This Colt M1911A1 pistol was manufactured in 1942 and was delivered from Colt to the Springfield Armoury on June 25th 1942.
It came with a mix of WW1 and WWII components in the rig……which is not unusual for a 1942 Colt .
I bought the rig from the vet’s youngest son on March 27th 2004.
W.B. Waldemar S. Broberg, Colonel
Hartford/ Springfield Ordnance District
Army Inspector of Ordnance.
July 1 1941-June 16, 1942.
Colt M1911A1 pistols:
Serial nos. 750500-861000
There were fifteen 1941 dated cartridges in the magazines when I picked up the rig from the vet's son.
The Colt came with a web belt marked US, a Mod. 1916 light brown leather holster marked “CLINTON” 1918 F.W.T also has “G S Tobin” scratched on rear of the holster with faint marking RAFFC possibly for Royal Air Force Ferry Command.
The double magazine pouch is ink stamped ” R.H. LONG 5-18” on inside flap as well as “Capt G.S. Tobin” written in ink on rear of pouch.
The field dressing pouch is marked US on the front with ”MIAMI AWNING CO 1941” on rear with ”G.S. Tobin” in ink.
-----------------------------------
THE VET.
The vet, Capt Gilbert S. Tobin, was an American from New Jersey that came to Montreal to fly with the RAF Ferry Command before the U.S. entered the war.
“The U.S. was still a neutral country, so word went out through the “aviation grapevine” about a secret operation based in Montreal, that needed experienced civilian pilots.
They offered an irresistible combination- a vital and important job, the chance to fly the latest aircraft, and a very large paycheck.
This attracted a rowdy bunch of airline pilots, barnstormers, crop-dusters and daredevils---men used to danger and risk. But nothing could prepare them for the treacherous winter skies over the North Atlantic Ocean, that in 1940 no one dared fly.
Before the U.S. had even entered the war, American pilots comprised over half of the civilian pilots that flew the experimental Ferry Command routes.”
It appears that Capt. G.S. Tobin was one of these U.S. pilots.
Gilbert Shepard Tobin (the vet) died on August 17th 1977,...he was originally from Verona, N.J.
I found a caption on one of the photos below quite interesting.
“The campaign in North Africa as we well remember had many ups and downs and during one of the “downs” we were called to fly in great haste, a large quantity of ammunition required for the stand at El-Alamein. (Egypt)
A large fleet of Liberators took over this work and these group pictures are of the crews that operated them.”
It appears that Capt. Gilbert S. Tobin participated in that operation.
-------------------------------------------------------
This is a link to a thread regarding a 1937 dated Luger rig also brought back by a Canadian pilot.
http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/1183946-Two-P-08-Lugers-dated-1937-and-1938
It came with a mix of WW1 and WWII components in the rig……which is not unusual for a 1942 Colt .
I bought the rig from the vet’s youngest son on March 27th 2004.
W.B. Waldemar S. Broberg, Colonel
Hartford/ Springfield Ordnance District
Army Inspector of Ordnance.
July 1 1941-June 16, 1942.
Colt M1911A1 pistols:
Serial nos. 750500-861000
There were fifteen 1941 dated cartridges in the magazines when I picked up the rig from the vet's son.
The Colt came with a web belt marked US, a Mod. 1916 light brown leather holster marked “CLINTON” 1918 F.W.T also has “G S Tobin” scratched on rear of the holster with faint marking RAFFC possibly for Royal Air Force Ferry Command.
The double magazine pouch is ink stamped ” R.H. LONG 5-18” on inside flap as well as “Capt G.S. Tobin” written in ink on rear of pouch.
The field dressing pouch is marked US on the front with ”MIAMI AWNING CO 1941” on rear with ”G.S. Tobin” in ink.
-----------------------------------
THE VET.
The vet, Capt Gilbert S. Tobin, was an American from New Jersey that came to Montreal to fly with the RAF Ferry Command before the U.S. entered the war.
“The U.S. was still a neutral country, so word went out through the “aviation grapevine” about a secret operation based in Montreal, that needed experienced civilian pilots.
They offered an irresistible combination- a vital and important job, the chance to fly the latest aircraft, and a very large paycheck.
This attracted a rowdy bunch of airline pilots, barnstormers, crop-dusters and daredevils---men used to danger and risk. But nothing could prepare them for the treacherous winter skies over the North Atlantic Ocean, that in 1940 no one dared fly.
Before the U.S. had even entered the war, American pilots comprised over half of the civilian pilots that flew the experimental Ferry Command routes.”
It appears that Capt. G.S. Tobin was one of these U.S. pilots.
Gilbert Shepard Tobin (the vet) died on August 17th 1977,...he was originally from Verona, N.J.
I found a caption on one of the photos below quite interesting.
“The campaign in North Africa as we well remember had many ups and downs and during one of the “downs” we were called to fly in great haste, a large quantity of ammunition required for the stand at El-Alamein. (Egypt)
A large fleet of Liberators took over this work and these group pictures are of the crews that operated them.”
It appears that Capt. Gilbert S. Tobin participated in that operation.
-------------------------------------------------------
This is a link to a thread regarding a 1937 dated Luger rig also brought back by a Canadian pilot.
http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/1183946-Two-P-08-Lugers-dated-1937-and-1938
