Corpsman_1941 Posted June 14, 2015 Share #1 Posted June 14, 2015 Here is my newest eBay find, USMC winter green alpha which as later ID showed belonged to US Marine Gunnery Sgt who was first with USS Lexington CV-2 Marine detachment and later with 2nd Defense Bn on Tarawa and 16th Anti aircraft artillery Bn on Tinian and Okinawa. Marine's name was William J McCance, his younger brother Donald J McCande served with 1st Bn 11th Marines on Cape Gloucester, Peleliu and Okinawa. Gunny McCance enlisted on August 24th 1940 and after recruit depot he went to sea school. In January 1941 was on USS Lexington, one of the biggest aircraft carriers in US Navy. When Pearl Harbor was attacked "Lady Lex" was on Pacific, soon after it left Pearl Harbor, Lexington was one of US carriers which Japanese wanted to sunk during Pearl Harbor attack. Carrier returned to Pearl Harbor 20 days after attack on December 27th. Lexington was ordered to support Marines on Wake atoll with it's SBD dive bombers and F4F Wildcats but Naval command canceled this plan as Lexington was on the way to the atoll. Lexington's first combat mission was attack on Japanese air base on Rabaul where US task force was severly attacked by Japanese torpedo planes and bombers, after raid USS Lexington sailed around New Guinea and participied in various missions. After short rest USS Lexington as part of Naval task force was sent to Coral sea. Lexington was spotted by Japanese plane on May 4th , carrier repulsed several air raids until it's final day-May 8th. In the morning Lexington was attacked by almost 70 Japanese planes from aircraft carriers. Bombs hit bridge and deck and two torpedos hit lexington below water line, aircraft fuel strarted burning and carrier started to sink. Crew was ordered to left ship. Ship was abonded untill evening but it was not going to sink so destroyer USS Phelphs was ordered to sink it. McCance toturned to Pearl Harbor and later to San Diego aboard Us destroyer. In 1943 he was sent to 2nd Def Bn with which he landed on Tarawa on November 24th 1943 and later assigned to 16th AAA Bn on Tinian and Okinawa. When he returned stateside he was sent as an instructor to seaschool and discharged in mid 1946. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corpsman_1941 Posted June 14, 2015 Author Share #2 Posted June 14, 2015 FMF PAC patch was hanging just on few threads pieces so I removed it and one monday Im going to take it to tailor to resewn it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corpsman_1941 Posted June 14, 2015 Author Share #3 Posted June 14, 2015 name is handwritten in both armpits Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corpsman_1941 Posted June 14, 2015 Author Share #4 Posted June 14, 2015 collar EGA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corpsman_1941 Posted June 14, 2015 Author Share #5 Posted June 14, 2015 ruptured duck is hand sewned just in 8 places Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corpsman_1941 Posted June 14, 2015 Author Share #6 Posted June 14, 2015 That's all, suddenly I didn't get his files yet. Hope you like it and please leave comments Regards James Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dakota Posted June 14, 2015 Share #7 Posted June 14, 2015 Great looking uniform! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricardo Posted June 14, 2015 Share #8 Posted June 14, 2015 Very nice Green! Ricardo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corpsman_1941 Posted June 14, 2015 Author Share #9 Posted June 14, 2015 Thanks! Im going to restore his ribbon rack as I will get his records, for sure he recived the same awards as USS Lexington-American defense ribbon with star, Pacific-Asiatic with 2 stars for New Guinea area operations and the Battle of Coral Sea + stars for Tarawa and Okinawa, 16th AAA Bn arrived on Tinian after the battle, WWII Victory ribbon, also muster rolls says about Good Conduct ribbon with bar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ViewfinderGyrene Posted June 14, 2015 Share #10 Posted June 14, 2015 Fnatstic Alpha Blouse man! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blitzkrieg gsd Posted June 14, 2015 Share #11 Posted June 14, 2015 Very nice it will look great once you have it put back together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corpsman_1941 Posted June 15, 2015 Author Share #12 Posted June 15, 2015 Thanks! Can't wait to see his records and learn more anout his service on USS Lexington. There was an interview in some newspaper with his brother Donald McCance who served with 1/11 after battle of Cape Gloucester, interview was mainly about him but his brother, William J McCance who "served with Marine unit on Tarawa" as reads in article, Donald wanted to join Marine Corps as his order brother who enlisted in 1940 but in 1940 1 he was still too young so he enlisted in 1942, he joined 1/11 in Melbourne and served with unit until the occupation of China, it could be great possibility to get also his uniform . BTW is there any good book about USS Lexington in WWII? