th Marine Headquarters supplied periodically small contingents of Marines to serve as armed ship guards for US flagged vessels. Usually under the command of a Lieutenant or NCO, 3-5 Marines would draw light weapons and be assigned to cabins aboard small merchant river boats. They left out of Shanghai for the long trip up the Yangtze to Chungking stopping a numerous towns and cities along the way.

 

There are enough accounts, both in print and online to give you an idea of the life of a Marine Ship Guard. What is interesting is several years ago a small grouping of photos and other ephemera related to one of these Guards came up on eBay. Two of us Forum members, independently of each other, grabbed portions of the group before agreeing to reunite it this year. Here is the most interesting piece: a Navy River Rat Certificate made out to a Marine. Navy ones are scarce, Marine ones even rarer. The document itself has a distinctive paper and unlike some other certificates, has his name and service dates printed in raised lettering, with a few small inked embellishments in the text. The documents borders and general layout are a modification of one of many Order of the Golden Dragon designs used by various Navy ships before WWII. Marine ship guards were only used for a few years, but I am unsure how these where awarded or by who. So another interesting area to study opens up.

 

This particular Marine was with the 4th Marine Regiment, Shanghai 1933-1936. The grouping came with the certificate, photos spanning his military career, a beat up pair of service Goonies and a few WWII Marine SSI's. Of note the Marine kept a diary while serving as a ship Guard on one of his trips upriver which the seller shared a copy of with the other Fourm member and who passed it along. The diary itself is a real gem, with entries made daily by several men (especially when the primary author had two much to drink that evening).

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Although I am withholding some of the better pictures for a project I am working on, here are a few. These three taken on the mid and upper reaches of the Yangtze as well as a yet unidentified submarine on the lower Yangtze. The guards wrote about the weapons they carried, the booze they drank, the women they spent time with at various stops, conditions on the river, as well as points of interest along the way.

 

The Marine in his blues, and as a ship guard. Note the non-issue sun helmet. Since the diary covers a December through March run, a number of photos in this grouping show summer uniforms being worn, indicating he made several trips, although the muster rolls and certificate only acknowledge the winter run up to Chungking and back.

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Although not part of the grouping, a copy of the China Coasters Guide makes a nice companion piece to the group. The guide was primarily for the waters around China, but does cover the lower Yangtze with emphasis on Shanghai. This copy which must have been one of the Shanghai harbour master's personal copies, as it records the comings and goings of ships at that port, including a US gunboat.

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Dirk,

 

Ah...China, 1930s...what an interesting time and place to be a US Marine!

 

Another phenomenal grouping. I've been studying spoof documents as a bit of a side hobby over the past year and a half, and had not seen this type...add it to the list

 

I wonder if the Navy's Riverines today see any connection to the River Rats of the past. In my limited experience with the Riverines, they, too, seem a bit different (crazier) than much of the Navy

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Dirk, definitely a fascinating period of history. Your grouping is great. Something adventurous, independent and "rougue" about this time period, location and assignment. Thanks much for sharing. Kevin

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Thanks guys! Ship Guard is not really as well know as ther aspects of their mission but as Brig pointed out kinda the Goldn Age for the China Marines. So much more to learn there. Brig, I am finding a whole subfield of collecting these Asian-Pacific associated spoof documents. There are a number of "pilots license" associated with brewers across China, the PI and Hawaii, all from the same period.All interesting in their own way.

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aerialbridge

The wording and graphics on that certificate are wonderful. Thanks for sharing these relics from bygone days never to be repeated but always to be enjoyed for their salty and earthy footloose freedom and adventure. The experiences of those marines and sailors would seem to be closer to Marco Polo's than those of the current service, in many respects.

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Thanks Aerial! I think we both enjoy all aspects of this period...I am always amazed what our members turn up and post on the Fourm!

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Dirk, I just finished reading The World of Col. John W Thomason by Martha Ann Turner. I highly recommend it and in many ways found it more complete than Lone Star Marine, the other biography. I know you are familiar with Thomason. The chapter on his China service really captured what this time period and service was like (maybe not the river patrols, but certainly the Legation Guard). Kevin

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Kevin thank you! I will now have to get a copy. Your timing is perfect. Recently a family member whoes grandfather served wth him in China reached out to me with some copies of great pictures of him and his company from their family's album. So my interest in him is strong right now :)

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Kevin thank you! I will now have to get a copy. Your timing is perfect. Recently a family member whoes grandfather served wth him in China reached out to me with some copies of great pictures of him and his company from their family's album. So my interest in him is strong right now :)

 

My interest in him exploded when I acquired a very large grouping to a WWI Lt. who served under him. The grouping contained 6 original letters written by Thomason. I have shared scanned copies with the Thomason library at Sam Houston University. Dirk, I would love to see this material if the family member would allow. A very interesting man, and once again, the book mentioned is a must if you are studying him. Kevin

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M1shooter thank you!

 

Kevin I was able to snag an original sketch of his he did in China, on the wrapping paper he use to wrap a copy of one of the books he wrote and autographed. I recently learned he designed the "All Arms Trophy" the Legation Marines awarded for the best company....his company won it that first year. I would have loved to get to the Texas archives to see the originals of his pictures. BobGee found one in the Grey Center collection up in Quantico while doing research On McCarty Littlle. I was able to recently get a letter Thomason wrote to a young boy while he was in Peking on why he was successful in life to date. The boy later became a congressman.

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That is fascinating Dirk. I would love to have one of his original sketches! He was trying his hand at sculpting while in China and that probably led to the design of the trophy. My letters are fascinating as well. Thomason was very close to the man in my grouping and the letters are pretty intimate. His skills as a writer are clearly evident. The letters span nearly a decade starting in 1919 on occupation duty to the late twenties. Some are typed, some hand written and all signed. Really neat to read his biography and follow the content from the letters. Wish one of them had a little sketch off to the side. It was said he sketched on the battlefield while under fire and always used whatever paper he could find, so the sketch on the wrapping paper is not surprising. In researching my grouping I was hopeful some of the letters written to him by the man in my grouping would have been on file, but unfortunately not. His son became a Marine as well and received the silver star as a Marine Lieutenant in WWII. He was tragically killed after the war at a young age in a plane crash while serving as a consulate overseas. Thomason himself died far too young, age 51, in 1944. Some have suggested he might have had an alcohol issue. That rumor is just touched on in the book I referenced. It is well known he passed from complications of his digestive system and he suffered from ulcers most of his life. In one of my early letters, he writes that his ulcers particularly bother him after drinking and he had therefor basically given up all consumption of alcohol. Interesting stuff!

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Dirk - Another great glimpse at China Marine history. What a great rare document. Had never heard of it until you mentioned it. As always thanks for sharing this great poop! Best - Semper Fi.......Bob

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@Kevin those letters sound like he really included details about himself unavailable elsewhere and can easily see why your interest in him is peeked. I knew he died young but I think from your comments I can see why. Many of these heros, when you looked behind the curtain had issues. General Prices Grandaughter regaled me with tales of Puller and Pendleton, and others....how these men were broken in body long after their years of service ended. I hope you can get into see his collection and add to his story.

 

Bob as always! Glad you and I share a common interest...always great to get your input over the history behind these items.

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Brian Keith

Very interesting Thread! Love the intro about why China had all the US troops there. Thanks everyone who posted.<br />BKW

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  • 1 month later...

post-397-0-04594400-1531500817.jpgNice thread, Dirk. If your Marine served at Marine Barracks, Guam before duty with the 4th, he would have had an issue sun helmet.

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