Another post today reminded me of a question that has been bothering me for years.

Over and over I've heard guys say they have or brought home the rifle or pistol they were issued in WWII or Korea. Did they just stick it in their duffle bag and say they lost it and no one cared? Was it instead a battlefield pickup they stashed away?

How'd they do that? I'd still be serving time if I'd tried to keep any of my issued rifles.

Bruce

After-battle and separation procedures varied widely.

Some guys were allowed to bring (or send) just about anything back.

Some had to turn their issue guns in. (And had to watch other souvenir guns be "demilitarized" or confiscated)

And some managed to circumvent the standing operating procedures that were then current.

First hand knowledge I have none.

IMO most of them are later purchases or stateside thefts instead of a personally issued rifle.

However, that said, it was possible in the mass confusion that occured after WWII and Korea. Some could have slipped through the cracks but I doubt many did. Most dischargees came home via ship and coming back I never heard of anyone who kept their rifle or pistol. Officers maybe.

It was possible to ship home war trophies how I do not know. I had uncles in WWII in both ETO and PTO who shipped home both Japanese and German guns. How I do not know and both are long dead.

BCR

That is a good question and maybe telling my father's experiences after WWII will help jog some memories of others.
He never was sent overseas and served in the Army Air corp as a weatherman in Pensacola, FL - he always joked that it was highly dangerous as one never knew when a thermometer might break .
When the war ended and they were being mustered out he said there were warehouses filled with equipment that was being loaded on barges and dumped into the gulf - so many of the guys - him included - loaded their vehicles with all they could carry rather than see it get dumped.
As a kid I remember he brought home a Luger and a P-38 ( I don't know where he found those) and an M-1 carbine and 1000 rounds of ammo. By the time I had finished Jr High school he had sold the pistols to his brother-in-laws and I had shot up most of the 30 carbine ammo. In addition to guns he brought silverware and even to this day there are many members of our families still eating off of WWII GI silverware.

Soon after VJ Day, my uncle Shep, AOM 1/c, plank-owner on the Antietam, led a detail of dischargees from the Sea of Japan to the States. He had two sea bags of his own and custody of a third sea bag full of bulky service jackets. He broke the seal on that third sea bag and handed those service jackets out to the other guys.

In a few minutes, the water around that pier was full of floating courts-martial records. That was one of the most officially angelic bunch of sailors who ever alit in San Francisco!

My great grandfather brought back stuff from WWI including a small artillery shell and a rifle. I don't think at that time it was as big of a deal as it is now. I never did ask him even tho he didn't die till I was nearly 20 years old.

Plus I think when a war ends that is as big as WWI/WWII "stuff" just sort of gets lost in the shuffle to get home and is nowhere near as cataloged and kept up with as in peace time.

I should imaging Friend Ken. I remember Uncle Walter telling about brand new sherman tanks being driven off the ramps of LSTs into Tokyo Bay.

He just said the war was over, they were going home and didn't need them anymore.

BCR

I had an older cousin who was in the Marine Corps during the Korean conflict. He managed to smuggle his M-1, home broken down in his duffle bag. He brought it back to Beaumont, TX, with him after his separation. I used to get to hold occasionally it when I was a shirt-tail kid, wondering how anyone could carry that heavy rifle all day.

Several of his buddies knew about the M-1, as a small group of friends used to go out and shoot it once in a while. The father of one of them played golf with the FBI agent stationed in Beaumont and mentioned it to him one day. Several days later, the FBI showed up at my aunt's house and took the rifle with them when they left.

I knew several of my father's friends who managed to get home from WW II with their Government Model .45s--obviously more easily concealed than an M-1. One of them was my father's best friend from high school and his best man at my parent's wedding. He had been a Marine and served in most of the Pacific campaigns. He used his souvenir .45 to commit suicide in 1949...

