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China Marine Grouping


gfryman
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Can't get it all out yet, due to the smell and my wife would kill me! Here's a sneak peek. Will post more by the weekend

 

 

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Wow is right, that is a nice grouping. Are the ega's pin back? Do you have the dress boards for the mess tunic? Can you show the sleeves on the tunic. Very nice! Kevin

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Sorry, I see now you said will post more this weekend. Guess I just got excited. Thanks for sharing, and look forward to seeing more of what appears to be a great grouping. Kevin

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Nice score! I saw this but I was bidding on the WW1 Corpsman grouping at the same auction. The photos were bad and I couldn't tell exactly what EGAs were included. Looks like you did very well.

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The uniforms are all named. 3 from his time at the Naval Academy + Mess Dress.

 

I think of most interest is the diary. Biehl went on to become a professor veering to the far left in politics and beliefs. You can see some of this in his diary starting. He states very clearly that his service in the USMC is just a paycheck to him. Also quite a bit on his insubordinate thoughts of his superiors. If they'd ever found this, he would have been court martialed (or taken out back of the woodshed as was more the way back then). Time in China according to the diary is 1927-1929 78th Co 2nd Bn 6th Marine Regiment. The diary has names of lots of officers during the trip on the USS Henderson, stopping in Honolulu, as well as his time in China. It is probably 100-150 pages, and I have not gone through all of it.

 

Commission has pic of him in USNA Cadet uniform. Anyone know if the Coolidge signature is real on these or a staff member?

 

Thanks for any thoughts or comments!

 

Anyone have any thoughts on value? I'm just trying to figure out if I overpaid!

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Can't give you an estimate on value but I can tell you the diary is of interest. There is little personal info out there on the Tienstin Expedition so I for one am curious as to its contents.

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Very nice grouping! I was watching this one, glad to see someone on the forum got it. When I did some research on him, an archive of correspondance between him and another Marine in Haiti showed up, so you might want to check that out. Thanks for sharing!

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Didn't see this one. Man, those mess dress are just popping up this week. Looks like a great group, and diaries are always a plus. Plus, 2/6 stuff is always of interest

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Can't give you an estimate on value but I can tell you the diary is of interest. There is little personal info out there on the Tienstin Expedition so I for one am curious as to its contents.

 

So I've read a bit deeper in the diary. He uses initials for a lot of the folks mentioned.

Some interesting notes - "Inspected by Commander in Chief, Admiral Mark T. Bristol inspected all Marines in Tientsin at noon of 26 Sept"

29 Sept - "Was counsel for 3 Marines on GCM (General Court Martial I believe) tried in joinder for theft. 3 hour trial. All were acquitted"

 

Alot of reference to "The Lodge Room of the Theosophical Society" appears to have spent quite a bit of his off time there in discussion of mystical religion.

 

Of special note I think - "10 Nov 1927 - "At 9:15 am about 3000 Marines were addressed by General Butler at the Billets of the 2nd Bn 6th Regt. .... (alot more I will transcribe later) took part in a parade at 3:30 at the race course. First the Brigade passed in review in Bn mass formation, 3 Companies in close line. Then we passed in review in Brigade Mass formations, 3000 Marines in a solid mass and singing the chorus of the Marine Corps Hymn, as the setting sun played its final touch of magic upon the streaming colors in the center of the mass..... After we left the field, 13 Marine airplanes took off from the race course and gave the spectators a thrill"

 

First I've heard of Marine aircraft being on Chinese soil in Tientsin!

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Great entries! Celebrating the Marine Corps Birthday Butler style...Butler took a mixed group of Marine Aircraft with him to China. They were based at a Standard Oil facility just south of Tientsin...they mainly ended up being used for scouting missions between Tientsin and Peiping. Would love to hear more!

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