Lend Lease Garands - What is the history/process of their arrival back to the States?

[Singer B]

Maybe ask CMP? Otherwise it would be collected info from someone that reads this. Some of us do keep records...

That's a good plan. Since I acquired my M1 from them, they would probably know. Thanks!

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.

[Singer B]

Maybe ask CMP? Otherwise it would be collected info from someone that reads this. Some of us do keep records...

Thank you sir, I just sent the request to CMP.

---------- Post added at 07:12 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:10 PM ----------

I'll try the CMP route first, and if that doesn't work, then I will ask for the FOIA contact. Thank you!

[Mk VII]

Here are the British Marines using them at the reoccupation of Hong Kong.

[Mk VII]

[browningautorifle]

More... First two we've had here before. The third honestly looks like Korea...the last is in the Hochwald Forest in 1945.

[ssgross]

I've been following along since my initial captain obvious post. Now I'm confused. I thought lend/lease rifles were issued to many different countries? Are you all saying the program only included Great Britain? And that all the other Garands coming back from other countries were from other programs?

My guess would be that Bob knows all the details, and will chime in with a reference to a past GCA article summarizing all the different ways or programs Garands migrated all over the world. If it hasn't been written yet, such an article should be.

[Mk VII]

The third I've not seen before, and from the US field jacket and water bottle, it's probably the same as the first two; 41 Cmdo in Korea, which was entirely outfitted with American weapons and equipment as it was operating with the 1st US Marine Divn. The weapons were issued from US ordnance stocks at Camp Mackall, Yokosuka, Japan.

[Bob Seijas]

We did provide equipment to others besides Britain, but only the very early stuff was technically "Lend Lease," a program designed to get around US neutrality. After we entered the war, that wasn't a problem anymore and we sent allies "Military Assistance." What we call "Lend Lease" Garands are only those unique rifles in new condition imported by Interarms.

... young arms dealer named Sam Cummings. Because the British government would not sell surplus weaponry to foreign dealers, in 1957 Cummings bought the moribund arms firm of Cogswell & Harrison that owned a large facility in Manchester. Through that firm he was able to purchase surplus M1s. He first imported M1 rifles in 1958 and began to sell them in February 1959 from his company Ye Old Hunter in Virginia. Mail order price was $79.95 for standard and $89.95 for “near-mint.” He also sold some to other dealers, notably Klein’s in Chicago and department stores like Sears, Roebuck and Montgomery Ward. A competitor of Interarmco, Winfield Arms in Los Angeles, also purchased M1s from overseas during the same time period as they advertised them for sale at $97.50. The total number of M1 rifles imported in the late 1950s through early 1960s is unknown.

[ssgross]

Aha. go it now. pre war = lend lease, postwar = military assistance.

[Mark in Rochester]

Garands In The King Service | An Official Journal Of The NRA