Marine Infantry Battalion of Pacific WW2

[Custermen]

When someone is inquiring about a veteran Marine in their family to see if they served in the Italian Campaign of WW2, I tell them emphatically that no Marines served in Italy.  I was wrong.  There were some French Marines.  

I bought a nice 8X10 photo on eBay of these soldiers marching in a victory parade after the Liberation of Rome.  This photo was taken in front of the monument of King Victor Emmanuel II.  This was a news release photo from Allied Forces HQ.  Several photos were taken of troops parading around the Piazza Venezia in celebration of the Liberation.

 

This unit was identified on the photo as famous French Battalion "Pacifique".

 

I posted this photo on my website and some 15 years later--in 2017-- I received an email asking how to get this 8X10 photo.  After hearing the story of this unit and seeing his large collection of  uniforms of this unit, I sold the photo to him. 

This official name of this unit is Bataillon d'Infanterie de Marine du Pacifique (or BIMP) or in English-- Marine Infantry Battalion of Pacific.  They did fight in WW2 in North Africa and Italy with the French Expeditionary Corps. This unit was organized in May 1941 in New Caledonia; about half-way between Australia and Fiji Islands. The unit consisted of mixed races of French and Tahitian.

 

Here is a portion of the organization table for the period in Italy.

ORGANIZATION

French Expeditionary Forces -- Commanding General:  General Alphonse Juin

1e DIVISION FRANCAISE LIBRE - (Motorized Infantry Div, aka Free French Division}

 + 1st Brigade  - Colonel Delange

 + 2nd Brigade - Lieutenant-Colonel Garbay

 + 4th Brigade - Colonel Raynal

 +  + 21st Bataillon de Marche

 +  + 24th Bataillon de Marche

 +  + Bataillon d'Infanterie de Marine du Pacifique(BIMP)

 

The BIMP was formed after the battle of Bir Hakeim (June 1942) by the merger of the Marine Infantry Battalion (BIM), from Cyprus, and the Pacific Battalion (BP), from Tahiti and New Caledonia.  This is a brief history of the evolution of the Marine Infantry Battalion up to the Marine Infantry Battalion of the Pacific.  It is the best I could do.

 

Evolution of the Battalion of Pacific

 

The Marine Infantry Battalion (BIM) -- 1940-1942

In the first days of June, the 24th Colonial Infantry Regiment, stationed in Tripoli in Lebanon, had sent its 3rd battalion to Cyprus to reinforce the British garrison of Famagusta.  This unit fought in Egypt.  At the end of 1941, as part of the reorganization of the division, the BIM was integrated into the 2nd colonial demi-brigade.

 

The Pacific Battalion (BP) -- 1940-1942

After the rallying of French Oceania to Free France (September 2, 1940), Captain Broche, commander of the autonomous company of Colonial Infantry of Tahiti since July 1939, decided to raise a corps of volunteers from all the territories of the Pacific . Established in Papeete and Noumea, the Pacific Battalion embarked for Australia on May 5, 1941. On June 27, it took its place aboard the Queen Elizabeth liner for the Middle East; after a stopover in Ceylon, it arrived in Suez on July 31 and was immediately transported to the Qastina camp (Palestine), where it joined the 1st DLFL. 

For more than four months in 1942, the Pacific Battalion(BP) would wage a racing war in the Libyan desert against the Afrikakorps and the Italian troops.  Their commander was killed on 4 June 1942. 

