WW2 German Police/Fire dagger. Ardennes bring-back from German KIA.

[Lawdog]

This beautiful, as found, WW2 German Police/Fire dagger and brown leather frog was brought home from the Ardennes by Sergeant John W Wargo, my wife's grandfather. Sergeant Wargo was part of an artillery unit in Patton's 3rd Army that had been pulled from artillery duty and tasked as rifleman for the push to Bastogne and the eventual relief of the 101st Airborne. Shortly before he died, I spoke to Sergeant Wargo who told me how he obtained this dagger. Sergeant Wargo told me that it was January 1945 and they were manning a defensive position with a 30 caliber machine gun just inside the tree line in the Ardennes. Sergeant Wargo stated that several men in his company had fallen victim to a German sniper hidden in a tree line at the opposite end of a snowy field. Despite their best efforts, they could not locate the sniper's hiding place. Sergeant Wargo told me that he was peering through binoculars at the opposite treeline when he saw what he thought at first, was snow falling from the branches of a large tree. He instructed his machine gunner to open up on the tree and not stop until there wasn't "a single needle left on any branch." The young private did as sergeant Wargo instructed him and after emptying an entire box of .30 cal. ammunition into the tree in question, they witnessed a body fall from the tree. After being able to advance and inspect their handiwork, they discovered that it was not snow that had fallen from the tree, but pieces of newspaper that the German sniper had used to wipe himself after defecating in the tree. Sergeant Wargo relieved the German sniper of this dagger and shipped it home. His initials, "JWW" and army serial number are scratched into the back of the leather frog.

 

Sent from my LG-LS995 using Tapatalk

 

 

[csxrailfan]

One of my favorite stories so far. Great trophy.

[mrwarbooty]

Would it have been common for a dress bayonet to be on the person of a Heer or SS sniper, on the frontline?

[doyler]

Would it have been common for a dress bayonet to be on the person of a Heer or SS sniper, on the frontline?

 

I have spoke to two vets who had HJ knives.They both had similar story as they said they took them off of SS soldiers at the Battle of the Bulge.Both were in different units.Both actually reffered to the knife as an SS boot knife.Not out of the realm of possibility as many Germans may have retained their youth knife for a utility knife.The vets were not collectors and it was their story to be told.

[katieony]

Great bring-back with an interesting story!

[USCapturephotos]

I loved reading this again!

Paul