Capture papers?? Whats that?

[trigger643]

I have several sets of capture papers, though none for a luger. In the early part of the war it wasn't uncommon to send home via mail, without papers such things as an MP-40 and even a complete MG-42 with tri-pod was shipped to Logan Utah in late 1943 from North Africa. I have a German medical first aid box that was addressed on the box in pencil to an address in Texas that contained a P-38 without papers. The "duffle bag cut" is well known among K98 collectors and usually occurred at the mid-band point. In 1944-5, GIs were pretty much required to declare their weapons and obtain papers to transport them home. However, many handguns were snuck through without papers. 2 Lugers that belonged to my Uncle who was in a tank recovery unit with the third army never had papers (neither did his MP-40 nor the mg-42 -- but the latter guns were amnestied in 1968). If anyone is interested in seeing an example, I will be glad to post one.