Marines In Asia

The Marines Of USA And Britain

The previous page was: "Royal Marine Infantry Brigades"

The achievements of the British Forces in the South-East Asia theatre were great; but the real defeat of Japan was accomplished by the Americans whose combined operations on land and sea and in the air were on a scale unknown in the long history of human warfare.

So successful were these operations that weeks, if not months, before the dropping of the atom bomb, the Japanese in the jungles, in the air and on the high seas, had been utterly vanquished.

In this muderous war in the Pacific the United States Marine Corps had borne a very heavy strain of the fighting and had added new laurels to its already high reputation as the most elite corps of all the American forces.

Enthusiastically fostered throughout the war by Admiral King, it had reached a strength of over three-quarters of a million.

American Marines are the idols of the American public and are the heroes of the best American war stories; such is the halo of glory that deservedly surrounds them.

Royal Marine Infantry Brigades

Choice Of Mules Or The Marines

Like the Royal Marines, as in the Royal Navy, The United States Marine Corps is subject to direct naval control, and naval officers still like to feel that they are the more senior.

After the War of Independence the Americans decided to form a professional Army and Navy. When the fighting was over, all that was left in the form of official forces was the corps of mules and two battalions of Marines.

The naval and army officers engaged in creating the new professional Army and Navy decided to toss-up for which service should take the mules and which the Marines. The Army won and chose the Mules!

The American Marines have their own retort to the Army and the Navy, for they have a song, known to every American, which boasts their superiority. One verse goes.

"If the Army and the Navy Ever look on Heaven's scenes,

They wil find the streets are guarded By United States Marines."

Captain Nicholas And The Two Battalions

Captain Samuel Nicholas formed the two battalions of Continental Marines on 10th November 1775, into Philadelphia's naval infantry.

Since then, the mission of the Marine Corps has evolved with change into the most powerful fighting Corps in the world; and alas the corps of donkeys are no more.

The US Marine Corps has served in every American armed conflict and attained prominence in the 20th century where its theories and practices of amphibious warfare proved decisive and ultimately formed the cornerstone of the Pacific campaign of World War II.

By the mid 20th-century, the Marine Corps had become the dominant force of amphibious warfare. Its ability to rapidly respond at short notice to expeditionary crises gives it a strong role in the implementation and execution of American foreign policy.

Corps Long-standing Friendship With Corps

There is a long-standing frienship which exists between the United States Marines and the Royal Marines. But there has been at least one occasion when the friendship has been strained by a brief but breezy incident.

The two Corps, which had co-operated with complete harmony and success in the Boxer wars, served together again in China in 1927-28 when the twelfth Battalion R.M. and the forth Regiment U.S.M.C. formed part of the garrison of Shanghai.

During this period a young and diminutive Marine drummer, just disembarked and shining with blanco polish, was standing on a jetty. Up to him strolled a huge American Marine, not drunk but having had a drink, made a slow and careful inspection of the drummer's uniform.

finally he came to the "R.M." on the boy's shoulders. "what may that signify?" "That," said the drummer, "Stands for the Real Marines." Fur flew, but no casualties occurred.

There Have Been Other Similarities

But the ties between the two Corps have never loosened, and have grown stronger with the passage of time. One incident that happened before the United states came into the war, is worth a mention.

In the dark days of 1940, a letter arrived at the Marine Central office in London addressed to the "Colonel-in-Chief" Royal Marines. The writer was an American private.

His final paragraph gladdened the heart of the Royal Marine officer who had to deal with the letter. It ran, "in the cause for which you are fighting I wish to do my part to help with the Royal Marines."

"I do not say I will add to your glorious record and traditions, but I do say I will hold them up with the best of my ability. And I beg of you to accept me if you can."

Attacking Pearl Harbour Ruined Japan

In the Pacific the war was fought from ships fighting at sea far from harbours. All suplies, from the largest tank to the smallest tin, had to be brought by sea over immense distances. Not only did American production but also American genius of organisation made this possible.

It was not until the surrender of Japan became evident that American and Royal Marines came into closer contact and saw something of each other. As far as the Marines are concerned, the kind of co-operation that took place is best illustrated by the story of "H.M.S. Gambia".

