page_title: Battle of Guadalcanal order of battle
section_title: 1st Marine Division
hierarchical_section_title: Battle of Guadalcanal order of battle / United States / Marine Corps / 1st Marine Division
context_page_description: The Guadalcanal Campaign was fought from the initial American landings on 7 August 1942 until the final Japanese evacuation on 9 February 1943. It was the first major Allied offensive in the Pacific Theater of Operations.
context_section_description: Maj. Gen. Alexander A. Vandegrift
  
  The D-Day (7 August) landings on Guadalcanal were carried out by the 1st and 3rd Battalions/5th Marines at 0910 hours, followed by the 1st Marines at 0930. Landings on the Florida Islands across the sound were carried out earlier that morning by the 2nd Battalion/5th Marines, the 1st Parachute Battalion, and the 1st Marine Raider Battalion. The 7th Marines and 1st Battalion/11th Marines arrived 18 September. The division began withdrawal from the island 12 December.
  Division staff
  Asst. division commander: Brig. Gen. William H. Rupertus
  Chief of staff: Col. William C. James (to 24 Sept); Col. Gerald C. Thomas
  Asst. chief of staff for Personnel (D-1): Col. Robert C. Kilmartin Jr.
  Asst. chief of staff for Intelligence (D-2): Lt. Col. Frank B. Goettge (to 12 Aug); Lt. Col. Edmund J. Buckley
  Asst. chief of staff for Operations (D-3): Col. Gerald C. Thomas (to 24 Sept); Lt. Col. Merrill B. Twining
  Asst. chief of staff for Logistics (D-4): Lt. Col. Randolph M. Pate
  1st Marine Regiment
  Commanding officer: Col. Clifton B. Cates
  Executive officer: Lt. Col. Julian N. Frisbie (to 23 Sept); Lt. Col. Edwin A. Pollock
  1st Battalion: Lt. Col. Leonard B. Cresswell
  2nd Battalion: Lt. Col. Edwin A. Pollock (to 23 Sept); Lt. Col. William W. Stickney
  3rd Battalion: Lt. Col. William N. McKelvy Jr.
  5th Marine Regiment
  Commanding officer: Col. Leroy P. Hunt (to 21 Sept); Col. Merritt A. Edson
  Executive officer: Col. William J. Whaling (to 25 Sept); Lt. Col. Walker A. Reaves (to 12 Oct); Lt. Col. William S. Fellers
  1st Battalion: Lt. Col. William E. Maxwell (to 30 Aug); Maj. Donald W. Fuller (to 13 Oct); Maj. William K. Enright
  2nd Battalion: Lt. Col. Harold E. Rosecrans (to 11 Sept); Capt. Joseph J. Dudkowski (1-17, 25-30 Sept); Lt. Col. Walker A. Reaves (18-24 Sept); Maj. David S. McDougal (1-8 Oct); Maj. William J. Piper (8-11 Oct); Maj. Lewis W. Walt
  3rd Battalion: Lt. Col. Frederick C. Biebush (to 22 Sept); Maj. Robert O. Bowen
  7th Marine Regiment
  Commanding officer: Col. James W. Webb (to 20 Sept); Col. Amor L. Sims
  Executive officer: Col. Amor L. Sims (to 20 Sept); Lt. Col. Julian N. Frisbie
  1st Battalion: Lt. Col. Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller
  2nd Battalion: Lt. Col. Herman H. Hanneken
  3rd Battalion: Lt. Col. Edwin J. Farrell (to 24 Sept); Lt. Col. William R. Williams
  11th Marine Regiment (Artillery)
  Commanding officer: Col. Pedro del Valle
  Executive officer: Lt. Col. John A. Bemis (to 17 Oct); Lt. Col. Robert B. Luckey (to 28 Nov); Lt. Col. Thomas B. Hughes
  1st Battalion: Lt. Col. Joseph R. Knowlan (to 19 Oct); Lt. Col. Manley L. Curry (to 28 Nov); Lt. Col. Donovan D. Sult (to 2 Dec)
  2nd Battalion: Lt. Col. Edward G. Hagen (to 14 Sept); Maj. Forest C. Thompson
  3rd Battalion: Lt. Col. James J. Keating
  4th Battalion: Lt. Col. Melvin E. Fuller (to 28 Oct; from 7 Dec); Maj. Carl G.F. Korn (28-31 Oct); Capt. Albert H. Potter (from 1 Nov)
  5th Battalion: Lt. Col. E. Hayden Price (to 18 Oct); Maj. Noah P. Wood, Jr.
  Other Marine units
  3rd Defense Battalion (landed 7 August 1942): Col. Robert H. Pepper
  Executive officer: Lt. Col. Harold C. Roberts
  Operations officer: Maj. Samuel G. Taxis
  1st Parachute Battalion: Maj. Charles A. Miller (to 18 Sept); Capt. Harry Torgerson (19-26 Sept); Maj. Robert H. Williams (from 27 Sept)
  1st Raider Battalion: Col. Merritt A. Edson (to 21 Sept); Lt. Col. Samuel B. Griffith (22-27 Sept)
  1st Amphibian Tractor Battalion Lt. Col. Walter W. Barr:
  1st Aviation Engineer Battalion Maj. Thomas F. Riley:
  1st Pioneer Battalion: Maj. James G. Frazer (to 25 Oct); Maj. Henry H. Crockett
  1st Medical Battalion: Cmdr. Don S. Knowlton, USN
  1st Special Weapons Battalion: Maj. Robert B. Luckey (to 6 Oct); Maj. Richard W. Wallace
  1st Tank Battalion: Maj. Harvey S. Walseth
caption: Maj. Gen. Pedro del Valle
exif: {}