Waltzing Matilda and the 1st Marines Division...

Just found out tonight via a TV program, that the U.S. 1st Marine division's official marching song (or one of?) is Waltzing Matilda!?
Apparently all their camps overseas are called Matilda...and even the Southern Cross is emblazoned on their emblem...this all from being based in Melbourne for a period during WWII...must have been a good posting...
Who knew? How cool is that? Another reason to admire the Marines...

(I suspect Jughead and USMCPrice knew...didn't bloody tell me though : )

 

Always remember if your going to steal, steal from the best.

 

You mean you haven't read the book, or seen the movie, "Battle Cry"?

There is even a few episode of "The Pacific" that show Marines in Australia.

 

Ashamedly no...will now though thanks.
Watched some you tube marching...a bit surreal, but in a good way...

 

I knew, Surprised you didn't CAC. Even have a plaque at the MCG dedicated to the 1st Regiment of the 1st Marine division.

 

I don't think I ever heard of it....but I wasn't in the 1st.....haven't seen Battle Cry in a long, long time....I don't recall any division or regiment songs...we never sang any......I thought it was good to be posted there because a lot of the Aussies males were away at war? ...I'll ask my dad if he remembers...he was a reservist, in the 1st Mardiv in Korea.....but he's forgetting a lot nowadays

 

Battle Cry, one of the best books in my library. My father (Marine) read it every year.

 

Well, I learn something new every day. I was expecting some oddball connection between the USS Yorktown(CV-5) and the 1st Marine Division.

 

my dad didn't remember it as a 1sMarDiv song...but he definitely remembered it as the Aussie song...I asked him how could he remember that so well, since he's not so good at details from the 50s....he said you remember everything in WW2, meaning growing up in those years...

 

The time spent in Australia and New Zealand was a defining moment in the service of the early war 1st and 2d Division Marines. The Australian's and New Zealander's loved the Marines and the Marines loved the ANZAC's. They were there at a crucial time, large elements of the ANZAC military were away defending the British Empire, Japan was steam rollering across Asia and the Pacific, invading and capturing territories and peoples seemingly as fast as they could go. The Marines shipped out to stop the steam roller and in a long drawn out ground, air and naval knife fight at Guadalcanal they were stopped. They returned to Australia and New Zealand and were greeted by the citizens as heroes and saviors. They also hadn't been exposed to enough Americans, by that time, to become disenchanted with us yet.

Heres an old thread where the same subject came up in relation to the mini-series "The Pacific" and my comments:

http://www.ww2f.com/topic/51858-why-wasnt-the-pacific-as-good-as-band-of-brothers/

CAC wrote:

Early 2nd MarDiv patch



2nd and current patch



WWII Marine Raiders Patch

So it wasn't just the "Blue Diamond" 1st Marine Division patch, but also the Second Division and the Marine Raiders that had the "Southern Cross" as part of their identity.

 

Ahhh...warms the cockles...Advancing Australia's Fair...
Humbling.