My dad (now sadly gone) was in the Navy and ended the war in Okinawa. He said it was almost 3 months after the war with Japan ended until he and his buddies could get on a boat for home. He had accumulated (mostly thru poker and craps, altho he endured several suicide attacks) a whole sea bag full of stuff, including a watch off a Japanese kamikazee pilot, a .45 auto, some german binos, and I can't remember what else. When their ship pulled into San Francisco, he said the captain told them "anyone caught with any contraband will not be allowed to go home." He told me "son, I would have done anything to get home and I wasn't about to let that stuff in that bag keep me from it." So, he threw it over the side. He did bring home a small black metal oscillating fan that he said had hung over his bunk in the ship. He somehow jerryrigged it to run on our house current and it hung on the wall in his bedroom for years. Thanks for the thread, great memories for me.

I've seen various ex-military pistols over the years. US and foreign. Obviously it was easy to acquire a GI 1911A1 off the battlefield and take it home.

I haven't had anyone tell me of themselves or a relative who smuggled back a US GI rifle, carbine, or sub-machine gun.

The other stories I've heard are of ships full of homecoming GI's being told that when the ship ties up at a stateside pier that the MPs are coming aboard. Searching for contraband. So in these stories a lot of contraband weapons end up being float tested so everybody can disembark without those MPs having to search.

A friend of mine had a Schmeisser and a "grease gun." He buried 'em before he died, and nobody knows where.

A friend's recently deceased father served in the Army during WWI. Lost his eye there. He brought back a Luger and holster in good condition. The Luger was noted on his discharge papers. Its a shame; out of his 9 children, none want the pistol in their houses.

WWII confiscated european theater German weapons (firearms) non full-auto could be brought home after obtaining a permit from the company commander. I have one of those permits that was issued at the end of WWII. More than likely this was also permitted in the Asian theater. Most never got the permits and just brought them home in their luggage. At one time I owned a P-38 that was brought back disassembled in a canteen that had been cut into then re-soldered. I think following WWI you were permitted to bring home the issued weapon.

An article here about legal requirements for bringing home a war trophy:

http://www.gunboards.com/sites/banzai/FeatArts/CaptPapers/CapPapers.htm

What interests me is all the times I've heard about bringing home an issued rifle.

Bruce

bcp, I mentioned that my Son now has two "I used these in the Pacific Campaign" guns from his friend, an Marine that served in that theater.

The two guns, an Inland Carbine and a Colt 1911 are correct so far as I can tell for weapons that were used then and there.

As to the actual veracity of the claim that he brought them back after he was discharged, I suppose only he and the Lord really know.

Does it matter to my Son? Not a whit.

What are the chances the FBI agent had a "New" rifle?

My Father a WWII Vet brought back from Germany ,5 M98-8m/m a P-38 9m/m and Dress Knife and Dress Hatchet. My brother and I own 2 of the M98 which have been customized. -- Web

Whether they were carried home legally or not is somewhat like waterboarding. It depends on who you asked "at the time". Shortly after the end of our Korean adventure these guns, especially .45's IIRC, were being sold for prices that would be unbelievable in today's market. I'm sure you could buy them by the basketful for around $25.00 apiece. That was through the mail with no I.D. checks required.

I always thought that if a guy was in a combat zone, and made it through, he should be able to keep whatever he had.

Dad was in Europe under Patton and was a packrat. He'd have filled semi trailers full of loot if he could have figured out how to get it home. As it was, his most noteable takes were 3 Mausers, 2 Lugers, 2 Czech Model 27's and lots of other odds and ends. The one item that I am still fascinated with is a tail light beacon off a Ju-87 Stuka. A flight of Stukas worked his postition over pretty good and inflicted heavy casualties. Somebody shot it down-he has no idea who hit it. He was on a half track with a .50 mounted on it and the driver and the rifleman in the front seat both got killed. he went and found the wreck when the fighting died down and pried this beacon off the tail. Spoils of war, I guess.

