45 Shoulder Holster

[grenadebaron]

This is my 45 shoulder holster that was given to me back in 1997.

It was a gift from a women I was working with.

It belonged to her husband Major Ralph J. Wevers.

Major Wevers was in the G3 section of the 80th Infantry Division during WWII.

At the end of the war he was promoted to Lt. Colonel.

The 45 is my blank only pistol.

[artu44]

It's a private purchase, possibly made in Germany, patterned after the US M3 shoulder holster.

[Charlie Flick]

G:

 

Artu has properly identified your holster as a private purchase item. These were very popular with US soldiers at the end of WW2. These holsters were made for sale to US soldiers in Germany at the end of WW2 and just after the war. Keep in mind that what was left of German industry was in tatters and the local economy was non-functioning except for black market goods. Since the Wehrmacht was no longer a customer German leather goods makers found a ready source of dollar income from US GIs who were flush with money (relatively speaking) and had few things to spend it on after women (fraternizing was verboten) and booze.

 

I have seen many examples of these holsters made in Germany around this time, and many contemporary photos of them being worn by GIs. They generally conform to the basic design of the M3 shoulder holster but often have the added mag pouch and use German hardware and fittings.

 

A good example of this is seen in the attached photo from my photo archives. This soldier is a member of the 94th Infantry Division. He is seen in Germany in April, 1945 wearing a private purchase shoulder holster of somewhat different style.

 

These are interesting and historical holsters.

 

Regards,

Charlie Flick

 

[Greg Robinson]

Here's a shoulder holster which came out of an estate sale along with a 1960's vintage USGI M7 holster. I have no idea who made it or where it was made.

 

I've also included a pic of the Bucheimer made M7.

[artu44]

The russet one looks like a bubba work. Nothing professional in riveting, stitching and so on. A little trivia, sometimes on german ebay appear shoulder holsters with or without integral mag pouch, advertised as P38 police holsters and seller says they were adopted by german police immediately after WWII when they were armed with P38,P08 and M1911.