ok gents... here it is, a vet bring back

[vicg1]

I'm new to Lugers and will start to look up proof marks, etc. The gun is dated 1940, stamped "42" on toggle. All parts including grips match and it has the stock lug. Overall 85% condition, some light pitting on barrel and sideplate from original holster that it was kept in...



Please click on image to enlarge: <a href="http://www.semiautosten.com/certificate.jpg" target="_fullview"><img src="http://www.semiautosten.com/certificate.jpg" width="400" alt="Click for fullsize image" /></a>

[John D.]

OUTSTANDING!!!!! <img border="0" alt="[thumbsup]" title="" src="graemlins/bigok.gif" />

Doesn't it feel kind of special to know you are holding a piece of history in your hands??? The bring-back papers, IMHO - look absolutely great!!!!

Nice find!!!

[vicg1]

sorry the pic was so large!

Yeah, it's pretty cool!!!!

[John D.]

Awww - that's easy.... I'll fix your pic, OK?

It looks GREAT!!!!

[vicg1]

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">Originally posted by John D.:
<strong>Awww - that's easy.... I'll fix your pic, OK?

It looks GREAT!!!!</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">

[tudorbug]

An excellent nice post, with the certificate identifying the name of an American serviceman who left his family in World War II to become part of our nation's efforts to defeat the Axis powers in that war, bringing to an end deeds against nations and their citizens that bring only feelings of revulsion when contemplated even today.

That certificate really, really adds greatly to the meaning of this pistol. I wish I had such a combination.

[saxman]

Being a newbie, please be very careful taking off the LH grip panel. Most of these have the little pointed tip at the back broken off from improper handling. Your grips are irreplacable (as are all the original numbered parts) and add significant value to the gun. The procedure I use is to remove magazine, remove RH grip panel, then carefully poke the LH panel loose from the RH side, through the frame, trying to keep it even as it moves away from the frame.

[vicg1]

more pics... it came with the holster which had the takedown tool (?) in a little pouch in the holster flap

[tudorbug]

Vic, if your interested, I'm willing to try the National Personnell Records Center to see if a copy of Clyde H. Fox's service record is available.

Don't know what I migth received, but there might be enough to make a nice addition to this pistol.

Please let me know. I have a little experience with this.

[John Sabato]

I hope his record is still available... so many WW2 servicemember files were destroyed by a major fire. What a terrible loss of historical facts. Good Luck on your search.

[tudorbug]

A number of those records, supposedly destroyed in that fire, John, were discovered in the 1990's and I may be recalling the decade of the discovery wrong.

I have been recently working on the award of a Bronze Star Medal to a World War II veteran, a recipient of two Purple Hearts and the Combat Infantryman Badge, truly a member of Tom Brokaw's "Greatest Generation." The Combat Infantryman Badge made this soldier eligible for a Bronze Star that had never been awared. His records were available at the Personnel Center and we are waiting the outcome of that effort.

I'll need to see if Vic would like this to proceed and it may come to no end if we do and his record is lost. If we proceed, I'll report the outcome fully here, if that is acceptable.

I may be judging it wrong but it seems as if a service record would be a nice compliment to this pistol and its capture certificate. It might tell where the service member served and may offer a small guess as to where the pistol was obtained.

At this point, the certificate tells us that Private First Class Fox was a member of Company K, 238th Infantry Regiment. That regiment was part of the 26th Infantry Division, also called the "Yankee Division." It was part of Patton's 3rd Army and was involved in the relief of Bastogne.

But, it's easy to prattle along on material not directly related to the luger pistol, I find. :-))

[vicg1]

I would love to know more about PFC Fox!!!! I searched the name on the net and came up with one hit, an obituary for someone 100 years old... probably not the same gentleman but who knows. If the man is still alive I would love to meet him!

[tudorbug]

Let me see what I can do, Vic, concerning his military service. No promises, but I can give it a try. And, it will take a while to get a read back, maybe as long as two months.

Note that I am not trying to locate him if he is alive.

I'll keep you posted.

[tudorbug]

Vic, let's confirm by you reading your paper copy of your capture document, what I am seeing on this forum. Verify for me, please:

Clyde H. Fox
34269185

and tell me if I have this correct.

Thanks!

[vicg1]

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">Originally posted by tudorbug:
<strong>Vic, let's confirm by you reading your paper copy of your capture document, what I am seeing on this forum. Verify for me, please:

Clyde H. Fox
34269185

and tell me if I have this correct.

Thanks!</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">perfect.

[tudorbug]

Roger, thanks Vic. A request will go out in tomorrow's mail. It may take two months to obtain a reply.

Will keep you posted. It will be interesting to see if anything useful is returned.

[minigun]

Can't wait to see this.....
Will be very interesting if he still lives. Truely a piece of history.

[Brandon]

Tudorbug,
Are these records availible to the general public? I would like to obtain a copy of my great uncle's service record, he was killed in the south pacific, during the battle for Leyte Gulf...

Best Regards, Brandon

[tudorbug]

Brandon:

Yes. But a member of the public will receive less information than the service member himself or the service member's family or next of kin would.

I going to work through this effort on behalf of Vic and will report fully on the nature and extent of the result, if there even is any. Note the fire that John Sabato mentions above. Other's may wish to do the same.

I would be glad to work on your great uncle's record on your behalf, if you have his serial number and wish me to do so. Alternately, I can tell you easily how to obtain the needed form and the address to send it to.

If desired, I can post that information here for all to see.

[vicg1]

At the risk of being strung up by you guys I'll tell you that I was thinking of selling this Luger but it didn't take me long to have a change of heart... Now I'm positive this one will stay with me for some time to come...