Two WWII Kriegsmarine marked pistols…each with its own story.

[drm2m]

Mauser Model 1934 (Variation 2) Sn.532668 manufactured in 1938.

I have no idea if some members on this forum are interested in this kind of stuff?

(Click on the bar to enlarge the images.)




Mauser Model 1934 (Variation 1) Sn. 551698 manufactured in 1940.




Variation 2 -Matching Navy Property markings on front grip strap and magazine floor plate O.2325---“O” for Marine Station der Ostee (Baltic Fleet)

Estimated production of these Variation 2 Kriegsmarine marked guns was 3,000.
(Reference; Jan Still –Axis Pistols)










Variation 1, engraved E/M on the left frame panel and N2687 property number on the front grip strap and N2676 on the magazine floor plate. Not matching numbers but reasonably close.
“N” for Marine Station der Nordsee (North sea Fleet)
Total estimated procurement: 8,000.












A Kriegsmarine marked holster that is correct for both pistols.
The holster could be in better condition….but I guess it protected the gun.










The story behind each pistol.

The 1938 dated Variation 2 pistol came with the provenance document shown below.
I did not know the vet that brought it back…so I don’t know more than that.







The Variation 1 pistol manufactured in 1940 was a Canadian vet bring back by a rather interesting fellow.

Here is his story;

The vets name was Major W.A.D. Gunn from Moncton New Brunswick.
After I purchased the pistol I corresponded with his nephew who inherited it prior to the vets death.

The gun was supposedly taken from a prisoner of war.

The vets Obituary:

OBIT # 1712 - HALIFAX HERALD - 19 JUNE 1995

GUNN, Judge William Alexander Douglas - 93, 50 Cameron St., Moncton, N.B., died June 17, 1995, in Moncton Hospital. Born in Sydney, Cape Breton Co., he was a son of the late Alexander Donald and Jane (Spencer) Gunn. He attended Dalhousie University and graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in 1922; master of arts in 1924 and bachelor of laws in 1925. On May 13, 1925, he was admitted to the bar of Nova Scotia and practised law in Sydney. He enlisted at the outbreak of the Second World War; commanded B Company, Cape Breton Highlanders; served with the Judge Advocate General's branch at Canadian military headquarters in London; with the allied forces headquarters in Italy and the 21st Army group in Germany. He was honourably discharged with the rank of major. He returned to his law practice in Sydney and was appointed provincial magistrate on October 12, 1960. He was transferred from Sydney to Halifax in 1971; appointed chairman of the Law Reform Advisory Commission, and in 1975 chairman of the Advisory Committee on Legal Aid. He retired in 1976 and served until 1986 as supernumerary judge for the Province of Nova Scotia. Surviving are his wife, the former Mary Catherine McNeill; daughter, Heather Jane (Mrs. Joseph Weir); grandchildren, Mike, Danny; sisters, Florence Gunn Warren, Toronto; Vivian Mitchell, Sydney; several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by sisters, Jane, Frances; brother, Alfred (A.O.). Visitation 2-4, 7-9 p.m. today, funeral 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, both in Ferguson Knowles Funeral Home, 1657 Mountain Rd., Moncton, Rev. Bernard Sloan officiating. Reception to follow in the funeral home.
_______________________________

The two photos shown below and commentary were sent to me by the curator of the Cape Breton Highlander Museum, in New Brunswick.

“He appears as a lieutenant in the list of original officers in 1939 ...I found where he was promoted to Capt and to Major 1939/40. (Two very quick promotions)”


The following is 'perhaps' a comment about the Highlanders that may date back to their early origins.

The Highlanders, were not all about bringing joy; in fact, they were a notoriously rough-edged outfit. Recruited mostly from miners, fishermen, steelworkers and farmers from Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, on Canada’s harsh Atlantic coastline, they were a clannish bunch likely to resent anyone “from away,” meaning not born on the island. Most had recent Scottish or Irish ancestry, and a few were even Gaelic-speaking. Not for nothing was their Maple Leaf cap badge emblazoned with the Gaelic words: “Stol Na Fearail”—“the Breed of Manly Men.”








