Gun Digest 2011. Dan Shideler
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Название: Gun Digest 2011
Автор: Dan Shideler
Издательство: Ingram
Жанр: Спорт, фитнес
isbn: 9781440215612
isbn:
But what really caught my attention were the photos of the old military holster. Even though its exterior was in pretty rough shape, what made the holster so intriguing was the hand-printed inscription on the underside of the flap, which read:
Lt. M H Bluethner 5th C.M.R. Bn.
By this time curiosity was getting the best of me. Leaving the seller’s website to access the computer’s search engine, I typed in “5th C.M.R. Bn,” to see what might be learned. The resulting information revealed that the abbreviation stood for “5th Canadian Mounted Rifles Battalion.” A website dedicated to the Battalion’s history reported that the 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles had been formed in 1915 as a horse-mounted infantry unit of the Canadian Expeditionary Force and was comprised of volunteers from Quebec’s Eastern townships. In late 1915 the 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles Battalion shipped out for England. There the unit was converted to an infantry battalion attached to the 8th Canadian Infantry Brigade, 3rd Canadian Division, CEF. Between 1916 and 1918 the Battalion saw action in both France and Belgium. Posted on the website was an impressive list of campaigns in which soldiers of the 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles fought, as well as battle honors accorded to the unit.
While the condition of the revolver alone seemed good enough to justify its purchase, the added bonus of the holster, coupled with the prospect of linking both items to a major chapter in history, were too much to pass up. Enticed by the possibility that further research might uncover additional details of their provenance, I bought the gun and holster. Upon receiving them, an inquiry was sent to Roy Jinks, who advised that the revolver was a Canadian Government Contract gun and had been shipped to Ottawa, Canada, on May 19, 1916. Having ascertained the factory background of the gun, the next step was to see what could be learned about Lieutenant M. H. Bluethner. Who was he? Had he been actively involved in combat, and if so, had he survived?
A bit more computer sleuthing led to the website of LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA, a Government-sponsored resource offering a wealth of information on a variety of subjects, including soldiers of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. A phone call to their offices in Ottawa confirmed that Martin Herman Bluethner, born April 26, 1892, had indeed been a member of the CEF. Furthermore, for a very reasonable processing fee, copies of his complete military records were available. Little time was lost in placing a request for Martin Bluethner’s files. With a planned vacation trip to Europe just a few weeks away, the hope was to have the records in hand before leaving. Depending on the information contained in them, it might be possible to visit places where Martin Bluethner had been some ninety years earlier. If he had fought in France or Belgium, his files might list those locations. In the event he had not survived the War, perhaps they would disclose his resting place.
Holster flap, w/ cap badge: This Inscription on the underside of the holster flap prompted me to purchase the .455 Second Model revolver and holster that once belonged to Lt. Martin H. Bluethner. The 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles cap badge shown here is a highly collectible item in its own right.
The package that arrived contained 44 pages of material. Included in the documents were copies of Martin Bluethner’s attestation (enlistment) papers, medical history, casualty (injury) forms, regimental and company conduct sheets, pay records and his dispersal (discharge) certificate. The following summary of his military service was chronicled from the documentation:
Martin Herman Bluethner enlisted in the Canadian Over-Seas Expeditionary Force on January 11, 1915, at Stratford, Ontario. He was 22 years old, 5 feet, 7-1/4 inches tall, and weighed 135 lbs. According to his attestation form, he had brown hair and blue eyes. Martin’s civilian occupation was “clerk” and his religion Lutheran. Upon his enlistment, Recruit Bluethner was given Regimental (military ID) Number 602173 and was assigned to the 34th Battalion.
Martin H. Bluethner at age 43. This photograph, which was affixed to his “Declaration of Intention to Become a U.S. Citizen”, is the only picture of Martin Bluethner I was able to obtain. The application form was submitted on October 18, 1935. Martin was naturalized as a United States citizen on April 29, 1938, in Federal Court at Newark, NJ.
After completing cadet training, Private Bluethner shipped out for England, arriving there on November 1, 1915. While stationed with the Canadian forces at Bramshott, England, he was transferred to the 17th Reserve Battalion, CEF on March 15, 1916. On April 9, 1916, he was transferred to the 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles Battalion and embarked for France.
Throughout the 35 months that Martin Bluethner was a member of the 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles, the Battalion experienced some of the heaviest fight-ing of the War, in France and Belgium. The Somme, Flers-Courcelette, Ancre Heights, Vimy, Passchendaele, The Hin-denburg Line and Canal du Nord were just a few of the battles in which soldiers of the 5th CMR saw intensive action.
On June 24, 1916, Private Bluethner was recommended for promotion. Corporal Bluethner was wounded on October 30, 1917. Although the records do not specify the nature of the injury, or where he was when it occurred, The 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles Battalion suffered an exceptionally high casualty rate during the costly campaign of Passchendaele, in Flanders, which took place from July 31 to November 10, 1917. The odds are very strong that Corporal Bluethner was wounded in this protracted engagement. Presumably, the injury was fairly minor, as nothing in his files indicates that he was hospitalized.
On January 1, 1918, Corporal Bluethner was promoted to sergeant. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant on August 6, 1918. On November 8, 1918, Lieutenant Bluethner sustained a bullet wound in his right thigh. Once again, the injury apparently was not serious enough to cause him to be removed from the roster, and he was listed as remaining “at duty.”
The war officially ended November 11, 1918. The 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles remained in France until February 13, 1919, when they proceeded to England. On March 8, 1919, Lieutenant Bluethner departed Liverpool, aboard the H.M.S. Carmania*, for his return to Canada. He was “struck off strength” (discharged) on March 20, 1919, In Ottawa, upon demobilization of his unit.
From his military record it appears that Martin Bluethner served honorably with the Canadian Expeditionary Force for over 49 months, 35 of those months as a member of the 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles. During the more than four years he spent in the military, Martin Bluethner earned three field promotions and was twice wounded in the service of his Country.
What service Martin Bluethner’s revolver and holster might have seen during the war was already in France. His records reflect that twice during his tour in France and Belgium, he returned briefly to England (August 8 to August 18, 1917, and March 23 to April 8, 1918). It is possible that the revolver was issued to him on one of those occasions. However, the greater probability is that the gun was privately purchased from the Canadian Government by Martin Bluethner upon his promotion to lieutenant. During the First World War it was customary for commissioned officers of the British and Canadian Armies to buy their personal sidearms from Government stores. This hypothesis seems to be supported by the title “Lt. M. H. Bluethner” inscribed on the underside of the holster flap. In all likelihood, the double broad arrow marking was stamped on the gun’s frame at the time of its purchase by Lt. Bluethner.
Reconstructing Martin Bluethner’s military career led to a natural curiosity about his life following the War. Also there was the question of how his revolver and holster had found their way to a firearms СКАЧАТЬ