Interesting (to me) FOIA: 1945 Colt/RR

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
  • FlyingT
    • Mar 2018
    • 57

    Interesting (to me) FOIA: 1945 Colt/RR

    My CMP Colt/RR was delivered in March 1945 (thanks BearPack), a month before Mussolini's demise and thus likely too late for it to get to my grandfather's hands, who was serving in the 442d/100th in Italy.

    After the war, he came home to California and joined the California National Guard at Camp Stoneman, which I believe would put him in the 40th ID. He received a commission during that time and left the service as a Lieutenant.

    The 40th ID would continue at Camp Stoneman until being activated and deployed for the Korean War, returning stateside and to state control 30 Jun 1954, then converting on 1 Jul into the 40th Armored Division at Seaside, CA (later Fort Ord).

    In 1974, it would reorganize into the 40th Infantry Division again, with one of its battalions being the 149th Armor.

    The 149th BN would later become the 149th Armored Regiment.

    And here's where it gets interesting.

    FOIA results for my pistol:

    1975 - entered into registry by CA National Guard USFPO San Louis Obispo.
    1983 - Owning activity reported as the 149th Armor, where it would stay until 1998, making its way back to the USFPO and then Rock Island.

    The slide was obviously swapped at one point, I assume at the unit level, because there are no rebuild marks and the finish appears original on both frame and slide. So, I think it is very possible or even very likely that the pistol was in the same general unit from its delivery in 1945 until returning to the depot system in 1999.

    So, can I say my grandfather or one of my uncles/cousins was issued, carried, or fired this pistol? Nope. Is it possible? I think so. It's also somewhat likely that it spent some time over in Korea.

    https://imgur.com/KBlkG5z
  • BSAGuy
    • Dec 2018
    • 2416

    #2
    Very cool provenance!
    Be Prepared

    Comment

    Working...
    X