The FSSF's Johnny Guns.

[bob lamoreaux]

Look closely at Johan's photo of the JLMG museum display. See the holster? Saw one very, very similar (the "lacing" on the side) that someone -- maybe on these forums -- suggested was an "after-market" decoration. Doesn't look like a M1911 pistol holster (what? a M1916?) but seems to be holding a automatic of some type. Sorry! Probably foreign, but kind of interesting, especially since the knife and grenades appear to be U.S. issue. BTW, I had a 10-magazine carrier with my '41 lmg. Wonder if the mag carrier in the photo was unit made? Again, probably not U.S.G.I.

[patches]

Thank's for joining in Bob.

[patches]

Patches:

 

Try the link now. There is a evidently recurring problem with "group permissions" to see threads now located in the Reference section, according to another much more knowledgeable Mod than I who helped to get this fixed. As a Mod I can see everything so I assume that you can, too. This is a glitch we are trying to figure out. It should work for now, but if not let me know.

 

Regards,

Charlie

Nichts, on the link, Charlie, I was wondering, is this the topic on French Johnsons that Bob posted or are there two differant topics?, in any event we can't view them, bummer man.

[Johan Willaert]

The holster next to the JLMG in the La Gleize museum seems to be a non-regulation model and holds a German P38 pistol... The knife is the FSSF's V-42 in its scabbard...

The mag pouch seems to be 'rigger' made too...

Just go to the museum website and scroll through the top banner for a better view on the pouch:

http://www.december44.com/en/collections.htm

[Johan Willaert]

Look closely at Johan's photo of the JLMG museum display. See the holster? Saw one very, very similar (the "lacing" on the side) that someone -- maybe on these forums -- suggested was an "after-market" decoration. Doesn't look like a M1911 pistol holster (what? a M1916?) but seems to be holding a automatic of some type

 

 

That particular holster with P38 pistol is shown on page 485 of Mike Detrez'1998 First Airborne Task Force book...

[Charlie Flick]

Patches:

 

The problem persists. For now, trying logging out of the Forum and then try the link. It seems to only be affecting Members, not Mods or Forum Guests. We are trying to get the problem fixed. For now, try logging out and then access the link. A hassle, I know, but the best we can do for the moment.

 

Regards,

Charlie

[patches]

Patches:

 

The problem persists. For now, trying logging out of the Forum and then try the link. It seems to only be affecting Members, not Mods or Forum Guests. We are trying to get the problem fixed. For now, try logging out and then access the link. A hassle, I know, but the best we can do for the moment.

 

Regards,

Charlie

What wizardry yes it does work when one is in Guest mode, thanks for the tip.

[jgawne]

I can't add much, but wen I was working on the 474th in Norway I can tell you they were pretty much totally reequipped totally with their own special organization- I never found one reference to the j guns so, am pretty sure they had left them someplace.

[bob lamoreaux]

the author of "Rearming the French" (available to read online) states that the French, after the Italian Campaign, wanted more BARs than their allotment allowed. They were offered 1,500 JLMGs from the cancelled Dutch order (cancelled by Lend-Lease administration) these guns having already been built and (presumably) taken by the U.S. as they had been paid for. The French wanted these for their colonial troops from Morocco and Algeria. There is no indication that the offer was accepted, but the author suggests that the French did not take these guns. Evidence that they might have taken the guns was in a draft manuscript on the Italian Campaign (presumably for the Army's "Green Book" series on the history of the U.S. Army in WWII) was found in one table showing a cal. .30 machine gun the author identifies as the M1944. I can't find that designation of French m.g.s. This could be a typo and the gun might have been a M1924 (I think that is the designation of the Chatterault). However, in an old Machine Gun News or Small Arms Review there was a letter to the editor from an individual visiting Viet Nam (after the late, great dispute there) saying that he was visiting a provincial museum and found what looked like a Johnson M1944 on display there. The interesting thing is that the French colonial troops were in Viet Nam during the French Indochina war. Unfortunately, the MAB (Munitions Assignment Board) records are scattered between D.C. (NARA) and London (don't know who holds them in London). Don't know if the French would have records, but if so they would probably be somewhere other than Paris.

 

The usual rumors circulated, back in the late '80s or early '90s, when I was still researching Johnson rifles, m.g.s, etc., that around 125 JLMGs (M1941s) were being offered for sale by an arms dealer (or government) in North Africa. I don't really believe in that type of rumor. . .heard too many sea stories about surplus firearms being available. . .but if there is any truth to that, it suggests that the FSSF guns were transferred (either officially or unofficially) to French colonial troops after the Italian Campaign. One avenue to explore is whether the FSSF were armed with Johnny Guns during the Southern France invasion. My strong suspicion is that these guns ultimately were given to the French who subsequently armed their colonial troops (Moroccans and Algerians) with them.