USMC Officers Sword

[doyler]

Bought this USMC officers sword at the local show on friday.I had seen it two weeks ago and passed on it.The dealer still had it so I didnt pass a 2nd time.The sword is made by Wilkinson Sword and is numbered(69738) on the spine.Also MADE IN ENGLAND is stamed into the spine.Has the Hilborn-Hamburger logo on the reverse side of the blade.Te sword is also named to the officer but is hard to make out(Duane W McElravy or McElraby??).The drag and scabbard hangers are nice quality.

 

I am curious to the vintage of the piece and assumed it was post WW2.Spoke with Sarge and he gave me some great basic info and promised to post the showed for viewing.THANKS SARGE!!!!

 

Any info and comments appreciated.

 

Thanks

 

RON

 

 

[doyler]

 

[doyler]

 

 

[Bob Hudson]

Doane Wallace Mcelravy entered the Marine Corps in 1942 as an enlisted man and died in 1956 while he was a Major.

 

 

1930 United States Federal Census

about Doane W McElravy

Name: Doane W McElravy

Home in 1930: Spring Creek, Greeley, Nebraska

View Map

Age: 6

Estimated birth year: abt 1924

Relation to Head of House: Son

Father's Name: Rex A

Mother's Name: Ruth E

 

"Social Security Death Index

Name: Doane Mcelravy

Date of Birth: Tuesday January 29, 1924

Date of Death: December 1956

Est. Age at death: 32 years, 10 months"

 

Here's his entry in the 1951 Navy/Marine officers register:

 

 

From the webpage at http://yellowfootprints.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15312

 

"Company "C", 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, 3rdMarDiv, 1952-1953"

 

Top Row: Capt Doane W. McElravy (Company Commander)

 

[Bob Hudson]

 

 

[doyler]

Thanks FS,

Thats is great information.Makes sense that he had Iowa/Nebraska connections.The sword was purchased here in Iowa.Makes me wonder when and how this came to the surface??Family or estate sale?

 

Wonder when he was commissioned and what he did in WW2.

 

Thanks again

 

RD

[Bob Hudson]

Thanks FS,

Thats is great information.Makes sense that he had Iowa/Nebraska connections.The sword was purchased here in Iowa.Makes me wonder when and how this came to the surface??Family or estate sale?

 

Wonder when he was commissioned and what he did in WW2.

 

Thanks again

 

RD

 

His widow died in 1992 in San Diego County (she was born in Ill): Anna May McElravy 27 Jan 1992 San Diego 26 Apr 1917 Illinois and in fact she shows up in a 1958 newspaper article from Vista CA (a couple miles from Camp Pendleton) and she was living in Vista when she died. I can find no evidence they had children. My guess was that when she died, the sword went to family.

 

The only info in the officer's register is that he made 1st Lt. in 1947. Did mustangs go straight to 1st Lt or did they have to start as 2nd Lt.?

[SARGE]

The sword looks to be in great condition and now you have found your man! :thumbsup:

 

I believe the serial number is Wilkinson's unique identfier and you may well be able to find out from them when the sword was sold and to whom. I suspect they sold these in lots to HH and HH etched his name on the blade from the style of etch.

[noworky]

Ron very nice looking sword and the original owner's information will stay with it now. What type of material is the handle made of, micarta? It almost has the appearance of aged ivory. Congratulations! :thumbsup:

[Tony V]

Ron

 

Congratulations ! Very, very nice and I am glad you did not pass it up. It was ment to go to a collector. :twothumbup:

 

Tony

[doyler]

Thanks for all the comments.

Im not sure what material the handles are.I will have to ask the dealer where he got it.He does a lot of shows all over the state.

 

RD

[shrapneldude]

WOW -- that's a great sword you've got there! Can't add much for intel on the piece...but it's certainly a nice one! Nice find!

[gunbarrel]

Ron,

 

I don't know what I like more, the Mameluke sword, or the trunk it's laying on.

 

Congrats!!

[teufelhunde.ret]

The only info in the officer's register is that he made 1st Lt. in 1947. Did mustangs go straight to 1st Lt or did they have to start as 2nd Lt.?

 

No hard and fast rules during WW2 - would appear he was a 2nd Lt.

 

Good find Ron!

