WWII Carry Weapons

[Dirtwater Doc 17941]

My FIL Rudy served in the 13th Army Air Force in based at Morotai, New Guinea which by all accounts was the hind end of the war in the Pacific. He was the small guy so he was in the rear turret of a B24 with his head between a pair of .50s, which is why he needs two hearing aids. All aircrew were NCOs so he carried a 1911 in a shoulder holster. Rudy is fond to telling anyone who listens that all they did when not flying was eat, s**t (diarrhea) and shoot the 45s at coconuts. When flying all they did was s**t and shoot at Japanese.

 

Rudy wrote a book about his adventures:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Rudy+DePaola&x=19&y=17

 

My father was a Navy corpsman and just after the end of the war spent a few months in China where he carried a 1911 but only when off the ship.

 

DD

[Seldom Seen #16162]

In combat, there is no substitute for experience.

Even the Yankee cavalry improved after a couple of years.

 

Remember "The Rat Patrol" Nothing was cooler than that Jeep roaring over a sand dune with that 50 firing.

[Bugs Bonney SASS # 10171]

My dad was with the Sixth Cavalry Group (mechanized) in Pattons Third Army durring ww twice. He was a heavy machinegunner on an armored car. He was issued a carbine but wanted a handgun badly. I have a picture of him standing in front of a jeep wearing a Hitler Youth Knife and a 1907 Dryse. He picked them both up and carried them. I have the Dryse but he gave the Hitler Youth knife away.

In John George's book "Shots Fired in Anger" he says that in combat in the Pacific everyone was eventually armed with whatever thety wanted. Thry simply picked it up in the battlefield. On Guadelcanel when the fighting was in heavy jungle he says that he always liked being around someone with a Thompson but never wanted to carry one himself. He ended up choosing a carbine. He liked its capacity, light weight, and manauverability but though it needed a carry handle and more striking energy. As far as what men carried he says each had their own choice but on the field you saw every American weapon laying around except one. The exception was the BAR. It was far to effective and to highly valued by the troops to be left behind. If the BAR man was hit someone else took the gun.

 

Bugs