1st Type - 2nd Marine Division Patch in Twill

[bobgee]

This weekend I also got a "Snake" Guadalcanal patch from my Guadalcanal vet Buddy. It's in twill and the first I've seen. The interesting part is that he's pretty sure he got it in New Zealand in early 1943 after Guadalcanal and he removed it from his green wool tunic.

 

Patch collectors regard these twill SSI as U.S.-made but this one has me wondering whether this one could possibly be made in New Zealand??? Since this was never an authorized patch (to my knowledge) it seems unlikely they would have had them shipped in from the states.

 

 

The twill 1st MarDiv patch came to me with a gorgeous pair of K.G. Luke collar insignia at an Antique Mall for the princely sum of $16.00! I post it here just to show comparison and they are different in construction.

 

Any comments on the subject of Type I 2nd MarDiv "Snake" patches are welcome.

Semper Fi......Bobgee

[Wailuna]

Very nice, Bobgee.

 

Does your "snake" differ from the twill variant shown in the Forum reference thread for 2nd Marine Division (link here)?

 

Here is a Forum thread showing an Americal Division solider wearing the "snake" on his right cuff and another soldier with the 1st Marine Division blaze on his right cuff.

[JimmCapp]

In an older post there are what looks like at least two different variations of the unauthorized on twill 2nd Marine Division.

 

2nd Marine Division

 

I don't think it's beyond the realm of possibility that there was a twill variation made in Australia or New Zealand.

The Australian/ New Zealand patches that most people consider to be made there have a distinctive style of manufacture, but I don't think this necessarily means there aren't others.

 

Here's a link from another old post that discusses this too.

 

Australian made patches

 

It would be nice to find out more definatively what other styles were made down under, besides the JJ Cash and felt types.

[JimmCapp]

Nice patches By the way! :thumbsup:

[KurtA]

I would be very surprised if either of these 2 patches is proven to be other than U.S. made. I've always considered them U.S. made.

Kurt

[bobgee]

Nice patches By the way! :thumbsup:

 

Thank you, Jim and Wailuna for pointing me to the previous Forum posts. I did 'search' but obviously not too well!

 

The twill 'snake' patch I have compares closely to the one in the referenced thread. There's a lot of interesting info re: 2nd & 1st MarDiv patches to be learned there. However, we still apparently don't know yet if there were New Zealand patch manufacturers.

 

Thanks for the input! Bobgee