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Re-springing A Many-Taled, Old Gray Mare

shoelessjoe

"I took out a Chihuahua!"
Colt 1911A1





Yesterday, I once again had the honor & privelage of cleaning, re-springing* & test firing a friend’s 1942 Colt 1911A1, which has now been assigned nightstand duty. Previously, I had done the same with his M1 Carbine & Remington Rand 1911A1.

Here’s the dope...
A few years back, I was approached by a fellow rail worker who asked if I might help him with the cleaning & operation of some recently inhereted firearms.

Turns out, the weapons were his father’s, who had served as a junior officer with The 9th Infantry Division, & three of them (an IBM M1 Carbine; a Colt 1911A1 & a post-Cherbourg, Remington Rand 1911A1) had been carried & fired in hostilities from, to name a few: Algeria-French Morroco; Sicily; Normandy/Cherbourg; Belgium; Remagen & its’ infamous bridge; the Ardennes & lastly, throug the German heartland & into Central Europe.

What really sets the IBM & A1s apart is that his father (who is mentioned by name) & some of his battlefield exploits are chronicled in Ernie Pyle’s book, Here Is Your War & Henry G. Phillips’ books, El Guettar: The Crucible of Leadership & Sedjenane: The Pay-Off Battle.

Two additional weapons that also found their way Stateside were acquired by his father following the Battle of Cherbourg. One, a Kriegsmarine Model 34 Mauser, has a rather interesting story behind it. In addition to a large, folded Kriegsmarine battle flag, that now hangs in Cherbourg’s, Musee de la Libertion, a surrendering Kriegsmarine officer also handed over his holstered Luger to my pal’s father ... and immediately after handing over the Luger, the officer, via an interpreter, suggested a “better” sidearm & scrounging through a pile of turn-ins, presented him with the pristeen Kriegsmarine Mauser 34 ... and from this collector’s viewpoint, sadly, the holstered Luger was tossed onto the turn-in heap!

Lastly, and I’m guessing with an eye to offspring yet to be, my friend’s father grabbed a (still!) minty early-war, Suhl DSM34 .22 training rifle.

* yes, each & every one of the original springs are oiled, tagged & retained.
 
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shoelessjoe

"I took out a Chihuahua!"
Thanks Mike ... knowing my interest in WW2 firearms, history, etc., in addition to sharing many of his dad’s anecdotes, my friend had lent me those books mentioned above long before even he knew that the weapons would be become his.

It was quite an emotional experience for the two of us as we recounted those anecdotes & stories while cleaning, discussing & finally, putting the Carbine & the the 1911s through their paces at his ranch.
 

BigFoot

I wanna be sedated!
Staff member
Were these Veterans able to just come back to the US with these weapons or did they have to sneak them in. Granted it was the 40's and things were a whole lot different than today. I am just unsure of how strict the Army was.
 

shoelessjoe

"I took out a Chihuahua!"
I am unaware of all the intricacies involved, but I do know that bring-back paperwork was required(?) for AXIS weapons & that US Officers enjoyed far, far more leeway in getting goods back to the US than did enlisted personel.

My Uncle, told me the story of his return Stateside, which included 2 “beautiful” shotguns he obtained (bartered for?) post-VE Day & a holstered, nickel-plated P-38 & engraved dagger, which as memory serves, read something along the lines of: To my son in the (whatever) Panzer Division from your proud father” ... uncle had dispatched the officer immediately after said officer, laying on the ground feigning injuries, had shot a combat medic, with that concealed P-38, as the medic knelt down to treat him.

Anyway ... prior to boarding a ship in England, soldiers had to declare their possessions to junior officers. My uncle emptied his duffle bag and while they okayed him to keep the P-38 & dagger (sans paperwork), one of the officers took a fancy to the shotguns and decided that he couldn’t take them to the States. As my uncle told the story, he snatched the shotguns, swung them wildly against a fence post & declared, “And now, you won’t be able to take them home”!
 

Ad Astra

The Instigator
Yes; these things must be kept in the family and their history preserved. And fired on occasion, hence the springs.

I've got an early copy of the Erie Pyle book ...want to say wartime.

My uncle brought back a Luger from North Africa, but it went to another family member. Another uncle was shot down, losing his B-24 but not his life. He told me once they had Thompsons in the A/C, that when you fired they climbed high and to the right.

Many years later, I found his words perfectly true.

Thanks for sharing this great bit of history. Like me, you saved the old parts! :lol:

AA
 
The Army was a bit more lenient on Japanese POW's bringing back "souvenirs".
My grandfather brought back two officers swords, two nambu officers pistols and two officers hats, they were from his two "favorite" officers in camp.
Not one word was said by any military or government official and no paperwork was required to be submitted for the "souvenirs"
Sadly, my uncle is in possession of it all.
 
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