AEF Officer's 1914 British-Proofed Colt .45 ACP Government Model Pistol

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Here for your viewing pleasure are photos of my WWI British-proofed .45ACP Colt Government Model pistol C 13731 which was 1 of 300 shipped to the London Armoury Company on November 18 1914. The London Commercial proof and view marks (Crown/V and Crown/intertwined GP) are visible on top of barrel and on left side of slide above Rampant Colt and left side of frame below thumb safety. The accompanying US Model 1912 holster is marked 1st LT G C Wilkins. The owner of this pistol was 1st Lt George Carl Wilkins, a 1918 Harvard Graduate. He entered Officers' Training Camp at Plattsburg NY in May 1917; commissioned 1st Lt Infantry August 15; assigned to 301st Machine Gun Battalion, 76th Division and sailed for France July 8, 1918. He was transferred to the 146th Machine Gun Battalion, 41st Division on November 9 1918 and returned to the U.S. on February 25, 1919. He transferred to the 153rd Depot Brigade, Camp Dix on 27 February and was discharged on 25 May 1919.





London Commerical proofs on barrel





private purchase US type Model 1912 holster


London commercial proof just above Rampant Colt trademark and below thumb safety
 
1st LT Wilkins most likely acquired this pistol as a private purchase in the UK while in transit to France, training in the UK or on TDY to the UK. Many AEF units were first transported to the UK where they encamped and trained before being deployed to France. I think there's also a good chance 1st LT Wilkins was sent to the UK for further training (The US forces had never fought trench warfare and had to learn the hard lessons already learnt by the allies) prior to departing for France. In his time here he purchased his own side arm from the London Armoury and it would need to be in .45 auto as per US standard of the time. This pistol was not part of any official British Government contract as were the later .455 Colt Government Model pistols. It was shipped to Colt's London Armoury Agency which handled commercial sales in the UK as can been seen by the London Commercial Proof and View marks on the barrle and frame. It has no British military property, proof or viewing marks whatsoever. Such pistols sold commerically by the London Armoury Agency were private purchases by British or to ther officers who initially had to purchase their own firearms. This pistol was not sold to or issued by the British Government. Since officers did supply their own weapons this may have been a private purchase.
Secondly, the US did not have enough ships to transport forces to France, and this lack was a major obstacle to the war effort. After lengthy discussions in early 1918, the British agreed to transport infantry, machine gun, signal, and engineer units for six divisions in their ships. Upon arrival in France, these units were to train with the British. The British executed the program in the early spring of 1918, eventually moving the 4th, 27th, 28th, 30th, 33d, 35th, 77th, 78th, 80th, and 82d Divisions to France. The 39th, 40th, 41st, 76th, 83d, and 85th Divisions served as depot organizations. Shortly thereafter Pershing revised the replacement system for the AEF. Instead of relying on a replacement and school division and a base and training division for each army corps,The depot division processed casuals into the theater, and the replacement battalions forwarded them to the units. Both the 41st and 76th served as depot/replacement divisions and 1st Lt Wilkins served in both. He also may have acquired the pistol while training with a British unit or puchased it from a British officer serving in France.
 
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What a fantastic pistol (and the others you've shown us as well), and a wonderful history to the gun.
I've been trying to trace the lineage to my WW1 Canadian issue Colt with not much luck - I can appreciate the effort you have gone to here.
Thank you for showing us your collection...
 
Sharps '63 said:
Was the 200 gr bullet standard issue?
Click to expand...

(per Wikipedia) The .45 ACP (11.43×23mm) (Automatic Colt Pistol), also known as the .45 Auto by C.I.P. or 45 Auto by SAAMI, is a cartridge designed by John Browning in 1904, for use in his prototype Colt semi-automatic .45 pistol and eventually the M1911 pistol adopted by the United States Army in 1911. Colt had been working with Browning on a .41 caliber cartridge in 1904, and in 1905 when the Cavalry asked for a .45 caliber equivalent Colt modified the pistol design to fire an enlarged version of the prototype .41 round. The result from Colt was the Model 1905 and the new .45 ACP cartridge. The original round that passed the testing fired a 200 grain (13 g) bullet at 900 ft/s (275 m/s), but after a number of rounds of revisions between Winchester Repeating Arms, Frankford Arsenal, and Union Metallic Cartridge, it ended up using a 230 grain (15 g) bullet fired at a nominal velocity of 850 ft/s (260 m/s). The resulting .45-caliber cartridge, named the .45 ACP, was similar in performance to the .45 Schofield cartridge, and only slightly less powerful (but significantly shorter) than the .45 Colt cartridges the Cavalry was using. The 200-grain bullet was originally adopted to the .45ACP Colt Military Model 1905 pistol shown in my latest post.; while the 230-grain bullet was standard issue for the Colt Model 1911 chosen by the U.S. Army/Navy/USMC as is standard issue pistol. Here are a few photos of the 230-grain U.S. military issue from the Frankford Arsenal.


 
Here's some interesting information re LT Wilkins from the Harvard Crimson. Battalion Orders October 16, 1916...For purposes of practical instruction in this department a provisional battalion of infantry is formed. This battalion, consisting of Companies A, B, C, and D, will be known as the Harvard Battalion (Provisional).

2. The following temporary appointments of cadet officers and non-commissioned officers are announced: captains, M. H. Davis 2L, G. C. Wilkins '18. .....Company B--Captain G. C. Wilkins '18....4. The companies of the Harvard Battalion (Provisional) will assemble on the roadway east of James Smith Hall tomorrow promptly at 1.30.

5. Company commanders, upon assembling their companies, will assign the members to squads, select temporary squad leaders and impart instruction in the school of the soldier and the squad.

6. First sergeants, after the dismissal of the companies, will report the result of the roll-call, including the names of absentees, to first sergeant Walker, Company C, who will in turn make the usual report required of the head monitor of a class. Similar reports will be made at all formations hereafter until instructions to the contrary are issued.

7. If the weather be inclement the class in Military Science and Tactics will report at Emerson D. C. CORMES. Captain U. S. Army. Commandant.
 
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