The Military Postal History of the New Hebrides
During the Second World War
Efate - The US Marine Corps
The first military force to arrive was a small group of army units drawn from Army Task Force 6814, which had earlier been despatched to New Caledonia. The group was designated "ATF6814, Detachment A". It arrived in Vila on 16 March 1942, to prepare the way for the island's permanent defence force, the 4th Marine Defence Battalion, which disembarked at Efate on 29 March 1942, two weeks later, in company with a fighter squadron VMF 212. Early marine corps mail from ATF6814, Detachment A was returned to New Caledonia for despatch and can be found with a return address of APO 502 (the main New Caledonian APO).
The 4th Marine Defence Battalion was assigned Marine Corps Post Office 775. It had no physical post office facilities. From March 1942 to January 1943, its mail was handled by APO 932. Thereafter, Navy 156, on the wharf at Havannah Harbour took over. MCPO 775 mail sent through Navy 156 inevitably bears Navy cancels, some with slogans such as "The Marines Have Landed" and "US Marines".
Other marine corps groups to use Navy 156 were the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing at Quoin Hill (on the north-east of the island), Marine Air Group 12 (at Quoin Hill), Marine Air Group 21 (at Bauerfield - Vila's airstrip) and Marine Air Group 24 (at Quoin Hill) which included VMF212 which had accompanied the 4th Defence Battalion in March 1942.
19 June 1943 - VMF123, of MAG11, was a fighter squadron, flying Grumman Wildcats. After seeing action over Guadalcanal
the flight echelon returned to Efate on 13 March and left immediately for Sydney for a week of rest but was back at Efate by
7 April. By mid May 1943 the flight echelon was again operating from Guadalcanal under the command of Major Richard
M. Baker, USMC, mainly assigned to patrol duty. The pilots returned to Efate on 8 June 1943. On 10 June, the flight
echelon left for a further rest in Sydney and returned to Efate in two groups on 13 June and 1 July. On 2 July, F4U
Vought Corsairs were assigned to the squadron and until early August the pilots engaged in training in the
new aircraft. On August 1, eighteen pilots were flown from Efate to Santo and, on the following day, ferried
the F4Us to the Russell Islands. Ten of the squadron made the same trip by DC-3 and the remainder
of the flight echelon was flown there from Efate by SCAT. The ground echelon arrived at the Russell
Islands on August 17. On August 14, twelve pilots escorted a DC-3 with twelve others to
Munda, where VMF123 became the first squadron based at the new Munda airfield.
19 July 1943 - This cover from the same correspondence was also sent from Efate. Note the use of Navy 156 as the return address.
6 December 1943 - This cover was sent through Navy 156 by Corporal William
Buchta of Headquarters Squadron, MAG 21, based at Bauerfield near Vila.
USMC 775 - The Fourth Defense Battalion
16 October 1942 - A rare cover from a serviceman with the Battalion on Efate,
cancelled with the stylised "US Marines" slogan cds.
