Erfurt 1914 Art issued to Australian servicemen in WW2?
 

I recently picked up an Erfurt 1914 Art luger with the Australian markings D /l\ D stamped on the right hand side of the receiver. This is a mark indicating the Australian Defence Dept of WW2. I have searched and found a limited number of pictures of Australian Service men in WW2 carrying lugers but few and far between. There is reference in the 2/6th independent Coy war diary where they request lugers be issued as a side arm for use in the pacific and furthermore a reference to say they are aware of 200 lugers being stored in the "Albury Arsenal". The request was to replace the .38 service revolver with the luger as the luger and the Owen SMG used the same ammunition, thus reducing the number of ammunition calibers to be carried in the field. The 2/6th independent Coy subsequently was renamed the 2/6th Commando squadron.

This firearm seems to have had an interesting life! Any comments welcome.

1941, 1942 were dark days for Australia and firearms of all descriptions were acquired by the Australian Defence Department and this would probably have been in private hands, captured by a digger and brought back from WW1 battlefields.

"1941, 1942 were dark days for Australia and firearms of all descriptions were acquired by the Australian Defence Department and this would probably have been in private hands, captured by a digger and brought back from WW1 battlefields."

Interesting that both England and Australia were begging for arms at the outbreak of war.
America supplied England, and Australia seemed to tap citizen owned firearms.

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” – George Santayana, The Life of Reason, 1905.

Both England and Australia have done their best to disarm, but now the Australians have no-one to help, and I do not see why America should help England again when it would be a repeat crisis of their own making.

Especially given the English, First Sea Lord's behavior with the Lusitania.