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carbinephalen Posted June 15, 2015 Share #13 Posted June 15, 2015 Fantastic! Keep us updated on what records surface and of course the restoration progress with the updated ribbons ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klinsmann Posted June 16, 2015 Share #14 Posted June 16, 2015 What a beautiful uniform, thank you for sharing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louie Posted June 25, 2015 Share #15 Posted June 25, 2015 Hey that's the one I had up on Ebay. I am glad you liked it. I had so many of these uniforms, but slowly working on thinning out the herd! When I got them there was no Ancestry, etc, so just got them since I liked the WW2 stuff. Sadly many don't have names in them, or are tough to read like this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corpsman_1941 Posted June 27, 2015 Author Share #16 Posted June 27, 2015 Yes it's the same one It was great deal, well it's nice that many of these uniforms which are named weren't previousely IDd, there are lots of thing to discover and for sure proces of IDd uniforms could be so much higher Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corpsman_1941 Posted July 14, 2015 Author Share #17 Posted July 14, 2015 As I didn't get his records yet (there is still other uniform to restore before I will start with McCance's uniform) I found photography of him on WWIIMemorial http://wwiimemorial.com/Registry/plaque.aspx?honoreeID=2295467 even in the same uniform! It was taken before he put rupruted duck on blouse, as his daugters wrote on WWIIM. He was member of Marine guard on Lexington Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
belleau_woodsman Posted September 28, 2015 Share #18 Posted September 28, 2015 Cool set! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corpsman_1941 Posted December 11, 2015 Author Share #19 Posted December 11, 2015 I just recived McCance's records, I was pretty amazed because he recived Bronze Star while serving with 16th AAA Bn on Okinawa "...when group of Japanese infiltrators broke through our lines in Battalion ammunition dump sera Gunnery Sergeant MCCANCE organized group of volunteers to repulse enemy attack.He located and killed several enemy troops armed with grenades and demolition charges..." Date of action was 14 May 1945. With 2nd and 16th DefBn he served as Maintance NCO while was on USS Lexington he served as AA gun crewman. Before wore began he became qualified as rifle and pistol expert, he passed bayonet and grenade training. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
American Heritage Posted December 13, 2015 Share #20 Posted December 13, 2015 Great!! Did he receive the V device on his BSM? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corpsman_1941 Posted December 14, 2015 Author Share #21 Posted December 14, 2015 Yes, it's mentioned in his citation: "Combat"V" authorized" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick Posted July 12, 2016 Share #22 Posted July 12, 2016 Yes, it's mentioned in his citation: "Combat"V" authorized" Is there anyway to get more information...That is my father and Uncle Donny Please get a hold of me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corpsman_1941 Posted July 12, 2016 Author Share #23 Posted July 12, 2016 Is there anyway to get more information...That is my father and Uncle Donny Please get a hold of me Patrick, I send you a message. Im waiting for your reply. Regards James Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick Posted July 12, 2016 Share #24 Posted July 12, 2016 My father was William J My Uncle was Donald The uniform is my fathers and am trying to get the info on his medals for my grandson All I have is info from St Louis which is incomplete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick Posted July 14, 2016 Share #25 Posted July 14, 2016 I am his only son and was wondering how to get this information Please respond I just recived McCance's records, I was pretty amazed because he recived Bronze Star while serving with 16th AAA Bn on Okinawa"...when group of Japanese infiltrators broke through our lines in Battalion ammunition dump sera Gunnery Sergeant MCCANCE organized group of volunteers to repulse enemy attack.He located and killed several enemy troops armed with grenades and demolition charges..." Date of action was 14 May 1945. With 2nd and 16th DefBn he served as Maintance NCO while was on USS Lexington he served as AA gun crewman. Before wore began he became qualified as rifle and pistol expert, he passed bayonet and grenade training. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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