My grandfather started out as an enlisted MP in 1938. He received his officers field commission in 1944 (maybe early 45). When he was killed in occupied Italy in 1946, they presented his 45ACP to my grandmother--my dad still has it.




Casey

I have seen WW II US issue M1911A1's with a bill of sale from the War Department to the officer that carried the weapon in WW II. It is still common for General Officers to be presented their GO model sidearm upon retirement, usually paid for by their fellow GO's.

A very touching & poignant piece of family history...

the only contraband my dad brought back was a "knee mortar" shell with the explosive washed out of it. Still have it. also a couple of jap swords which are long gone.

after the Spanish American war, the Texas militia boys were allowed to take their trapdoors home, probably because they were already obsolete and being replaced with Krags. My great uncle (child of my great grandfather's first wife and twenty years older than my grandfather)....brought his home, and we still have it, shown here with a contemporary Martini-Henry...a pair of single shot slayers of indigenous peoples:

I will say first off that I mean no offense to anybody here or their relatives by my comments.

My Dad and several of my Uncles fought in WWII. I knew quite a few of Dad's friends who were also vets of that conflict. From what I've seen and heard, the ones who really had the most claim on legit battlefield souvenirs were the least likely to get home with one. Rear area types and officers were much more likely to get home with a memento of their service (or somebody elses) than grunts were.

Dad and the guys in his outfit were set to disembark on an old WWI troop ship to come home. They all had brand-new leather flyboy jackets that were surplus. The officers ordered them to deep-six them all so they could get more troops on the ship. The Army piled them up on the tarmac and poured diesel fuel on them and burned them.

My Uncle was a no-shixt hero and vet of Tarawa, Iwo and several other Island campaigns. I know of no weaponry that he got home with. Guess he had his memories of being a noncom in the Corps until the cancer got him.

OTOH, another Uncle of mine was an army vet of the European theatre. No offense to him as every effort was needed...but he was a truck driver and involved in support services rather than on the front lines. He was able to get home with a Luger which he traded for a .22 or something some years later.

Don't know for sure but my boss has a 1911 he says was his dad's service gun. A high school acquaintance had a German MG his dad had smuggled home. (Wonder how you would legalize or get rid of that!) My high school best friend wasn't asked to turn in his 1911 in VietNam, he did, but wonders what if he had just shipped it. His stepdad has an Arisaka and samauri sword we know came home with him.

Nowadays souvenirs are full auto, so can't come back.

A Marine Vietnam vet I know stuck his 45 in the bottom of his dufflebag for the trip home. His duffle made it but the 45 didn't. Another Vietnam vet (he was a helicopter door gunner) told me he bought an M2 carbine over there to use when his regular MG got too hot. He used it extensively and stuck it in his duffle for the trip back. The carbine made it, only without the full auto parts.

I have a souvenir of a much more recent conflict. There a lot of places on an aircraft to store and retrieve small item if you work on that aircraft on both ends of the trip.

At request of my sister I helped an elderly friend of hers get ready for an auction. I did not know the WWII vet prior to the request.His health was not good but he visited with me while I worked. Had guns on the auction and told me that his two sons were not interested in them. He told me while stationed on a sub in WWII, a Japanese sub surrendered to his sub. He was in charge of searching the engine room and found an officers sword and dress dagger. He hid the dagger in his boot under his pant leg an attempted to carry the sword to his sub. His executive officer made him turn the sword over to him. He made it home with the dress dagger.

I helped him for a day and half. When I had finished, he handed me $50. and thanked me. He asked me to come inside as he wanted to show me something. Inside he showed me the dagger and told me the story again. Stating that his estranged sons had no interest in the dagger. I told him to call me if the boys didn't want the knife as I would purchase it. As I was about to leave he pulled the dagger from his back pocket and handed it to me saying I want you to have this as you assisted me without question. I was totaly shocked at his expression of gratitude.

