Marines Hut Props

Big Tree petrol box 
Big Tree was one of New Zealand's first petrol companies, bought out by Shell in the 1950s. This box held two cans of fuel, but provides a handy card table for the Marines in this hut.

Blanket
Labeled ‘USMC’. Very necessary in the New Zealand winter when huts and especially tents were uncomfortably cold.

Helmet
The M1 helmet was standard issue for US armed forces from 1941 to 1985. It has two parts: a steel manganese steel shell and a resin-impregnated cotton canvas liner. Both parts are ‘one-size-fits-all’, but the liner is fitted with strips of webbing material that can be adjusted to suit the wearer. On its own the ‘steel pot’ could be used as spade, hammer, bucket, washbasin, seat, and was also used for boiling water for coffee, cooking and shaving. The USMC camouflage helmet cover, adopted in 1943 was made of herringbone twill material printed with a reversible ‘forest green’ pattern on one side and a brown ‘coral island’ pattern on the other for use in tropical environments.

Comics
Comic books such as Buck Rogers, Hopalong Cassidy or Don Winslow of the Navy were favourites at the PX store.

Books
This Marine is keen on the cowboy stories of Zane Grey, a best-selling US author who regularly visited the Bay of Islands for big-game fish.

"Sparkling Humour"
Books of jokes with ‘cheesecake’ drawings were popular in the 1940s.

Bible
Many devout Christians Marines were given a Bible by their family and regularly attendedthe churches in Paekākāriki.

Mess kit
American stainless steel mess tins (‘mess kit’ as they were known) had compartments for different food and one side could be used as a frying pan.

Water canteen
In action, a water canteen hanging from a web belt was vital for survival. The canvas cover stopped it from shining and kept the water cool.

M1 Garand rifle
In November of 1941 the Marine Corps classified the M1 as their standard service rifle.  Marines initially resisted the M1 at first because they had used the bold action Springfield 1903 for almost 30 yrs. It was at the end of the Guadalcanal campaign that a sufficient number of M1’s were issued to front line units with the remainder issued back in New Zealand.From the mid-1930s to the 1960s the M1 Garand .30 calibre semi-automatic rifle became the standard weapon for all US armed services. THIS IS A NON-FIRING REPLICA.

Cot
These folding beds (called ‘camp stretchers by New Zealanders) were snapped up after the war for family camping trips.

1943 Camouflage Utility Jacket and trousers 
Worn in training and in jungle combat. Donated to Paekākāriki Station Museum by a retired Marine.

1942 Herringbone Dungaree jacket
Cotton herringbone twill dungaree jacket and trousers were the normal wear in camp, and worn by Marines in the early days of the war.

Seabag
A Marine often decorated his ‘seabag’ (called a kitbag by New Zealand troops) with unit emblems, ports of call and battlefields.

Winter Service Dress uniform, trousers and jacket with khaki shirt and tie
‘Dress greens’, with collared shirt and tie were worn on formal occasions or when on leave in the city. Given to Paekākāriki Station Museum by Corporal Hal Shafer.

Shoulder patches
Unofficial shoulder patch of Second Marine Division personnel from the battle for Guadalcanal.

Lapel badge
The Eagle, Globe & Anchor since 1868 is the emblem of the United States Marine Corps. It consists of a globe which signifies the Corps readiness to service in any part of the world. The Eagle represents the United States. The Anchor, which dates back to the founding of the Corps in 1775, acknowledging their Naval tradition as “Soldiers from the Sea”.

Service & Campaign decoration ribbon
Presidential Unit Citation Ribbon with 1 Star (Guadalcanal & Tarawa Campaigns)Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal/Ribbon with 3 Stars World War II Victory Medal/Ribbon (Not Shown).

Field Shoes “Boondockers”
US Marine shoes had a high top as protection against mud and sharp objects.

Socks
Wool Socks

Leggings (Gaiters)
Canvas Leggings were worn at the beginning of the war.  They were difficult to put on and take off and did not provide much protection.

Bottles
These bottles were dug up from a disposal pit beside the tram line 200 metres from here. They include a small American beer bottle, a Coca Cola bottle marked ‘San Diego, Calif.’ and a soft drink bottle from Thompson and Lewis, Wellington as well as New Zealand standard beer bottle.

Baseball and bat
For most New Zealanders baseball and softball were novelties. Crowds came to watch demonstration games.

Entrenching tool
Every Marine carried a folding shovel (‘entrenching tool’) to scrape a hole as protection against enemy fire.