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A little geography review...the map below shows the North Sea and the Baltic Sea.
Supposedly the 1938 dated Variation 2 was picked up in Wilhelmshaven just after the Germans surrendered.





Background info.

In 1934 Mauser introduced a final version of its Model 1934. Its major change from the Model 1914 was the shape of the grip panels, with curved, rather than straight backstrap. The Model 1934 was adopted by German armed forces as a substitute standard, and also was used by various police and security forces. Key military buyers for Mauser 1934 pistols were Kriegsmarine (Navy) and Luftwaffe (Air force).

The first 1934 Mauser pistols obtained for military use were procured independently by the Kreigsmarine. (Navy)

The total quantity purchased by the navy from 1935 to 1941 was approximately 23,000.

There were two navy markings Ostsee (“O”) Baltic Sea and Nordsee (“N”) North Sea.

The historical portion of Nordsee verses Ostee is basically two separate ports with various ships assigned to these ports. "O" property marks for Ostee and "N" property marked weapons for Nordsee.


David

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[villiers]

Beautiful photography! Did you have the pictures professionally taken?

[drm2m]

Thanks villiers.

These are my photos....I am flattered that you questioned whether they might have been taken by a professional photographer.

(I am not sure if this is an appropriate venue for this kind of stuff ?)

I have run out of photo space on this forum (Max. 8 Megabytes) so I am using Photo bucket in this thread.

My original photos are pretty large files but Photo bucket resizes them so I don't have to do it.

Each forum can have different requirements regarding photo size...so something like Photo bucket is not a bad alternative IMHO.

I pay an annual fee to Photo bucket for extended storage capacity....I probably have 1700 photos currently stored there.....because my threads often involve many photos... which permits use on many different forums depending on their photo posting format.

Definitely not worthwhile if one is posting the odd photo every now and then.

As well, ....you can add descriptions between the images if you choose to.....and the photos don't get all bunched together.

The downside for the forum is the images disappear if the Photo bucket photos get deleted....and you end up with blank spaces.

David

[gunner]

Hi David,

Thanks for the great pics and the really good made background stories. If you have more, please send them! Always nice to see such fine things.

Regards

Gunner

At the moment is an auction on such an Mauser with the number N. 1894.

[Thumper]

That Mauser is nothing but AWESOME!!!

I would give my left &%*#)% to own that.

Very, very nice.

Regards: Thumper

[Car-Keys]

Hi....!
I'm a new member and I am very excited to have found this article on my uncle, WAD Gunn.
Thanks!
Vivian Warren (Gunn)

[drm2m]

Vivian,

Congratulations to you for having made the effort to find some background on W.A.D. Gunn that brought you to this Forum.
When I started to do research on Major Gunn I was helped greatly by the curator John Clarke of the Cape Breton Highlander Museum, in New Brunswick.
He provided me with the photos shown above.

During that process I spoke once to the Vet's nephew who your sister has since communicated with.

I did not get all of the answers to my questions, but I am glad that your family was able to reconnect with some lost relatives as a result of the info found on this gun Forum.

Strange resource the Internet.
I hope you have a great family reunion.

David

[drm2m]

I hate it when I run out of time modifying a post on this Forum!

Vivian,

What I do know;

Major W.A.D. Gunn brought back this pistol as a souvenir from the war.
It was eventually given to his nephew as he was the only family member that may have been interested in it.
I bought this pistol from a collector in New Brunswick that bought it from the Vet's nephew in response to an ad in a local newspaper.

What I don't know;

Where and when Major W.A.D. Gunn got this pistol and under what circumstances?

This exercise has been a retracing of the ownership of this pistol and its history....which is very much a part of this collecting hobby.

Do we ever get to know all the answers....unfortunately not.

David

[Badger]

I hate it when I run out of time modifying a post on this Forum!

Not sure why you'd run out of time, as the "time-out" period is one hour.

However, if you did sit for any hour when typing a post without doing anything else, then yes ... you would be timed out and lose your connection to the site.

When I create a post of any substantial length, I simply type it up in my text editor and then cut-n-paste it into the post when I'm ready to send it ...

Regards,
Doug