Why the Lanyard Staple?

[lugerholsterrepair]

Jim, Your reasoning is sound on the face of things but wrong in actual application. I suspect you have never been in the Infantry in actual combat or you would not make such broad statements.

In fact one of the major recipients of lanyard issues in WW1 were to Stosstrup soldiers in the trenches. These rough fellows had the job of raiding parties at night in no-mans land. Light was generally and preferably non-existant until a very pistol fired a flare. Then you had better not move to pick up your dropped pistol or risk taking fire. The environment for these Infantry soldiers was extreme to say the least. Shell holes, mud, barbed wire, dead bodies, unexploded artillery shells and opposing raiding parties are but a few of the difficulties they faced. They were armed with the Luger pistol because a rifle would be too cumbersome and when the opportunity came to take a prisoner for interogation the pistol on a lanyard was quite handy. So, you can see that simply dropping a pistol in these circumstances was in all likelyhood, losing it forever.

For those of you who are students of WW1, what modern development caused the Cavalry's demise?

Jerry Burney