1917 dated Artillery Luger rig,unit marked, with TM08

[drm2m]

The unit markings on this pistol.

122 FÜSILIER REGIMENT (4.WURTTEMBERG) (122.R.4.6.)

122. FÜSILIER-REGIMENT (4. WURTTEMBERG), 4. KOMPAGNIE, WAFFEN NR. 6.

Historic- tradition information on the 122 Füsilier Regiment, from “Ruhmeshalle unsere alten Armee”. Listed are battles and dates as far back as Napoleon. This regiment’s honor name is “Kaiser Franz Josef von Österreich, König von Ungarn (4. Wurttembergisches) Nr. 122”. Its headquarters/base is Heilbronn (I & III) and Mergentheim (II) and it was founded in 1806.

Note: The percentage of national contingents in the German Army during
World War I is as follows:

Prussia and the smaller states 78 percent
Bavaria 11 percent
Saxony 7 percent
Wurttemberg 4 percent
From “German WWI Identity Tags/Disks”, Peter Meinlschmidt, page 56.

Lugers unit marked to Wurttemberg Regiments are rare.

The TM08 (snail drum magazine) is a Type 1 manufactured by A.E.G.
The magazine loader was manufactured by Bing.

This pistol also has one matching magazine.

David

[42rocker]

That is so cool. Have always wanted one of these. That's for sharing all of this stuff.

Later 42rocker

[drm2m]

Thanks 42rocker.

This is the only WWI piece that I own.

This gun came with a spare magazine shown below. (An Erfurt armourer magazine)
I later found the matching magazine from a previous owner....it had been separated from the pistol for twenty four years.....pretty good luck.

One of the unusual aspects of this rig is the stock iron which has the same unit marking (same font) as on the pistol, .....although the stock iron is not serial numbered to the pistol.

The original holster has what looks like a repaired bullet hole.
I bought a 1916 dated holster in better condition sometime later.

David

[42rocker]

To have complete stories that go with the weapons is super great also. You have a sweet collection.

Later 42rocker

[drm2m]

42rocker.

This is the first time a situation like this happened to me.

When I bought this Artillery Luger I asked the seller who he bought it from.....and when.
I managed to find the previous seller who told me that he had since found a magazine that he thought went with the Artillery.
Apparently he had put it away because of his young children at that time......so it was never given to the fellow that I bought the rig from. (24 years earlier)

When I spoke to him he told me to come and pick it up.
As it turned out ....the magazine was matching to the pistol.
That was December 20th 2004.....what a great Christmas present.

Matching magazines with Lugers makes a difference.

David

[drm2m]

42rocker,

With regard to history.

There is no doubt that this Artillery rig was brought back by a Canadian soldier.
That specific history I know nothing about.

Around the time that I bought the Artillery rig I was also doing some research on my Wife’s Grandfather.

He was the CO of the Eastern Ontario 21st Battalion and was KIA on August 8th 1918 at the Battle of Amiens.

He commanded the 21st at the Battle of Passchendaele and was wounded at Vimmy Ridge.
He survived the war until August 8th 1918....and the war ended on November 11th 1918.

What I later realized was the 4th Wurttemberg regiment was in action in the same area around that date.

I wonder if that was when this Artillery Luger was picked up by a Canadian soldier.
I will never know.

Researching my Wife’s Grandfather was very interesting….he must have been a very special man.

The map below shows the Marcelcave Road where Jones met his fate on August 8th 1918,... and Longueau where he was buried.

It also shows Morlancourt where the 4th Wurttemberg regiment was engaged on August 10th 1918.
(Supposedly 400 were captured between August 10th and August 29th 1918)

Morlancourt appears to be a continuation of the same road to Marcelcave where Jones was killed two days earlier.....perhaps less than 10 miles away.

David

[42rocker]

Wow, neat stuff.

Enjoy the trip through history.

Also seems like your doing great with posting pics. I think that it's easier on this site than most after you do a few picture postings. Nice job, please post a few more. As one of our members states, send me more gun porn..

Later 42rocker

[drm2m]

Back in 2005 before I knew how to post stuff, Jan Still did a presentation of this pistol on his forum….this is his stuff from back then.

History of the 122 Füsilier Regiment during World War I, written by surviving members of the Regiment and published in 1921. It details the World War I battle history of this Regiment in 312 pages of text and three fold out maps showing over 60 battle sketches (See below)

During World War I the 122 Füsilier Regiment was part of the 26th, 105th, and the 243rd Infantry Divisions. The LP08 discussed here in probably went into service with the 122 Füsilier Regiment sometime during August-September-October 1917. It spent the rest of 1917 and 1918 battling as part of the 243 Infantry Division on the Western Front. The issuing Regiment controlled and distributed these Lugers to the troops. The history of these Lugers is the same as that of the Regiment that issued them and the troops that carried them.

David

The first photo has nothing to do with what is written above.
It is a photo of my Wife's Mother and Grandfather taken in London during the war.
He unfortunately fell victim to the type of machinegun as shown below very close to the end of the war.
He was the CO of the 21st Battalion and Commanded the Battalion from May 23, 1916 to August 8, 1918 and was killed in action on August 8th 1918.

(He looks older...but he was 44 years old when he died.)

[MarkFinneran]

An amazing piece - I have been looking for such a 'set' in order to build an Imperial machine gunner alongside his guns.
Happy New Year David.
Mark
pm sent.

[K98dkmauser]

that's a nice luger

[amafrank]

Thats the first serial numbered and proofed wooden mag bottom I've seen on a WWI luger. I collected Artillery lugers back in the 70' and 80's and all the wood bottom mags were unmarked. It wasn't until I bought a Swiss 06 Bern luger that I saw wood bottoms marked in any way......are you sure that is correct?


Frank