R.G. 54 marking
 

Regimental marking on a 08 Commercial.

Can anyone give me any additional info on the unit?

New to the site and appreciate any info!

Thanks,

CB

welcome, please give us more infromation, serial number, and pictures if you can??

Don't have pics yet. Serial number is 60xxx. Don't know the "x"'s yet either.

Mark is on the left side of the gun per mark #246 on page 226 of WOL.

That is all the info I have right now.

Thanks,

CB

REICHS GENDARMERIE LUGERS
BACKGROUND/HISTORY
The French Provinces Alsace (German: Elsass) and Lorraine (German: Lothringen)are located along the Rhine River between Germany and France. These were occupied by Germany after the Franco-German War of 1870-1871 and made into a German province. It was administered under a pseudo military occupation. The Reichs-Gendarmerie was raised from the Prussian Police or other police within Germany for law enforcement and security purposes within Elsass-Lothringen*. The Reichs-Gendarmerie became government officials of the Imperial Reich.

The Reichs-Gendarmerie was organized under military lines. It was formed into a Brigade, headed by a â??Brigadierâ?� his adjutants, 5 district officers, 21 Oberwacht Meisters and 410 mounted and foot Gendarmeries. The mounted Gendarmerie were called Berittenen

Bayonets, reichs revolvers, and Lugers were marked by the Elsass-Lothringen police with an R.G. followed by a weapons number. Wotka suggests that the mounted Gendarmerie (Berittenen) received the Lugers engraved with the R.G. xxb, the b signifying Berittenen. Assuming that the property numbers are consecutive, it is estimated that the mounted police (Berittenen) received approximately 136 Lugers ( R.G. 14b to R.G. 136b) and the unmounted police received approximately 272 Lugers (R.G. 27 to R.G. 272). Based on this analysis the total Luger procurement would be about 408. If each Reich Gendarmerie was P08 armed, the estimated total would compare very well with the documented number indicated by Wotka of 410 mounted and foot Gendarmerie..

Sources: Reinhard Kornmayer, documents published in 1908 (3 April 1982 personal correspondence); Gortz (1997, page 130); and Joe Wotka,1914 dated documents (correspondance,1982). Still Volume I, 1982, page 101 to 104., Imperial Lugers 1991 page xxi-xxii, page 26, 57 and 58.

Looks like I have some more reading to do!!

Thank you very much for the info. I DO appreciate it.

CB

Here is a pic of the gun. Looks good. The mag bottom is marked 54 +.

Thanks for the help.

CB

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y12...m/IMG_1220.jpg