Amazing History!

[usnmars 136]

So I am friends with a local dealer, and he knows I have interesting tastes.  So today he called me over and gave me a holster.  The thing is AWESOME!  I am tweaking right now.  Someone was keeping track of where they were and and who they were with.  Many of the marks are extremely faint, almost impossible to read but here is what I can make out. This was almost impossible to take good pics of so sorry for the crappy ones.  Although it isn't correct for the holster, the Black Widow that was in the holster carried by the vet that brought his rig home is mine once my permits come in. 


Top Flap:



England
France
Belguim
Holland
Germany
Luxemberg
Paris
Denmark
Copenhagen
Bremen
Bremenhaven
Verdun
Cpt. John J Angelini

Inside Flap:

NORMANDY,  OMAHA BEACH!
Leige
Hamburg

And on the Main Body of the Holster:


Sgt. Jackson
Sgt. Bent
Rex Marsh
Sgt. Yanker
and many more that are unfortunately too faint to read

[usnmars 136]

from the research I've done it looks like it belonged to someone in the 101st Airborne from the names of the cities they were in

[fishnut 2,358]

So cool. I would love to add that to my collection. I have a meager collection mostly from my great grandfathers bring backs while in WW1 and both my grandfathers in WW2. One grandpa was in the d day invasion and the other was in Pearl Harbor during the attack

[302w 83]

That is truly fantastic. Who brought it back? Cpt. John J. Angelini? Do you know how it got to the dealer?

 

My grandfather served in the Pacific. I never got to meet him (died when my Mom was 13), and most things of his were lost/stolen over time including several firearms. My Mom may or may not have a Japanese diary, she remembers that he had one but we think it is in a trunk that hasn't been opened for a few reasons. I'd love to get that translated. The only military relic we have otherwise is his dress uniform.

[GRIZ 3,369]

from the research I've done it looks like it belonged to someone in the 101st Airborne from the names of the cities they were in

I don't think it belonged to someone in the 101. They were never in Bremen, Bremerhaven, Denmark, or Copenhagen. All these were in the British sector. Copenhagen was liberated by British forces on May 4, 1945 and the 101 was in Berchesgarten at that time.

 

Regardless it is an interesting piece of history and is an uncommon holster.

[njpilot 671]

Awesome Eric