 

The Marine and Pacific Infantry Battalion -- 1942-1945

Following the losses suffered by the BIM and the BP during the siege and the exit of Bir Hakeim, General Kœnig decided to merge the two units within the BIMP, whose first commander was Commander Bouillon. This battalion will take part in all the battles of the 1st DFL: Tunisia, Italy, Provence and ascent, Vosges and Alsace, pockets of the Atlantic, Authion.  Reinforced in North Africa by enlisted men from the African army, escapees from France and 250 young Corsicans, it will be particularly tested in Italy, during the battles of Garigliano and Tuscany: it will indeed lose 68 men, including its leader, Commander Magny.  Subsequently, in the fall of 1944, the command will take over 275 “Pacifiens” weakened by the harsh climatic conditions (they will be partly replaced by FFIs and hires from metropolitan France). On May 28, 1945, General de Gaulle awarded him the Cross of the Liberation, with this comment: "Will keep in history the glory of having represented the colonial infantry on the battlefields where the Free French Forces were the first to regain Honor. "

 

The collector who bought my photo sent me some excellent photos of French uniforms, which focused on this unit.  Well, I deleted those old emails and I seem to have lost the photos I downloaded.  Here are a few.

 

 

  I'm sure he said this was the patch worn by this unit, however he did have a large collection that included other French units. 

It appears to read:  7103RD Co.  MTOUSA (Mediterranean Theater of Operations.
  

 

The Marine du Pacifique somewhere in Italy.  The trailer to the right carries the bumper markings of the 350th Infantry Regiment, 88th Infantry Division, which would likely date this after the Liberation of Rome.  

 

Raising a flag---again likely another photo taken in Rome.

 

 

Feel free to add any comments or info.  In the meantime, I will try to find more photos of their uniform.

[Custermen]

16 hours ago, Custermen said:

I tell them emphatically that no Marines served in Italy.

(Don't you like to quote your own post!!!)

 

I am still sure there were no US Marines units in the Italian Campaign.  They weren't at the landings on Sicily--neither South or North---, nor Salerno, Anzio or other possible plans such as Gaeta.  

However there were a few individual Marines there.

 

Winfred Tolbert served in the Marines from 1937 to 1941.  He served on the U.S.S. Texas and U.S.S. New York and traveled to Santo Domingo, Puerto Rico and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.  He was a bandsman and played the trumpet.  His enlistment was completed in November 1941.  

Then America declared War on Germany the very next month.  So he enlisted again.  Being older and more experienced, it seems he decided to try another field.  

He became a member of Service Company, 310th Combat Engineering Battalion, 85th Infantry Division.  

 

When the 5th Army broke out of the mountains in April 1945, there was a race across the Po Valley to trap and cut off the retreating Germans.  The fighting was sporadic and confused.  The 85th Division advanced to the Panora River.  They entered the town of Sant' Agata Bolognese without any resistance on 21 April, 1945.

The following letter was sent by Chaplain William A. Sanders to the family of Tech Sergeant Winfred Tolbert upon his death and described how it happened.

 

"The vehicle in which your brother was riding drove into the small Italian village and stopped; the occupants dismounted to secure information from Italian civilians. With no forewarning, one of the enemy came around the corner riding a motorcycle, and, with a burst of fire from his machine pistol, gravely wounded your brother. Sympathetic Italians placed him in his vehicle and carried him immediately to a medical aid station, but your brother was dead upon reaching the aid station. The action took place in Northern Italy."

[Kia kaha]

19 hours ago, Custermen said:

When someone is inquiring about a veteran Marine in their family to see if they served in the Italian Campaign of WW2, I tell them emphatically that no Marines served in Italy.  I was wrong.  There were some French Marines.  

I bought a nice 8X10 photo on eBay of these soldiers marching in a victory parade after the Liberation of Rome.  This photo was taken in front of the monument of King Victor Emmanuel II.  This was a news release photo from Allied Forces HQ.  Several photos were taken of troops parading around the Piazza Venezia in celebration of the Liberation.

 

This unit was identified on the photo as famous French Battalion "Pacifique".

 

I posted this photo on my website and some 15 years later--in 2017-- I received an email asking how to get this 8X10 photo.  After hearing the story of this unit and seeing his large collection of  uniforms of this unit, I sold the photo to him. 

