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I'm new to the forum, so please forgive me if I violate SOP.
I have my dad's WW2 M4 fighting knife. It is unique because there is no stud slot in the butt, it has a solid oval steel butt like the M3. Also the muzzle ring has been cut off, you can see a bit of the inside of the ring arc on the cross guard. The stamp, US M4, on the cross guard has been deliberately filed off and there is just enough remaining that you can tell it once was there. My dad may have sterilized his M4 due to his assignment to MAAG Greece just after WW2 where they were not allowed to carry weapons (but did).
I thought you and others might like to see and read about his weapon, which he told me he used as a knife is meant to be used in war, in the 10th Mt. Div. advance in Italy in WW2. Dad with the recon platoon leader for the R&I platoon for the regimental HQ for 87th Mt. Inf. Reg.
Here are the pics. Let me know if you would like to see more. Let me know if you know anything about other M4s with there unique modifications.
Thanks,
Matt
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Matt- What you have is a fighting knife, probably made by Imperial, using the guard for an M4 bayonet, and the pommel from an M3 Trench knife. I have one myself, with the bayonet ring in tact. We always speculated these were made post war from left over contract parts. With your Dad being with the 10th MTN in Italy, he may have carried this as an M3 Trench knife alternate . As I recall the M4 bayonets did not hit Europe til late in the war, around 1945. Even then these were probably post war PX knives, which would fit well into his post war assignment to Greece. I have to check the end date of hostilities in Italy. Not sure if these, and M4 got to the Italian campaign. I'll check. SKIP
Matt- Did some quick research, 87th had campaigns in Italy with the 10th MTN, and stayed there til August 1945, so, M4s could have made it, but because it was a parts knife, and not a bayonet, he could have got in a PX and used/carried it through the war. Not sure if this variation was ever an issue item or not. These were great functional knives. SKIP
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