Auction Find

[Conductor]

I think that this patch is from the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines ("the two five" in Marine speak).

Got it at a local auction for $15.

EDIT: I did a little research and found that this patch is from the 1st Battalion, 6th Marines (the "one-six").
The 6th Marines were later known as the "Pogey Bait Sixth". They got the name after the story went around that the regiment was sent to China and the transport ship they were on had 5,000 candy bars and only 6 bars of soap. (Candy bars are known in the Marine Corps as "Pogey Bait".)
The 6th Marines were awarded the French Croix de Guerre, and Marines in that regiment are still entitled to wear the green and red fourragere, which is known throughout the Marine Corps as a "pogey rope".

DSCN1990.jpg

[bruce]

Not familiar with WWII patches. But, will follow this thread with interest. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable will respond. Sincerely. bruce.

[Conductor]

Not familiar with WWII patches. But, will follow this thread with interest. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable will respond. Sincerely. bruce.

It's from World War 1, not WWII.

In France during WWI, all Marines were attached to the US 2nd Division, and wore several different variations of the 2nd Division "Indian Head" patch.

[m1ashooter]

Thanks for sharing.

[Dan Shapiro]

Our exulted Professor/President, Woodrow Wilson, having run for re-election in 1916 as the man "who kept us out of the war"............ended up having Congress declare war, 5 months after he was re-elected. He promised the Allies a '2 million man army'. Problem: We did not have a 2 million man army. We didn't have a 1 million man army. In the world's ranking of armies at the time, we came in at 16th..........BEHIND Portugal! As a result, the first division to be sent to France was the 1st Army Division. In order to send the 2nd Army Division, it was necessary to fill it out with Marines. Ever since, the 2nd Division and USMC have had a 'special relationship'. The original Army Div Commander died (IIRC while the troops were in transit to France), and the division was commanded by US Marine Corps generals, Brigadier General Charles A. Doyen and Major General John A. Lejeune. The first and only times that an Army division was commanded by a USMC General.

[PWC]

Dan- +1