Gen JC Breckenridge's Luger

[rcook7440]

Originally Posted by Edward Tinker

Its a very nice gun, I love it.

In regards to provinance, and to enlighten myself on the documentation you mentioned. To show true provinance, you need info on the person, info on the gun, a statement from the familiy that he owned it, or a statement or written documentation that he owned it.

In the field of looking up your ancestary (my mind is blank on what it is called), a true historian uses two pieces of evidence to prove each aspect. So, that is what I use for provinance. Sounds like you have a really nice solid piece of history there.
Ed

Col Frederick S. Aldridge, USMC retired to Jacksonville FL in 2003 and, before his death, he traded the 2 guns to a friend (a guy I shoot with every week). Col Aldridge wrote a letter on his personal letterhead detailing the lineage of the Luger as summarized below:

Gen Breckinridge gave the gun to Col Aldridge's father-in-law, Col Sydney Smith Lee when they were stationed together during one of his assignments in Quantico VA. (cant be sure what year as Gen Breckinridge had numerous assignments to Quantico)

After Col Lee's death the gun was transferred to his daughter, Mary Belle Lee who was married to Col Aldridge above.

Its been relatively easy to verify genealogy as both families are very famous. Sydney Smith Lee was the grand-nephew of Gen Robert E. Lee.

Caveat:
Col Aldridge failed to note the serial # in his letter which concerned me. But at the end of the day this is only a hobby for me and the opportunity to own and preserve this weapon was worth the price of admission even if I have nothing more than Col Aldridge's story. I would imagine the 2 signatures on the holster certainly help support the claim of lineage as well.