A Pearl Harbor survivor and his Colt....

[John Holbrook]

Ens Tom Anderson of Seattle, WA was the OOD (Officer Of The Deck) on the USS Utah on the morning of 7 December, 1941. A few minutes after he assumed the watch, the first of two Japanese aerial torpedoes struck the old battleship and she rolled over taking many officers and men to the bottom where she rest today.

Three weeks after the attack, this Colt M1911 and holster rig was issued to Ens Anderson. I aqquired it from his family. Tom Anderson is in a nursing home in Issaquah, WA suffering from Parkinsons Disease..... I have been in contact with his daughter trying to get more information about his Naval service after Pearl Harbor. If I receive the info, I will post it here..

http://www.fototime.com/{B80D66D7-5AE6-424A-BCDB-7783E73E14D4}/picture.JPG

[canuck]

congrats on your latest John, what a great piece of history!
as i am new to this game i hope you will excuse my dumb question,
why is this pistol not marked as a navy model?

[John Holbrook]

congrats on your latest John, what a great piece of history!
as i am new to this game i hope you will excuse my dumb question,
why is this pistol not marked as a navy model?

Good question! In the beginning, the Navy wanted their .45s marked "MODEL OF 1911. U.S. NAVY". Colt told the Navy that they would have to pay $22.00 for the roll stamp. The Colts assigned to the Navy were made in blocks of 500 or 1000 and marked. After they built 15,037 pistols, the stamp was worn out, so Colt contacted the Navy and asked if they wanted to buy another stamp. The Navy replied that just use the Army markings for future shipments.

The last 1911 marked "NAVY" is 110000.......

( This is GOOD for we collectors!!!!! Narrows the field.......)

Here is an example of two early Colt's with both markings......

http://www.fototime.com/{FAE354DD-FE51-4A90-AA29-27BA3755DF64}/picture.JPG

[canuck]

so then without the first person history and/or paper trail which you have here how does a person go about verifing a navy issue?

[Scott Gahimer]

serial numbers/ original shipping records and documents in the National Archives; some of which can be found at the Springfield Research Service website. There exists various types of official military documentation that still remain intact today in those archives.
The only problem is that those kinds of records are not complete because some records have been lost, stolen or destroyed; and because all units did not keep complete records in the first place.

[John Holbrook]

Here is an example of a documented Colt. These documents came to me from the National Archives via Springfield Research. This old 1911 was in very sad shape when I got it, so I had Bill Adair restore it.....

http://www.fototime.com/{87E00494-AAE6-438E-8445-58F754BA0231}/picture.JPG

[gottripletsNC]

John,
Am I reading this correctly, that you have not one but 2 pieces from WW2?
One with paperwork is amazing and a lost treasure, but two of them...
Lucky man, beautiful guns, hope I have the opportunity to fall into something like that one day...

[John Holbrook]

Heres one from WW I.....

http://www.fototime.com/{8CA8943F-EBA0-4B0C-AB87-0782D5EE5B0B}/picture.JPG

[canuck]

John, there must be a story behind those grips?!
gottriplets,check out some of johns other pics in the govt issue section
i dare say he has more than triplets ;)

[canuck]

oops
sorry fingers typing before brain engaged :o
(didnt read info with gun before posting DUHOO)

[John]

John,
Am I reading this correctly, that you have not one but 2 pieces from WW2?
One with paperwork is amazing and a lost treasure, but two of them...
Lucky man, beautiful guns, hope I have the opportunity to fall into something like that one day...
Something tells me that John has more than just two specs. If you check his postings here, you will notice several. And his only reason for joining this forum, was to make me jealous!

Have a great one gents.

[gottripletsNC]

Something tells me that John has more than just two specs.

And his only reason for joining this forum, was to make me jealous!



is it working at making you jealous, 'cause it sure did me...

NICE COLLECTION!!!!!