Jump to content

Box of 8 UNIS marked USMC 4th Div P41 shirts from the same Marine!


MCDUFF
 Share

Recommended Posts

I am pleased to share this recent amazing find!

 

I saw a shirt advertised on a popular auction site, and was successful (sorry to those bidding!). Not long after, another shirt appeared on the auction site named to the same Marine as a ‘buy it now’. I purchased it (not cheap!) and enquired if there was anything else from this Marine, as it was listed that the jacket was found in a ‘post home’ cardboard box.

 

Luckily, the seller saw my passion for collecting, and enthusiasm in keeping a grouping together. After some correspondence and negotiation, we came to an agreement for all 8 unit marked shirts!! My gratitude to him. These shirts are relatively rare, and to find 8 together – named to the same Marine, was incredible!

 

At the time, I did not know his history other than he was from the Wisconsin area, and was listed as wounded in action in a US Navy state summary of war casualties dated 1946.

 

His name is Guilford Hanesworth Jr. The stencil identifies him as being a Corporal in Co. L 3rd Bn 24th Marines 4th Marine Division.

 

The shirts duly arrived, and they all vary in wear and condition. Some very salty, and some almost unissued. They are all nicely folded. The stencil is similar on all, with a later ‘overstamp’ at some point on some, with corporal chevrons applied also. Interestingly, one shirt has a number 3 rank stamp, which must have been an error, as he didn’t make Serjeant!

 

I have now received the service records from Geoff at Golden Arrow, and all is confirmed!

 

The rank and unit is correct, and he was indeed wounded in action at Iwo Jima on 3rd March 1945. He sustained multiple phosphorous burns to the legs. Thankfully he pulled through and returned to duty as an MP from October 1945.

 

He was honourably discharged on 30th March 1946.

 

I enclose a few pages from his service records, and some photos of the shirts together with the box.

 

A very young and brave man indeed. I am very happy that I have kept these together in his honour, and share with you here.

 

I do wonder how these were posted home in the first place from his barracks, and what else he sent home...?!

 

Thanks, Graham

 

post-20528-0-90437100-1418645248.jpgpost-20528-0-23894000-1418645260.jpgpost-20528-0-91810400-1418645274.jpgpost-20528-0-85351800-1418645288.jpgpost-20528-0-56186600-1418645307.jpgpost-20528-0-45251700-1418645325.jpg

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

ViewfinderGyrene

Very impressive Graham! Congratulations and so glad you could keep all of them together! At most I've only seen two named/UNIS stamped P41's together from the same man, I think this Marine broke the record!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is an amazing find, I am so thrilled to see it. I, like others on here I am sure, saw the ebay jacket for BIN $350 but passed on it. Even had I bought it absent knowing there was another jacket out there sold I would have never thought to ask the seller if he had more stuff from the marine. So, it worked out really nicely for you, very glad!

 

One thought I had about the "3" marked jacket - and this one marine's possession of so many marked jackets is maybe he was collecting them up from buddies before they shipped out?

 

Speaking for all collectors here for those who don't know - it is incredible to find such a number of jackets UNIS stenciled in one group from one guy - Prior to this in all my 30+ years of collecting I have only seen one other and that was two jackets and two pairs of trousers marked to the same guy - UNIS markings and name.

 

Thanks for sharing!

Best,

 

Bill K.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is an amazing find, I am so thrilled to see it. I, like others on here I am sure, saw the ebay jacket for BIN $350 but passed on it. Even had I bought it absent knowing there was another jacket out there sold I would have never thought to ask the seller if he had more stuff from the marine. So, it worked out really nicely for you, very glad!

 

One thought I had about the "3" marked jacket - and this one marine's possession of so many marked jackets is maybe he was collecting them up from buddies before they shipped out?

 

Speaking for all collectors here for those who don't know - it is incredible to find such a number of jackets UNIS stenciled in one group from one guy - Prior to this in all my 30+ years of collecting I have only seen one other and that was two jackets and two pairs of trousers marked to the same guy - UNIS markings and name.

 

Thanks for sharing!

 

Best,

 

Bill K.

Thanks for the kind feedback Bill! The more I think of it, the chances of finding these 8 together is a one off in collecting! I haven't seen even a pair together before this.

Cheers, Graham

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...