They won't be keen on anything they don't understand/know about, so you'll have to be pushy if you want it. Trophies of war are pretty thin on the ground now as they need to have been acquired as a trophy prior to 1st January 1946 to qualify. Most trophies have probably been destroyed or sold out of the family by this point.Steve12345 wrote:
The reason I say it's a long shot is just because there doesn't seem to be many people who have done it when I have looked on forums. I also mentioned it on the day when the pistol was picked up and didn't seem like it an option people were keen to look at. I get the impression it was more aimed directly at the person who acquired the item as a trophy, although I do agree with your previous comments that there are circumstances where it could be handed down. I do think I would be able to prove it's link to our family.
You are right in that this 1911 will mean more to me than anyone else, but then I guess you could argue it's no more special then some of the other items I have inherited. Although this was partly what I wanted to know and why I came to enthusiasts yourself, I had no idea how common / rare these pistols are, if there are any special models, anything to look out for etc.. On that note you have reminded me on a question I meant to ask, the Douglas that has been engraved on the side (think you can see it in one of the pics) I assume that is not standard and someone has added that on after it was issue to them?
Do you know how your Grandfather (or Great Grandfather, or whoever in your family) first acquired the pistol?
Yes, the "Douglas" engraving was put on by its owner at some point. It was fairly common for soldiers to put their name or initials on their gun.