"H.M.S. Gambia" was the first ship to form the nucleus of the British Pacific Fleet. Shortly before the Japanese capitulation the Royal Marines of "H.M.S. Gambia" were embarked in the "U.S.S. Paulic" in which they spent twelve days before being loaded into assualt craft to carry out the first landing of British troops.

Together with the 6th Regiment of U.S. Marines and the Royal Marines of "H.M.S. King George V" and "H.M.S. Newfoundland" they received the surrender of Admiral Yukasuka and his staff.

Liberating Prisoners Of War

Later, the "Gambia's" contingent re-embarked in its own ship and with the American cruiser "Montpelier" sailed to Wakyama in southern Honshu under orders to liberate all Allied prisoner's of war.

It was here the American Marines paid a most pleasing compliment to their British comrades-in-arms, for when the contingent landed at Wakyama the senior American Marine officer formed a platoon to guard the beach.

Although there were only five Royal Marines and thirty-five U.S. Marines, the American officer put the British, Colour-Sergeant Bell in charge.

Although other British, let alone American, warships may have excelled it, "Gambia's" record during the last stages of the war in the Pacific are worth mentioning. From February 1st, to October 1st 1945, she fired 1,729 shells, steamed 60,000 miles and was at sea for 167 days.

Prisoners suffered pitifully In Japan

All over Japan the Allies did a splendid job in liberating the Anglo-American prisoners of war, many of whom were in a most pitiable condition. Their sufferings have been written by other writers, which, were shocking and almost beyond human endurance.

A Royal Marine, himself a prisoner of war, set free a whole camp of American prisoners. This was Marine Wooding of "H.M.S. Tamar" who was captured in Hong-Kong on Boxing Day 1941.

Nine-months later he was embarked on a Japanese merchant ship for transfer to a camp in Japan. On its way to Japan the ship was torpedoed off Shanghai, and the Japs immediately battened the hatch down, with the hold crammed full of prisoners.

The prisoners had no food or no water. Many died of suffocation, some became hysterical, and the moans of the dying never ceased. Three days later the ship began to sink, the Japanese started firing into the prisoners, some of them managed to break-out.

Jumping overboard, Marine Wooding set out to swim towards an island, but he could not reach it. He found a small marking buoy and clung to it for five hours until he was helped ashore by a Chinese Junk's crew who gave him some water.

Picked Up

The next day the Japanese picked him up and took him to Shanghai. He was taken to Osaka where with other prisoners he was put to work. Beatings were plentiful and food was very scant.

When the Americans began to bomb Osaka, Wooding and the other prisoners were moved to another camp near Kyoto where conditions were far worse than those at Osaka.

Wooding however, succeeded in learning some Japanese, an achievement which stood him in good stead later. Wooding and a friend broke-out of camp and, being able to speak the laguage, were helped by some Japanese.

In this manner they they were able to reach a camp that was full of American prisoners, about ninety miles from Kyoto. There they managed to persuade the Japanese guards that the war was over, and, the Japanese released their prisoners.

The released Americans who, were expecting each day the arrival of their own troops, were as surprised as they were delighted.

A Small Detachment Of Marines

Royal Marines from "H.M.S. Tamar" at Hong-Kong in December 1941. When the Japanese invaded the island, the detachment numbered only forty-seven N.C.O.s and Marines under the command of Major Farrington R.M.

So determined, was their resistance, until they were ordered to lay down their arms, that the Japanes assessed their strength at three-hundred men, after the surrender, the Japanese wasted many hours searching for missing Marines.

During their captivity the Marines of this detachment set such a splendid example of courage and etiquette that they won the highest praise from officers of other units and different nationalities.

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Return Of The Royal Marines

Eighty-five years had passed since the first Royal Marines set foot in Japan. This was when a Royal Marine Battalion was sent to Yokohama in "H.M.S. Conqueror".

The Japanese were then in the throes of emerging from a medievil feudalism, the British battalion was the first considerable body of troops they had ever seen.

In 1870 and again in 1873 othe R.M. Battalions were sent there. The R.M. connection with Japan was renewed again in August 1945, when the British Fleet sailed into Tokyo Bay.

The senior officer of the Royal Marines went ashore and hoisted the Union Jack in Yokohama. His name was Major Peter Norcock. His grandfather had carried the colours ashore in the R.M. battalion which landed in Yokohama in 1870.

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