The items in this group belonged to Sergeant Samuel P. Gurley who served with Headquarters Squadron, 31^st MAG (Marine Aircraft Group) in World War Two.

The first item in the group is Sergeant Gurley’s four pocket green wool blouse. The Sergeant’s name is stamped on the lining of both sleeves and in the left sleeve there is the Marine Corps Quartermaster marking of September 1943. The collars have the proper WW2 USMC insignia and each sleeve has a green on red Sergeant’s chevron. The left shoulder has a Marine Air Wing PACIFIC patch while on the left breast are the ribbons for the Presidential Unit Citation with one star, American Theater and Pacific Theater with 3 campaign stars. Right breast has ruptured duck insignia. The blouse is in good condition with no signs of any moth action and has the cloth belt minus the buckle. With the blouse are the matching green wool trousers with Gurley’s name in the waistband. Trousers match the blouse in condition. Khaki belt minus the buckle is also present. Belt is marked with initials “S.P.G.” Also present is the black leather Garrison Belt with heavy brass buckle which also bears Gurley’s name stamp.

The next item in the group is a green wool visor hat with black visor and chinstrap. Side buttons are present as is the eagle, globe and anchor insignia (here after EGA) on the front. Hat is in excellent condition in and out. Interior is marked with Gurley’s name. Top cover can be removed for cleaning. With this are two spare green wool covers.

To continue with the headgear there are also two green wool overseas caps, neither one has the EGA insignia and only one is marked with Gurley’s name.

Next are two khaki overseas caps. One is lined and the other is unlined. Both have Gurley’s name stamped inside but neither one has the EGA insignia. Along with these is a khaki cover for the visor hat.

Also in the group is a plain dress blue blouse with all buttons and gold EGA insignia on collars. Markings on inside sleeve lining show a few names. Sergeant Gurley’s name is written in marker or indelible ink. Quartermaster mark in left sleeve is faint but looks like 1939. There is no rank insignia of any kind on the blouse.

Dress blue trousers with NCO leg stripe. These are unnamed but are in very good condition. They are button-fly with suspender buttons along the inside waistband.

White dress blue visor hat with black visor. No EGA insignia, chinstrap or side buttons. When worn the missing pieces would be taken off the green wool hat. Nice condition. White has some soiling. Gurley’s name is stamped inside.

White dress blue waist belt with brass buckle. Appears to have a different name stamp but that is not unusual.

Two pairs of thin red elastic suspenders.

Three khaki trouser belts named to Gurley. Belts have brass tips but no buckles.

Two sets of green on khaki Sergeant chevrons.

French Forragere.

4^th Base Defense Air Wing patch. Red shield shaped patch with a black number “4” superimposed over a yellow eagle holding a bomb pointed downward.

Samuel P. Gurley was born in Massachusetts on June 5, 1923. He joined the Marine Corps on January 8, 1943. In April of that year he was assigned to the 1^st Radio Company, Signal Battalion, Training Command at Camp Lejeune. Later in that month he was moved to the Telephone Company of the Battalion. In July of 1943 Gurley was promoted to Private First Class and assigned to the Headquarters Squadron of the 31^st MAG, 3^rd Marine Air Wing at Cherry Point, North Carolina. In September the 31^st MAG moved to Samoa where they spent the rest of 1943 and most of 1944 flying missions against Japanese units by-passed in the Marshall Islands. In April of 1944 Gurley was promoted to Corporal and in January of 1945 to Sergeant.

The records seem to show that by January of 1945 Sergeant Gurley was back in the United States being assigned to the Headquarters Squadron of the Marine Air Station at Quantico, Virginia. Later that month he was moved to the Aircraft Engineering Squadron of the same station. He was discharged sometime in October of 1945.

After the war Gurley lived in Hampden, Massachusetts and died there in 2010. He is buried in the Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Agawam.

All the items in this group are in good to very good condition unless otherwise stated. This is one of the more complete WW2 Marine groups we have had in a while.

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