This official name of this unit is Bataillon d'Infanterie de Marine du Pacifique (or BIMP) or in English-- Marine Infantry Battalion of Pacific.  They did fight in WW2 in North Africa and Italy with the French Expeditionary Corps. This unit was organized in May 1941 in New Caledonia; about half-way between Australia and Fiji Islands. The unit consisted of mixed races of French and Tahitian.

 

Here is a portion of the organization table for the period in Italy.

ORGANIZATION

French Expeditionary Forces -- Commanding General:  General Alphonse Juin

1e DIVISION FRANCAISE LIBRE - (Motorized Infantry Div, aka Free French Division}

 + 1st Brigade  - Colonel Delange

 + 2nd Brigade - Lieutenant-Colonel Garbay

 + 4th Brigade - Colonel Raynal

 +  + 21st Bataillon de Marche

 +  + 24th Bataillon de Marche

 +  + Bataillon d'Infanterie de Marine du Pacifique(BIMP)

 

The BIMP was formed after the battle of Bir Hakeim (June 1942) by the merger of the Marine Infantry Battalion (BIM), from Cyprus, and the Pacific Battalion (BP), from Tahiti and New Caledonia.  This is a brief history of the evolution of the Marine Infantry Battalion up to the Marine Infantry Battalion of the Pacific.  It is the best I could do.

 

Evolution of the Battalion of Pacific

 

The Marine Infantry Battalion (BIM) -- 1940-1942

In the first days of June, the 24th Colonial Infantry Regiment, stationed in Tripoli in Lebanon, had sent its 3rd battalion to Cyprus to reinforce the British garrison of Famagusta.  This unit fought in Egypt.  At the end of 1941, as part of the reorganization of the division, the BIM was integrated into the 2nd colonial demi-brigade.

 

The Pacific Battalion (BP) -- 1940-1942

After the rallying of French Oceania to Free France (September 2, 1940), Captain Broche, commander of the autonomous company of Colonial Infantry of Tahiti since July 1939, decided to raise a corps of volunteers from all the territories of the Pacific . Established in Papeete and Noumea, the Pacific Battalion embarked for Australia on May 5, 1941. On June 27, it took its place aboard the Queen Elizabeth liner for the Middle East; after a stopover in Ceylon, it arrived in Suez on July 31 and was immediately transported to the Qastina camp (Palestine), where it joined the 1st DLFL. 

For more than four months in 1942, the Pacific Battalion(BP) would wage a racing war in the Libyan desert against the Afrikakorps and the Italian troops.  Their commander was killed on 4 June 1942. 

 

The Marine and Pacific Infantry Battalion -- 1942-1945

Following the losses suffered by the BIM and the BP during the siege and the exit of Bir Hakeim, General Kœnig decided to merge the two units within the BIMP, whose first commander was Commander Bouillon. This battalion will take part in all the battles of the 1st DFL: Tunisia, Italy, Provence and ascent, Vosges and Alsace, pockets of the Atlantic, Authion.  Reinforced in North Africa by enlisted men from the African army, escapees from France and 250 young Corsicans, it will be particularly tested in Italy, during the battles of Garigliano and Tuscany: it will indeed lose 68 men, including its leader, Commander Magny.  Subsequently, in the fall of 1944, the command will take over 275 “Pacifiens” weakened by the harsh climatic conditions (they will be partly replaced by FFIs and hires from metropolitan France). On May 28, 1945, General de Gaulle awarded him the Cross of the Liberation, with this comment: "Will keep in history the glory of having represented the colonial infantry on the battlefields where the Free French Forces were the first to regain Honor. "

 

The collector who bought my photo sent me some excellent photos of French uniforms, which focused on this unit.  Well, I deleted those old emails and I seem to have lost the photos I downloaded.  Here are a few.

 

 

  I'm sure he said this was the patch worn by this unit, however he did have a large collection that included other French units. 

It appears to read:  7103RD Co.  MTOUSA (Mediterranean Theater of Operations.
  

