kanemono Posted August 23, 2018 Share #1 Posted August 23, 2018 This Bolo Mauser with stock and Chinese dagger were both brought home by Petty Officer Third Class George Pradarits Jr. who was assigned to the destroyer USS Waller for duty with the Yangtze River Patrol Force. Waller entered Shanghai with the first allied naval units on September 19, 1945. Two weeks later, off the China coast, Waller single-handedly immobilized a Japanese suicide boat garrison and assisted Chinese authorities in disarming 2,700 former enemy soldiers near the city of Tringhai. The "Kamikaze" unit surrendered its arms to a Waller landing force of 21 men who kept the Japanese busy all night carrying ammunition and removing explosive charges from 87 suicide boats. A few days later, on October 9, 1945 Waller struck a mine while returning to Shanghai in the Yangtze River. Twenty-two men were injured, including Pradarits who suffered a broken arm, the ship received structural damage that required dry-docking in Shanghai. George spent quite a bit of time in Shanghai while the Waller was being repaired. This Bolo Mauser with a Chinese holster stock is marked to the Shanghai Police Force in Chinese on the left side of the barrel extension. The dagger is a Nationalist Chinese officers dagger with extensive enamel decoration. George told me that the Bolo Mauser was part of the cache of weapons captured from the Japanese "Kamikaze" unit. He said the Captain of the Waller allowed sailors to liberate souvenirs from the pile of captured weapons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kanemono Posted August 23, 2018 Author Share #2 Posted August 23, 2018 next.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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Old Marine Posted August 23, 2018 Share #4 Posted August 23, 2018 Those are spectacular bring backs. Thanks for posting them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
268th C.A. Posted August 23, 2018 Share #5 Posted August 23, 2018 Wow! No kidding! Thats one nice little group, I wonder how he liberated that! If it could talk....Nice post! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easterneagle87 Posted August 23, 2018 Share #6 Posted August 23, 2018 Very nice dagger!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
11thcavsniper Posted August 23, 2018 Share #7 Posted August 23, 2018 What a score. Both the Mauser and the Dagger are fabulous! Then everything else that came with it. Thanks for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirk Posted August 23, 2018 Share #8 Posted August 23, 2018 Very nice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beerdragon54 Posted August 24, 2018 Share #9 Posted August 24, 2018 This is freaking awesome!! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nkomo Posted August 24, 2018 Share #10 Posted August 24, 2018 Stellar! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garandomatic Posted August 24, 2018 Share #11 Posted August 24, 2018 Lovely Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Meatcan Posted August 24, 2018 Share #12 Posted August 24, 2018 Major score! Fantastic items. Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted August 24, 2018 Share #13 Posted August 24, 2018 Very nice grouping. Ronnie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katieony Posted August 24, 2018 Share #14 Posted August 24, 2018 What a great group...thank you for sharing the images and story! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulruss Posted August 24, 2018 Share #15 Posted August 24, 2018 Outstanding! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badash5946 Posted August 24, 2018 Share #16 Posted August 24, 2018 Absolutely incredible as well as historical grouping. Museum worthy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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