WWI 6th Marine Regiment group

[BarriosMilitaria]

Picked up this USMC group belonging to Pvt James Francis Neason of Headquarters Company, 6th Marine Regiment. He was WIA during The Aisne-Marne Offensive (Soissons). He also participated in various engagements including The Battle of Belleau Wood and The Battle of Blanc Mont Ridge. He would later be reassigned to the 11th Marine Regiment.

[warguy]

That’s a nice grouping. Congrats! Out of curiosity, do you know why he transferred to the 11th? Was he wounded? Maybe promoted? You don't see that often where a Marine transfers from a combat unit to one that saw no combat. Just curious. Thanks for sharing. 

[katieony]

Really nice group...congratulations!

[French Sam]

Nice group ! Congrats ! 

[Lind007]

Nice group! 

[BarriosMilitaria]

On 12/9/2024 at 7:34 AM, warguy said:

That’s a nice grouping. Congrats! Out of curiosity, do you know why he transferred to the 11th? Was he wounded? Maybe promoted? You don't see that often where a Marine transfers from a combat unit to one that saw no combat. Just curious. Thanks for sharing. 

Thanks! believe he was wounded, I'll have to order his files to confirm it. He was a Private during his whole service if I'm correct, and he transferred to the 11th sometime in early 1919.

[Marchville1918]

very nice group. I am wondering why his victory medal doesn't have the campaign bars consistent with the stars on his victory ribbon?

[warguy]

23 minutes ago, BarriosMilitaria said:

Thanks! believe he was wounded, I'll have to order his files to confirm it. He was a Private during his whole service if I'm correct, and he transferred to the 11th sometime in early 1919.

The reason I asked the question, was the 11th was part of the 5th Marine Brigade, which arrived in France around late September/October and did not see any combat. I am betting the reason he didn't display battle bars on his Victory medal might have something to do with that. To be clear, if he saw action at Belleauwood, Soissons and Blanc Mont, he most definitely warranted those bars. His comrades in the 11th did not earn any battle bars though, so it is possible he never got round to putting them on or it was a supply/deliver issue that he never addressed. Just guessing here, but once again it is kind of unusual to see 4th Brigade combat veterans go into the 5th Brigade. His wound would possible answer why that happened. Was he wounded at Blanc Mont? If so, from a logistics standpoint, if he was out of action until after November 11th, the Fourth Brigade had marched into Germany for occupation duty while the 5th Brigade stayed in France to provide security for supplies and other duties. It might have just been easier to keep him in France if he was in hospital there. 

[BarriosMilitaria]

7 minutes ago, Marchville1918 said:

very nice group. I am wondering why his victory medal doesn't have the campaign bars consistent with the stars on his victory ribbon?

The ribbon is theater made and I believe he received the medals sometime after his discharge. I've seen plenty of later issued Victory Medals without the bars. 

[BarriosMilitaria]

11 minutes ago, warguy said:

The reason I asked the question, was the 11th was part of the 5th Marine Brigade, which arrived in France around late September/October and did not see any combat. I am betting the reason he didn't display battle bars on his Victory medal might have something to do with that. To be clear, if he saw action at Belleauwood, Soissons and Blanc Mont, he most definitely warranted those bars. His comrades in the 11th did not earn any battle bars though, so it is possible he never got round to putting them on or it was a supply/deliver issue that he never addressed. Just guessing here, but once again it is kind of unusual to see 4th Brigade combat veterans go into the 5th Brigade. His wound would possible answer why that happened. Was he wounded at Blanc Mont? If so, from a logistics standpoint, if he was out of action until after November 11th, the Fourth Brigade had marched into Germany for occupation duty while the 5th Brigade stayed in France to provide security for supplies and other duties. It might have just been easier to keep him in France if he was in hospital there. 

He shows up on the muster rolls for the 6th from 1917 up to December of 1918, so I'm sure he saw combat with them throughout the war. He shows up on the rolls for 11th starting in February of 1919. So it simply could be him not putting them on or like you said, delivery issue.