 

The Marine du Pacifique somewhere in Italy.  The trailer to the right carries the bumper markings of the 350th Infantry Regiment, 88th Infantry Division, which would likely date this after the Liberation of Rome.  

 

Raising a flag---again likely another photo taken in Rome.

 

 

Feel free to add any comments or info.  In the meantime, I will try to find more photos of their uniform.

Thanks for the info, and thanks for the Id of a badge I e had for years. Good work

cheers.

[Custermen]

26 minutes ago, Kia kaha said:

Thanks for the info, and thanks for the Id of a badge I e had for years. Good work

While I was googling to make my post, I found several images of pins and flags.  I saw this pin several times but I wasn't sure if it was from WW2 era or one of the hybrid units or maybe a modern unit.  

Sounds like an interesting unit. I don't know what made them "famous"---their fighting ability or their ethnic background.

[ScottG]

Marines were in Iceland, many in England at the embassy and other locales. They participated in the Sicily, D-Day and Southern France landings as liaisons, they were on all Battleships and Cruisers in the Atlantic Fleet numbering in the thousands and in the OSS to include actor Sterling Hayden who served in Yugoslavia. So, yes Marines were in Europe.    Scott

[ScottG]

Actor Sterling Hayden was a Marine Lieutenant serving in the OSS. He operated out of Italy and was instrumental in evacuating several Army Nurses with their aircrew from occupied Albania. 

[Custermen]

10 hours ago, ScottG said:

Marines were in Iceland, many in England at the embassy and other locales. They participated in the Sicily, D-Day and Southern France landings as liaisons, they were on all Battleships and Cruisers in the Atlantic Fleet numbering in the thousands

I was referring only to the Italian Campaign.  Granted, Marines worked in embassies and served aboard ships.  I was referring to Marine units that fought in combat.   

I never thought about maybe there were Marine pilots flying from carriers.  

[ScottG]

12 hours ago, Custermen said:

I was referring only to the Italian Campaign.  Granted, Marines worked in embassies and served aboard ships.  I was referring to Marine units that fought in combat.   

I never thought about maybe there were Marine pilots flying from carriers.  

   Here is an article on Marines in North Africa, Sicily and Italy.    https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/npswapa/extcontent/usmc/pcn-190-003125-00/sec5b.htm  

    Scott

[Custermen]

22 hours ago, ScottG said:

Here is an article on Marines in North Africa, Sicily and Italy. 

Thanks for the article.  However, it got really confusing very quickly.

 

The top section is labeled Operation Torch and doesn't mention the use of Marines but just that they didn't want to screw up the landings as in other failed raids. 

The next section is about a General Bare ---but oddly starts out with a sentence about a Colonel Jeschke.  

Another section break and it picks back up at invasion of Sicily and with Colonel Jeschke.  All of sudden it brings up Marine Colonel Robert O. Bare again but nothing to do with Sicily or Italy.  Instead it introduces Guadalcanal and RAF and Marines over the Channel.  Now I'm confused.

Oh!  There we are back on the landing at Salerno.  I see it.

    Quote "The five Marine officers from Washington were embarked with this force at Bizerte, Tunisia, each on a separate LST carrying British troops."   They landed with the British around 0200 and "returned home on 23 September". 

 

I couldn't find much details but it appears they were observers to take knowledge back to the Marines.

[ScottG]

   Its part of a series of articles about Marines in the ETO. Many were senior officers assigned at the staff level to assist with planning and landings etc... Jeschke was involved in some pretty big operations. That said, the articles also detail entire Marine crewed guns on ships and of course Marines on embassy duty, OSS assignments and being detailed out to the RAF and Royal Marine Commandos.     Scott

[patches]

Didn't the use of Marine Guards at U.S. Embassies start only from 1946 on?

[Gear Fanatic]

No I believe not,

it was before that Because I remember reading a memoir from an Iwo vet saying he wanted to be at an embassy in Portugal but they sent him to Iwo lol, maybe it states in the 20s and 30s? I don’t know for sure…