USMC 104660: A Pictorial record of the 1st MarDiv deployment to Guadalcanal

Item Description
Title
USMC 104660: A Pictorial record of the 1st MarDiv deployment to Guadalcanal

Citation information
USMC 104660: A Pictorial record of the 1st MarDiv deployment to Guadalcanal. United States Marine Corps Film Repository. Moving Image Research Collections. University of South Carolina.

USMC History Division inventory no
04/889

Marine Corps Library Number
0000-16

MIRC inventory no.
USMC 104660

Decade
1940

Description
A memo is typed out explaining the film is a compilation of footage shot during an operation in the South Pacific. Transports carrying the 1st Marine Division leave San Francisco. At sea, views show Marines on deck relaxing and at duty stations. A closeups features MajGen A. A. Vandergift, BGen William H. Rupertus (Asst. Division Commander), and Col. Pedro de Valle (11th Marines). General officers of the 1st Division debark in New Zealand and confer with one another on the dock. The division arrives by train at its camp. It is then shown embarking onto transports for the Invasion of Guadalcanal. The convoy encounters heavy seas enroute. Identifiable ships include USS Ralph Talbot (DD-390), USS Buchanan (DD-484) an unidentified USS Gregory (APD-3). [Leader indicates that the film was originally on two reels] Fighter aricraft fly overhead and a downed pilot is rescued as the amphibious assault begins. Short sequences ashore indicate passage of time and the capture of Henderson Field. The aftermath of the Battle of the Tenru (Alligator Creek) is shown in detail with many Japanese dead. Prisoners (including Korean laborers) sit in a holding area and are then inspected by Marine officers and treated by corpsman. Captured equipment is demonstrated (2nd Lt Thayer Soule is likely assisting with the flame thrower). A Marine dons the gear of a Japanese sniper and demonstrates their positions in the tree canopy. On August 12th, a PBY Catalina arrives with Rear Admiral John S. McCain, Sr. to officially dedicate Henderson Field. Supplies arrive by ship and general activities at the airfield are shown. LtCol ""Chesty"" Puller leads his battalion back to the beach. An elevated view shows the entire division marching.

Location(s)
New Zealand; San Francisco (Calif.)

Camera crew
Soule, Thayer (2nd Lt); Hance, Richard;

Producing entity
United States Marine Corps (Production unit)

Genre
Conflict (combat)

Film date (note)
Filmed from June 1942 through December 1942.

Division
1st Division


Item collection
United States Marine Corps Film Repository

Original color
B&W

Original audio
Sound

Original gauge
Film: 16mm

Original generation
Postive

Original physical length
1000

Original aspect ratio
1.37:1 (Academy)

Original media type
Motion pictures (visual works)

Language
English

Contributing organization
University of South Carolina. Moving Image Research Collections


Digital collection name
United States Marine Corps Films


Rights information
Public domain.

Digital media type
Moving Image

Date digital file created
04/28/2022

Digitization information
High definition access copy derived from a scan of a film original on a Lasergraphics ScanStation 6.5k

Digital runtime
29:21

Digital file type
video/H264

Keywords
World War II