Original Item. Only One Available. This is an excellent original WWII 1st Marine Division shoulder patch, Australian made and featuring the distinctive red outer border commonly referred to by collectors as the “Bloodied” variation. The patch measures approximately 2 ⅞ x 3 ⅜” and shows clear evidence of having been removed from a uniform, with scattered edge fraying consistent with period wear and removal.

The red-bordered 1st Marine Division patch was unofficially worn by combat veterans of the Guadalcanal Campaign to distinguish themselves from later replacements, hence the GUADALCANAL in the Red 1.

The official division history explains that the patch was created after Guadalcanal, while the exhausted 1st Marine Division was moving to Australia for rest and refitting. The red numeral 1 and the word GUADALCANAL directly commemorated the division's first major WWII campaign, while the Southern Cross recalled the constellation visible in the South Pacific.

The combination of Australian manufacture, the Guadalcanal 1st Marine Division design, distinctive red “Bloodied” border, and clear uniform-removed condition gives this patch considerably more collector interest than a standard U.S.-manufactured example. It would be an excellent addition to a collection focused on the 1st Marine Division, Guadalcanal, theater-made patches, or Marine Corps combat uniforms of WWII.