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North China Marines & their Thompsons


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A touch of trivia.

"Two China US Navy "China sailors" mid 1930s. The sailor on the right is Richard McKenna ( Korean War Tin Can sailor & during WWII he served on transports in the Pacific & Atlantic). He would write one of the great American novels, The Sand Pebbles."

 

Richard McKenna.jpg

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my neigbhor, thimas cronin was a china marine, was captured by japs spent 1003 days a prisioner, came home alive, city of santa clara, calif named a street after him, cronin ave, RIP thomas you earned it, just sayn

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My Scoutmaster was a China Marine and told me that he was on horseback on the Great China Wall with a BAR in his lap when WWII broke out. I was too young at that time to understand what that meant. He had a Swedish K in the trunk of his car, back those days. Sandman and I hope to try verify that sometime. 

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On 6/26/2025 at 4:38 PM, RoscoeTurner said:

A touch of trivia.

"Two China US Navy "China sailors" mid 1930s. The sailor on the right is Richard McKenna ( Korean War Tin Can sailor & during WWII he served on transports in the Pacific & Atlantic). He would write one of the great American novels, The Sand Pebbles."

 

Richard McKenna.jpg

1e70143d70427864717c65f291308305.jpg

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On 6/25/2025 at 12:50 AM, ACARLG said:

BLUF - posted for the photo collectors & Marines out there.

Saw this on gunboards, original poster indicates that he bought it for resale.

M1928 or M1921/1928 Overstamp (USN) Thompsons.

happymarines-jpg.4351064

(6) China Marines.....in Shanghai, China......just prior to WWII, | Gunboards Forums

"M1928 or M1921/1928 Overstamp (USN) Thompsons".

As these photos were taken in the 1930's they would be M1921/1928 Overstamp. No Model of 1928's were manufactured as such until Maguire took over AOC and contracted Savage to begin manufacture of the Model of 1928s.

All Thompsons prior to that would have originally been manufactured as Model of 1921s by Colt in 1921/1922, and subsequently modified to create Models of 1923, 1927 and 1928s.

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Posted (edited)

More Marines. Early 1930s photo of two heavily armed Marine Airmen somewhere in Central America fighting in the “Banana Wars”

Note: guy on the left appears to have flare gun and the appropriate cartridges in that bandolier. 

WW1 US Signal Flare Gun - De-activated and Antique Guns, Munitions and Fuzes - Treasure Bunker Forum

b4cc8a2d1d64ee85cf47fba35c9adab9.jpg

Edited by ACARLG
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Are those two cell magazine pouches on left hand side of both airmen, Colt .45 pistol mag pouches?

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2 hours ago, 68coupe said:

I'd like to know what the hand cannon the guy on the left has tucked in his belt is.

It appears to be a Remington Mk III 10 Gage Flare Pistol. Also note  a bandolier of flares across the individual’s chest. 

IMG_4119.jpeg

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