He moved away after the auction and died one month later. I recorded his story of the confiscation on the tagged dagger. Needless to say I was greatly honored by the gift of the dagger and his friendship. GW

Have you got a pic oldtimer? My father was in the pacific theater in WWII. I have a dagger of his made by a Filipino. It is pretty unique.

I have in my (perhaps temporary) possession a rifle issued in WWII to Charlie Sheldon, an Eskimo Scout out of Pt Hope/Kotzebue region, by Muktuk Marsten himself. Charlie retained the rifle after the war, and used it for hunting- after modifying it to his taste.

Poor thing needs a little work.... the current owner bought it from Charley's widow (whom we both know and worked with - we both knew Charley also, before he croaked), and is planning to restore it to as near original condition as possible (the bore/barrel is shot!!!, the stock has been whittled, and the sights modified into buckhorns, by charley, of course - and we ain't throwing anything out...). Haven't seen any money yet - and since he is a bit older than me, I may get this thing yet!

my brother is an antigue freaque, and knew a man, long dead, named Sam Green.

when you drove up to his place, there was a 2x8x1 piece of wolmanized wood nailed to the top of the gate and painted green.

he always said that was the only sign his friends needed to know.

he came out to the ranch one day for the 4th, and late in the afternoon, after too much barbecue and a little cold beer, i metioned that i liked guns a lot, had a couple pistols handy, and some ammo, and i'd like to go out and pop a few caps, asked him if he'd like to go along... we then got collecting cans and other targets... he asked me if i'd like to see the .45 auto that he carried through europe... at that point in my life, i was about 25-ish, not particularly concerned about history...

he brought out a real GI .45. had the original holster. this was in the early 80s, and when i saw it i was sure it was the real deal. holster was **old**, and the gun was weird looking... i ran a mag through it and he prounounced me a real sharpshooter, since i rang a lone star can through with it about 4 times...

"how'd you get that back, mr. green."

"well, when i was mustering out, i had enouth points, and i put it on the quartermaster's table, and he said that if i'd lost that in battle, he'd have to take $25 of my last paycheck. i told him that i didn't lose it, it was right there...his response was "IF YOU LOST THAT PISTOL IN BATTLE I'D HAVE TO TAKE $25 OFF YOUR LAST PAYCHECK!!!"

he said he didn't say another word, and put the pistol and the holster back in his duffel and took the $25 hit on payday.

don't think sam had any kids. wonder what happened to that pistol?

-tom

Here's a pic link to the WWII Dagger made by a Filipino friend. It has one purpose ... the Filipino's had no love for the Nips. Water Buffalo hand grip, artillery casing brass and jeep spring steel blade. 1944.

My dad was a mortar man (he said they called them plumbers) in the battle of the bulge. I don’t know how he did it but he brought home a 98K sniper rifle with scope, a .22 training rifle, two P-38s, a French revolver, two smaller semi-auto pistols, and a French WWI bayonet. He didn’t bring home his service M1 carbine. I do remember him saying everyone was so glad it was over they let them bring just about anything home. I heard him say a guy in front of him was leaving the ship with a duffle bag that had the butt stock of a German machine gun sticking out of it. He gave all the guns away to relation except for the .22 training rifle which he said he could use. My grandfather gave me the 98K sniper rifle back years later but he had had it sporterized so he could hunt deer with it. Another uncle returned one of the p-38s to my dad because he didn’t want it. I have it too. My dad told me he would have kept the stuff for me if he knew he was going to have a son. He’s been gone for 24 years now. :-(

That thing would smart...

Dagger is 18" standard fancy military issue. Wire wrapped shark skin handle with fancy brass fittings. Not familiar with the picture posting process. Great looking Filipino folk art dagger.GW

It would indeed. But not as much as this Swiss made bayonet. I never did get the story behind it from my father who has long since passed. It seems to match the Model 1914 Pioneer Bayonet. In fact, it may have no connection with WWII at all. But it is interesting so here is a pic link below.