Need some help on this one 1930-1931 USMC Dress Jacket and pants

[1st Sgt CES]

Hello Everyone--- Got this the other day a 1930's -1931 USMC Dress Blue jacket and pants --both are named to the same Marine Dated 1930/1931. Are the collar insignia good they look a little funny to me--- they are a matched pair---- also would a 1930's Dress Uniform have a World War Two patch on it ? Any help would be great. Also Is there a book out there on USMC collar insignia as I need to know more on this matter

[patrick_usmc]

Looking briefly at the muster rolls, I think that this is named to Ralph J. Dunbar. He enlisted on October 14, 1942, from Albany, New York. After that, he served at Marine Barracks, Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, with an MOS listed as 522 - "Basic, Misc." He was there from April 1943 (probably a little earlier, as he was transferred here after recruit training from what I can tell) until April 1944, when he was transferred to Camp Lejeune, NC. 

 

He shows up in the rolls again in July 1944, with 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, Second Marine Division (hence the patch). He's listed with an MOS of 745, Rifleman, and as a member of Company B. The muster rolls note here that he was wounded by shrapnel to the head. They also note that he "participated in active operations against the enemy" at Saipan, and that he came in as a part of the 59th Replacement Draft. 

 

In October, 1944, he was still with 1st Battalion, 8th Marines, and the rolls note him receiving the Purple Heart, and receiving a gold star in lieu of a second Purple Heart. His MOS is listed as 737 at this point, but I can't find a record of what that one means. 

He's still shown with B/1/8 in July, 1945, and it's noted that he participated at Okinawa. He was also a Corporal by that point. 

 

In October, 1945, he is listed as a Corporal with Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines (still Second Marine Division), and it's noted that he was one of the Marines transferred from that unit to HQ/2/8 to be a part of the "Omuta Detachment". A cursory google search of that term makes me think that this was a detachment of Marines to help with the occupation (see link below for more on this, and I encourage you to look more into exactly what role the 8th Marine Regiment had at this time). 

 

In January, 1946, he's shown as a member of 2nd Battalion, 28th Marines, and headed for a "separation company". I think it's likely that he was just attached to them for the ride home. 

 

As far as the uniform goes, I wouldn't be surprised to see that a 1930-31 uniform was worn during WWII. I wonder how he got it, as I understand that dress blues were no longer issued to the vast majority of Marines (sea duty being the exception I think), so perhaps a family member or friend gave him this set. Or maybe he just bought it somewhere. 

I'm not very knowledgeable on EGAs, but those look right to me. They look like they're some kind of economical metal. I have a set of black ones on a green uniform that look similar in shape and metal type. 

 

All around, looks like a great uniform to me! Fantastic to find a patched set of blues with an easily researchable name. 

 

Hope this helps!

 

Patrick  

  

https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/npswapa/extcontent/usmc/pcn-190-003143-00/sec3a.htm

[1st Sgt CES]

Hello Patrick----- Thank you for all the great information on this man