Navy Corpsman Uniform help. PLEASE HELP

[1stSSLSSAHTexas]

Did the USN Corpsman's attached to a Marine unit wear the same uniforms as the Marine's themselves in the Pacific? Like P41 utility uniforms or P42 camo utility uniforms and P44 USMC covers. Really need this info

thanks!

[Snake Master]

yes, even to this day naval medical units attached to marines dress in the marine corps uniform.

WWII Letters: Photos of the Battle of Iwo Jima

Field Equipment of a WWII Corpsman

US Navy Corpsman « M1 Pencil

there are some links.
The corpsmen used to where medical identification at the begining of the war, but then it was figured out that the japanese didnt care about the rules of war and would kill corpsmen anyway, so they stopped whereing the medic ID and switched to painting small white circles on there helmets, and evntually switched to putting on helmet covers like the marines.

[Rigormortis]

Just a quick 2 cents on my part having been a Navy Corpsman stationed with the 1st Marine Division from 97-2000. Yes you wore the same field uniforms as the Marines when in the field (usually woodland camos or if reattached to persian gulf fleet desert camos,which btw needed to be returned upon leaving the gulf except for the boots) although I dont believe the woodland camos were issued from the same stock as USMC's though. Ours were issued upon completion of FMSS (Field Medical Service School) and theirs were issued either at bootcamp or SOI (school of infantry). So theres a chance they could be different stocks. Also there could be issued gear that wasnt normal USMC issued stock, such as if a Corpsman attended any type of Navy schooling i.e. Field Hospital or maybe cold weather training where one would be issued camo clothing but from a navy surplus. I remember my field jacket issued at Field Hospital training was different then the Marines I was attached with. Lastly if its dress uniforms or garrison type uniforms then it was a choice at completion of FMSS school you had to sign a paper stating your choice to either choose USMC regulation uniforms or stay with Navy uniform. I stayed with Navy so I'd only wear the camos the Marines did when it was uniform of the day. If you chose USMC regulations then it only authorized you to wear the USMC "charlies" or short sleeved non-dress uniforms but with Navy rank on sleeve. You would never see a navy corpsman wearing USMC dress blues uniform however. That was reserved for Marines only. So to answer your question yes, you could see a corpsman wearing a USMC uniform but at least when I served it wasn't mandatory, you had a one time choice to decide which regs you intended to go with & from that point on you were stuck with it, you couldn't switch back and forth. It was one or the other. Hope this helps.

[Rigormortis]

As an afterthought also in regards to covers. If it was a camo soft cover then it was generally a Navy issued one because the USMC's soft camo covers all had the EGA and you would never see a navy corpsman wear anything issued with an EGA even on USMC uniforms (charlies) if thats what you chose to wear. The Navy issued camo soft covers had no marking on it. The hard helmet for the field was USMC issued so could see issued gear from the USMC side with an EGA on it. Or certainly in combat conditions you might see corpsman wearing or using whatever he could get his hands on if needed. The only thing i'm unsure of is if wearing USMC charlies as a corpsman (because I did not) is if the pisscutter (or soft cover) for that uniform had an EGA on it or not for wear by Navy personnel. I cant recall but maybe in this instance.