British Contract Colt New Service .455 Webley WWI Revolver/AEF service

[varifleman]

Here for your viewing pleasure is Colt New Service .455 Eley (Webley) revolver serial number 126149 which was 1 of 500 shipped to the London Armoury Company on December 26, 1916. It had an interesting service life with British Army markings, C154 marking (maybe rack number) and AEF marking on butt plate. The close-up photos to show close-up of AEF (American Expeditionary Forces) and faint US flag cartouches on grip and British military crossed pennants and broad arrow markings.
(From "Borrowed Soldiers, Americans Under British Command , 1918 " by Mitchell A.Yockelson) When General Pershing was asked by the British and the French to amalgamate small units of American soldiers into his allies armies to relieve their depleted manpower, he refused, as he and President Wilson believed that only through the actions of a separate and autonomous American army could the United States achieve its political and diplomatic goals. Pershing accommodated the British by "loaning" them the 27th and the 30th Infantry Divisions, organized into II Corps. This book is the story of those divisions, how they were raised, trained and fought under British and Australian tutelage. The AEF soldiers were equipped with British small arms and accoutrements and that's probably how this revolver wound up with the AEF.
Received this reply From the National WWI Museum: George: You have a wonderful example of the Colt .455 model. The markings leave no doubt it was issued to members of the AEF. Do you have any specific questions for us to research? Jerry Schmidt, volunteer Edward Jones Research Center Attendant National World War I Museum and Memorial
2 Memorial Drive| Kansas City, MO | 64108 Desk: 816-888-814 [email protected]

[varifleman]

more photos:

[varifleman]

close ups to show British military proof mark on cylinder and Royal Enfield Lock inspector's mark on frame:

[44 AMP]

My understanding is that the various British proof marks were not applied to US arms loaned/given to the British for their use, until they guns were being excessed and returned to the US, at which time, under British law, they had to be proofed and marked as such, since they were being "exported" from Britian. However, this may only be true with WWII firearms, I don't have info about WWI practices in that area.

When General Pershing was asked by the British and the French to amalgamate small units of American soldiers into his allies armies to relieve their depleted manpower, he refused, as he and President Wilson believed that only through the actions of a separate and autonomous American army could the United States achieve its political and diplomatic goals.

That's a polite way to say it. One thing to remember is that one of the important "political" goals was not to have American lives thrown away they way the British and the French did with their own troops.

It was widely believed (though rarely mentioned withing hearing of the British or the French) that IF they were given command of US troops, they would use them up as cannon fodder to absorb bullets that would otherwise be killing French or British soldiers. That they would be used poorly and sacrificed needlessly, and that American officers would not do that.

We, the US, had studied what our allies did with their troops, and could clearly see WHY they lost so many lives, and we simply would not allow foreign commanders to do that with our troops. Of course, we had to phrase our refusal somewhat politely, but it was a firm refusal to their overall requests. We weren't there to replace their losses, we were there to fight, and to win....


Very nice piece, a rare surviving bit of history. Treasure it.

[varifleman]

Most interesting is that there are no civilian proof house markings (Birmingham and London Proof Houses) on my revolver. When such surplus military weapons were sold out of service they had to be commercially reproofed by the Birmingham or London proof houses before they could be legally sold in the civilian market or for export. This is and was done most often in the Birmingham Proof House. Most such guns bear a "BNP" mark to attest to the re-proof (see commercial proof house chart below). But this re-proof was never done to my revolver as is usually found on firearms sold as surplus on the civilian market. Nevertheless the “sold out of service” mark is present as shown in photo six at left below the cylinder.