M1 Carbine - Paratrooper use

Paratroopers used the M1A1 Carbine (version with folding stock) very often. Could anybody tell me if they used the M1 with the normal wooden stock as well? Does anyone has photos of this?

 

Your post reminds me of a photo of granddads (Company A, 2nd IR, 5th ID)the m1 he is holding on the left) does look shorter.
apologies if no photo appears, this is my 1st attempt.

 

About 140,000 of the 6.5 million M-1 Carbines were of the M-1A version (folding stock). At first the paratrooper versions were only issued to the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions, then to the rest of the Army and Marine Divisions as needed*. I figure that since most paratroopers were issued the long M-1 Garands, some of the longstock carbines had to find their way into the airborne units as well, along with the Thompsons and Grease Guns.

* as per wiki

 

I think your grandfather's is leaning forward, so it appears a bit foreshortened.

 

Yes you are probably right.
On a related note, He managed to break down and sneak the M1 off 'separation point, Fort Campbell Kentucky', around dec 45, With grandma's help (her coat).
A letter from the army followed some months later saying bring back the gun or else. He returned it.
Any similar stories out there?

 

that's interesting.....didn't they sign for the personal weapons or not?? did he not think they would miss it?? when I was in the Corps-80s--we always did not only a quantity check, but also serial numbers every day, more than once....one time they found we had the correct quantity, but 1 of the rifles numbers were wrong, not the one checked out

 

well pretty much everyone was discharged and going home at that time,lots of men to keep a eye on. speculation of course, any thoughts?

 

they couldn't just say 'I lost my weapon' without some incident-combat, bombardment, etc....I would think, though, some men would try to take their ''friend'' home with them...unless they were wounded, wouldn't they have to account for a lost weapon in battle?? now that I think of it, I think my dad said some1 stole his pistol, when they were on ship..I hope to visit him tonight and will ask him....but his memory of those times is failing...his 84 but still gets around more than I do, so I never know when he is home

 

I'm sure many weapons, both GI and enemy got smuggled home after the war ended. Quality control sort of tapered off then I'm sure. Probably not a lot of duffel bags got searched at that point.

When my dad was coming home from Korea, his bags were searched on the dock before boarding a troop ship for Japan. He had a Russian made automatic pistol that he liberated from a Chicom who didn't need it anymore after a fire fight. Dad cleaned it up and kept it on him for the rest of his time on the line, and wanted to take it home for varmints and such. The officer took the pistol, looked at it real good and told him that he couldn't take it with him, but offered him $50.00 for it. Dad took the pistol back and chunked it in the drink and told the REMF officer something along the lines of go take a leap if he wanted it that bad.

 

yes with so many men, etc...I've got a CZ27 my uncle brought back from WW2....I would think there would be different rules for enemy weapons.....I'm surprised he wasn't able to bring that home.....also, the searching could not have been consistant .....but they had to account for all US weapons, no?

 

The captain of my dad's ship gave them signed notes that they were allowed to take home a captured rifle. Wouldn't let them keep any pistols or automatic weapons though.

 

Who was your Pops with and what time frame. I've just finished reading at least two dozen books on Korea and I've gathered another 20 or so military PDF's and studies on that war. I'll hook you up with some of them if interested. One of the most enlightening was a translation of a Chinese history of the war. Beware though, if you hated MacArthur before, his performance in Korea and the lives lost because of it will really pizz you off. Hell, we might get together, have a few beers, and decide to dig him up and pee on his grave.

 

Have you read about Lt. John Yancey at the Reservoir. In the fighting around Yudam-ni he was wounded several times, had his eyeball blown out of his head, he popped it back in the socket, said it felt like a hard-boiled egg. Also, had to tie his jaw up with a piece of blanket took a bullet through the roof of his mouth. Anyway, he was later evacuated back to a hospital in Japan. Was awarded the Navy Cross and recommended the MoH. While in the hospital, the Marine Corps sent him a request for the return of his M1 carbine that had been left on the hill he and his men were defending. He sent them the grid coordinates of the hill near Yudam-ni back, told them if they wanted it, that's where he last saw it and they could go back and get it if they wanted it that bad.

 

odd--no pistols.....so the captain ''allowed'' them on ship??..anyone know an SOP for returning home with regards to searches, weapons,

I don't think he visited Korea much, did he??
etc??

 

He was in the Coast Guard so it might have been a bit different. I also remember him saying something about filling his sea bag with cigaretts on the way out. Dad may have had a bit easier time of it than some as he pulled shore patrol duty on occasion.

 

talked with my dad last night..he doesn't remember any souvenir weapons taken...he said he did pick up an M1 during his time there becuase of it being more powerful than the pistol he carried...I asked him specifically if it was from a resupply depot..he said no, just one ''laying around''

LWD, sounds as if it depended on the unit....

 

Not too long ago I read up a bit more on the Captain of my Dad's ship. He was apparently quite an impressive leader. In addition to being Capatain of the Eastwind he was more or less the founder of the Greenland patrol and in charge of that effort from what I recall. He probably saw it as a moral building thing. He had the rifles they capture brought to the ship and every crewman got to pick one.

 

Here is a Mauser he brought back. Don't know much about them. I remember he brought it along to a camping trip in Colorado once. Is this what replaced the luger as the service pistol for the germans?
cheers

 

Here is the other side...

 

did you put this up in the weapons forum?? I would think a lot of people would like to see it