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Marine with early Seabee insignia WWII


agate hunter
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Hello everyone. Got this photo this weekend in an antique store. I believe it is a Marine attached to a Seabee unit. He has the early Seabee Construimus Batuimus USN pin on his cap, and a black and white CB striker on his arm, which was practiced around 1942-43 before the Seabee patch came out around '44.

 

 

post-10495-0-62289100-1418700902.jpg

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A very cool photo. I would think, however, that it is actually a Navy CB who is attached to a Marine division.

If that were so, I would expect a petty officers rate the arm instead of those Marine chevrons. Quite an interesting photo.

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  • 2 years later...

Just seen this photo and I have one very similar to a C.B. that was attached to the 18th Marines. This photo was taken in July of 1942 a month before shipping out for the south pacific.

post-24366-0-70931100-1488118223_thumb.jpg

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A very cool photo. I would think, however, that it is actually a Navy CB who is attached to a Marine division.

I'm guessing that's not the case since he's wearing Marine rank chevrons. I would think if he were Navy, he would wear his Navy rank, as Navy medical personnel, such as Corpsmen, wore on their Marine uniforms.

 

Steve

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When I was in the SeaBees (85-90 & 99-02), every Battalion had a USMC Senior NCO as a Training Officer. I suspect that it was the same in WW2. When deployed the SeaBee unit is operationally under the Marines. Administratively Navy, Oerationally Marines.

 

 

Jon B.

Newaygo MI

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He is a Seabee photo with the "Marine Division patch" on his uniform..
Robert Carl John Kull, age 99, of Mattoon passed away at 9:25 p.m. on Saturday, February 25, 2017
Robert served honorably in the United States Navy as a Seabee, attached to the 1st Marine Division during the conflict at Guadalcanal.

 

post-155403-0-01951200-1488378818.jpg

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When the Seabees were created the Marine Corps immediately requested 3 Battalions to be combat engineers but was told no. However, they did not have to wait long. CBs 18, 19, and 25 were transferred to the Corps. Each was assigned to a composite Engineering Regiment as the 3rd Bn. (17th, 18th, and 19th Marines) Because a CB is one Company larger that a USMC Battalion each of the CBs gave up a Company that was placed in the FMF reserve. Two of those Companies were used for the formation of the 53rd CB which became the CB of the 1st Marine Amphibious Corps. When the 1st MAC became III Amphibious Corps the 53rd went to the 1st Marine Brigade Next the 121st CB was transferred to the Corps and made 3rd Bn 20th Marines. A number of other CBs are known to also been issued the standard USMC issue but there is no "offical record" of which. Read the Seabee article on Wikipedia for more.

 

mcb133aco

Brian Matter

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