Imperial tool - Regimental Marked
 

Came across this from a WWII vet pick up... Very interesting. Reserve machine gun regiment? What is the significance of the two numbers - the last number is usually the gun number ... is the first indicative of the 66th regiment?

Paul,

66.R.M.G.67 translates to 66th Regiment Machine Gun Company weapon #67.(The Machine Gun Company of Regt.66) Prior to about 1916 each Regiment had only one machine company.

Ron

Not very often do you see a unit marked tool....I can't recall ever seeing one. Pretty neat.

Jerry Burney

Hi Grapppa- is it for sale? I ask because of it would almosty match to my I, issue Luger with 66. R. M.G. 21.
It is really not the best and normally it is not a ceeper and the left side is terrible but it was my first I. issue rig and I have a lot of good rememberances because I have it about 25 years.
Regards Klaus

Jerry, there is something for you on the last picture under the left belt loop- field repair during the Great War. Inside the holster is nothing to see of the nails.

Klaus, Yesw..I have seen this many times. I believe these were tacks commonly used for shoes.

On other holsters when the nails come inside they were bent over. Very difficult to remove!

Paul has found an almost matching tool to your pistol! That is a great find! Congratulations.


Jerry Burney

Hi Klaus and Jerry, In Barbara Tuchman's "The Guns of August" (excellent book , by the way), she describes von Kluck's triumphal entry into Brussels. The onlookers were awed by the exhibition of equipment such as the wagons fitted out as "cobblers' shops with cobblers standing at their benches hammering at bootsoles, and soldiers whose boots were being repaired standing on the running boards". It seems likely that Klaus's holster was a similar running repair. Regards, Norm

oh boy....klaus
 

Holy sh*t. I have almost the exact same holster as yours that came with the gun (1915 DWM) !!!! I sold the holster recently... but kept the tool. I will gladly sell the tool to you -as it would be a great addition to your collection - pls pm me and we'll work it out.

The holster and tool were bought recently along with the 1915 DWM from a vet who acquired it while serving in WWII. He and I spoke at length about his service. He is German, but emigrated to the US in 1939 and joined the US Army as an artillery "computer" - he did the calculations for the guys firing the gun. As fate would have it, he actually ended up in his home town with a US army uniform and was reunited with his friends and
neighbors. He was Jewish BTW which explains how a German Jew goes back to Germany during WWII. He explained to me a lottery system that the GIs devised to distribute war booty. Also explained that the townspeople were "asked" to surrender all weapons and place them in the town square. They would be periodically collected and the GI with lottery #1 got first pick and so on down the line. Thats how he ended up with this - a Walther PP -a K98 and DSM34 trainer rifle. All acquired by moi, and I paid him very fairly for his effort.

Paul, Klaus..I will gladly sell the tool to you -as it would be a great addition to your collection - pls pm me and we'll work it out.

Now there is a Fairy Tale ending! Those are 2 really fantastic holsters!

Jerry Burney

I think only holster fans like Jerry and me are so happy to see two holsters of the same regiment with exact the same stamps and so on. Holsters like these are telling so much and answeres so many questions to collectors and researchers if they are able to read it.

Grapppa, I sent you a pm. Many thanks for showing the photos!!!!

Norm, there is a excellent book written by a female author (I do not remember her name) with title "August 1914" which describes the political backgrounds in Europe in 1914 and all the things which happened in August 1914. If von Kluck would have followed the Schliefen Plan (Macht mir den rechten Flügel stark) and if he would have made the mistakes which "made the wonder of the Marne than the Great War would perhaps be a war and we would not have had the "problems" with the devil Hitler.
The world would have another face today!
Best regrads and many thanks
Klaus

Paul,
the tool arrived today. A big thanks to you!
Best regards Klaus

Here are three more...

Geo,

Nice hard to find unit marked tools. I've only run across one that came with a matching Reichswehr unit marked holster.

Ron

Ron, show us the K. U. holster. The 4.U. tool I have came with matching pistol, holster and magazine.

Geo,

Unfortunately the holster didn't fair well in service. Jerry did the best he could with it, but a bit battle worn with a three cornered tear.

I bought it cheap just for the rare Kommandantur Ulm unit mark. The tool was a surprise that I found when it arrived.

Ron

Nice tools.
George has the M.G.11 marked tool an acceptance mark?

Klaus, yes it has an acceptance mark but it is difficult to see.

George, thank you- the tool was issued with a DWM because of it´s shape and color- so it could have been an early one without acceptance. If it would have had an Erfurt (shape) I would not have asked you.
Thanks again Klaus