Original Items: Only One Available. This used but good condition United States Marine Corps World War II Pattern 1941 Field Utility Jacket.

This loose fitting sage green herringbone twill (HBT) cotton jacket features original brass “doughnut hole” USMC buttons, all of which are in very good condition and present. It has the correct two lower open top front pockets, and a left breast pocket stenciled black USMC over the EGA insignia. Directly above the left breast pocket is the name D.R. Bell. Donald R. Bell was a PHM3 with the 25th Marine Regiment of the 4th Marine Division. On the left shoulder is the insignia for the Pharmacist’s Mate 3rd Class Petty Officer, which is often seen abbreviated as “PHM3”. The rank insignia appears to have been applied by hand after the sailor was issued his uniform and definitely adds a nice personal touch to it.

Condition is good, with signs of use and some staining. This is a nice example of a service worn USMC P41 jacket, a worthy addition to any Pacific Theater collection and is a great researchable item!

Approximate Measurements:
Collar to shoulder: 10”
Shoulder to end of sleeve: 22”
Shoulder to shoulder: 19 ½”
Chest width: 22”
Waist width: 20 ½”
Hip width: 21”
Front length: 29"

Pharmacist's mates are petty officers who, under the direction of medical officers, administer medical assistance, treatment, and services to naval personnel. They may serve in the sick bay or dispensary of a ship or shore station, at a naval hospital, or on a hospital ship.

If you read Guadalcanal Diary, author Richard Tregaskis' first-hand account of the Marine Corps' early days of fighting on the Pacific Island, you will find several references to the lowly poncho's role as a shelter from the elements. These WWII USMC ponchos are hard to find today, especially one in excellent condition. The ponchos are reversible pattern poncho with green camo for the jungle and tan camo for beach sand camouflage. These ponchos came in two styles: one style had snaps that allowed the wearer to fasten the poncho around his arms like sleeves - the other had no such snaps. This version is the later and is offered in excellent condition with no visible maker markings but in black painted stencil it reads 211.LL 50.

Both of these items are in unbeatable condition and are a welcome addition to any Navy and Marine Corps Collection!

PHARMACIST’S MATES IN WORLD WAR II

World War II became the period of the Hospital Corps’ greatest manpower, diversity of duty, and instance of sacrifice. Between 1941 and 1945, the ranks of this small organization swelled from its prewar levels of nearly 4,000 to more than 132,000 personnel. Thisincrease came to fulfill new responsibilities with new technologies at new duty stations. In the face of great adversity, the Hospital Corps would cement its reputation for effectiveness and bravery.

The Navy’s fleet expanded to thousands of ships, and the Marine Corps grew from a few regiments to six divisions. A two-ocean war produced horrific numbers of casualties, and the Hospital Corps grew to meet the needs of casualty collection, treatment, and convalescence. To educate the influx of new Sailors, Hospital Corps Training School at Portsmouth,Virginia, was augmented by a temporary school at Naval Hospital Brooklyn, New York. The school atGreat Lakes was recreated in 1942, and others were started at Farragut, Idaho, and at Bainbridge,Maryland, in 1943.A separate Hospital Corps Training School was established for women at Bethesda, Maryland, in January 1944.Specialized schools were opened to train pharmacist’s mates for independent duty and for service with the Marines. Additionally, courses were established to instruct personnel on new equipment and techniques in dozens of developing medical fields. Shore-based duty sent Hospital Corps personnel to hospitals and dispensaries in the United States and abroad. Advance-base hospitals on newly captured Pacific islands formed a crucial link in the chain of evacuation from battle sites. Those facilities in Hawaii or England received casualties from their respective fronts, and wounded service personnel recuperated in Stateside hospitals. Hospital Corpsmen made the treatment of American casualties possible at each of these by providing technical support and direct patient care. Duty on surface ships afforded Hospital Corpsmen numerous challenges and abundant environments in which to face them. Hospital ships required the services of personnel in much the same way as shore-based hospitals, except that those on ship were afloat and subject to attack. Other classes of vessels, such as landing ships and patrol craft (LSTs and PCERs), became large floating clinics/ambulances which required additional Hospital Corps personnel. Additionally, combatant ships and transports in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Mediterranean theaters took casualties from ships, aircraft, and submarines throughout the war, necessitating the service of well-trained Hospital Corpsmen.

Approximately 300 Hospital Corpsmen sat out all but the early days of the war when they were captured in the Philippines by the invading Japanese. In prisoner-of-war camps and huddled in POW “hell ships,” they endured malnutrition, disease, torture, and brutality. One hundred thirty-two Hospital Corpsmen died as prisoners during World War II, a death rate almost 20 percent higher than among other American POWs.