I would ask my Great Grand father he is dead, never met him. He brought loads of stuff back.
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"Capture Papers" are really not that at all....they are customs documents.
Here is an excerpt from the October 1945 issue of the American Rifleman concearning these documents:
"Shipping "Liberated" Weapons Home"
......"when military personnel returning to the United States bring in trophies not prohibited..., each person must have a certificate in duplicate, signed by his superior commissioned officer, and bearing appropriate official theater stamp indicating that the bearer is officially authorized by the theater commander, under the provisions of this circular, to retain as his personal property the articles listed on the certificate. The signed duplicate certificate will be taken up by an officer of the port of embarkation...or by the Customs Bureau of military authorities at the port of debarkation. The original will be retained by the bearer......Parcels mailed from overseas which contain war trophies must also contain a certificate in duplicate, both copies signed by the sender's superior commissioned officer, and bearing appropriate official theater stamp indicating that the sender is officially authorized by the theater commander to mail the articles listed on the certificate. The Customs Bureau will take up the signed duplicate certificate and leave the signed original inside the parcel."
So....they don't have anything to do with confiscation of military weapons. Just old school gun control. Most of the vets just brought their stuff home and didn't worry about documention.
Since you don't have a duplicate of your document....most likely it was indeed mailed home and went through the above process.
R.BlueComment
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Roscoe.
That's an interesting glimpse into the past that is not often seen.
Thanks for that.
It was said that Americans fought for "souveniers", while the Brits fought
for the Queen, and so on....
War trophies is a thing of the past, probably not seen by the individual
solider since Vietnam/Korea, huh ???
I haven't heard of any Gulf War Vets bringing back 'war trophy" firearms.
Has any else ???
-AndrewComment
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As a matter of fact there are some that are bringing them back. I've seen pistols with this type of paperwork from the Gulf war and from the present war in Iraq.
Also they can bring home firearms that were made pre-1898 I think...Martini Henry's and muskets etc. There are lots of these type guns in the region because of the British influence.
As far the modern stuff goes....I guess you have to be someone pretty high up to do it but I know that it's being done. It's really a crock of you know what....if a soldier can't be trusted to posses in civilian life what he uses daily in his line of work...well...that is something of an insult. For example....they can't bring home a Browning H.P but they can come home on leave and purchase a Browning H.P. at a local gun store. Madness.
R.B.Comment
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Do people ever have the duplicate of the certificate? I have a duplicate of my Grandpas P38.
P.S, earlier on in the Gulf War you could bring guns home(Tariq pistols are rare guns, but they are around, and I have seen a makarov with Iraqi proofs on it, with a customs paper.Comment
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Roscoe.
That is interesting. It does not make sense to me either, but then again...
Josh.
I suppose it is possible to have both signed copies of the papers, if one was not collected by the officials. Maybe that is 'more' collectible, I'm not sure...
Thanks Guys. Informative as always.
-Andrew
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It's not unusual to find them with the duplicate...I have a couple that way.
R.B.Comment
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