[doyler]

WOW -- that's a great sword you've got there! Can't add much for intel on the piece...but it's certainly a nice one! Nice find!

 

 

Thanks Danny!!!

 

RD

[doyler]

No hard and fast rules during WW2 - would appear he was a 2nd Lt.

 

Good find Ron!

 

THR

Thanks for the info.I was thinking he may have been a 2nd LT in WW2.

 

RD

[ken1224]

Do you have a price or are you holding off for a while? Let me know

Robert. Better work fast before Dan The Man gets it

Dan sold me so much ordanance that my wife thought the house was going to blow any second.

[American Heritage]

Bought this USMC officers sword at the local show on friday.I had seen it two weeks ago and passed on it.The dealer still had it so I didnt pass a 2nd time.The sword is made by Wilkinson Sword and is numbered(69738) on the spine.Also MADE IN ENGLAND is stamed into the spine.Has the Hilborn-Hamburger logo on the reverse side of the blade.Te sword is also named to the officer but is hard to make out(Duane W McElravy or McElraby??).The drag and scabbard hangers are nice quality.

 

I am curious to the vintage of the piece and assumed it was post WW2.Spoke with Sarge and he gave me some great basic info and promised to post the showed for viewing.THANKS SARGE!!!!

 

Any info and comments appreciated.

 

Thanks

 

RON

 

 

Beautiful mameluke! What is the story behind the footlocker?

[doyler]

Beautiful mameluke! What is the story behind the footlocker?

 

 

Foot locker is a small group to an enlisted Marine of the late 1940s..The emblem is a decal applied to the lid.His blues and greens are in the trunk with some odds and ends and a camo clothing bag.

 

RD

[matrefethen]

Hi Ron,

I actually know a lot about the man it used to belong to, as he was my fiance's great-uncle. The sword left the family wholy by accident. When his great-aunt passed away, the sword was left to my fiance's mother, Rena McElravy, but an uncle in the family didn't know this and sold it at the yard sale. After that, everyone thought the sword was lost forever. This was a huge disappointment to my fiance, who is a 1st LT in the Marine Corps and currently serving our country in the Middle East. After he told me the story, I did a little digging and I was able to find this posting! If you still have the sword, I am extremely interested in purchasing it. It has always been a dream of his to carry this sword in our wedding (which is now happening next August- I'm very excited!). I think it would be the ultimate wedding present for him and would bring piece of mind to his grandfather, Doane's brother.

Let me know if you still have it or know where it is.

Thank you,

Michaela Trefethen

[doyler]

THE SWORD IS HOME NOW.

 

BLESSINGS TO THE FAMILY.

[reschenk]

Glad to hear it. You hear a lot of hoakie stories from people saying they want to recover a sword that was stolen, lost, or sold by some family ne'er-do-well, but this one had the feel of authenticity. I'm sure a serving Marine will value a family heirloom sword much more than mere cash value.

 

Incidentally, I have a Wilkinson mameluke from the same era, SN 68880, less than 1000 numbers from your old sword. The grips have the same darkening as yours did. I don't know what material they used, but this color change with age seems a common trait.

 

[SARGE]

A good outcome! I agree with reschenk that these Wilkinson USMC Officer swords from this era used a unique grip material. I suspect it was what the Germans called Trolon that faded to this very attractive pumpkin color over time. I have a sword from this same era and my Wilkinson serial number places manufacture during the Korean War.

 

 

[reschenk]

Sarge,

 

- Only 166 numbers after mine - production dates must be very close. Did you write in to get the Wilkinson order info on your sword? If so, what did it say? I didn't bother because I suspected it would just show a batch order from H&H which I presumed ordered in bulk and added the personalized name etching as it sold the individual swords. I note the style ot the name etching on your sword is slightly different than mine even though both used old English letters.

 

 

 

 

 

[SARGE]

I did not write to Wilkinson direct since I thought it would show the same information as you did... sold to their dealer HH. I did show the sword on SFI and Robert Wilkinson-Latham said as much. He also said the etching was their standard template for the time period. My sword serial number dates to 1950, so yours should be the same time frame.

 

My guy joined the Marines in 1939 but only became an officer in 1942. He probably did not buy a sword during the war as he was in the PTO. He was promoted to Major in 1948 and probably thought he better have a sword after that.