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WW2 Image 1928A1 US Army Airborne


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Does anyone have any info on this interesting photo and possibly a better copy? A unique caption with airborne soldiers with a 1928A1, usually most images of these guys are with M1 / M1A1's.

It also has modified front vertical grip, a modified 2 - mag setup and also what appears to be a canvas strap for I assume keeping the mag supported or in place through the rigorous jump effects.

Also, cant quite see due to picture quality but the stock might have the re-enforcing bolt. If someone finds a clearer pic and confirms this, first war era photo with the re-enforcing bolt (on a 1928A1) seen.

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I found this article with the picture in it https://www.google.com/amp/warfarehistorynetwork.com/daily/wwii/shot-down-behind-enemy-lines-an-82nd-airborne-sticks-survival-at-market-garden/amp/

 

I also found a caption for the picture stating that they are from the 504th PIR and the picture was taken on September 17 1944 during Operation Market Garden

Edited by 1952HRA
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Nice picture.

 

Lots of 1928 Thompsons were used my paratroopers. Many Airborne units were activated and armed BEFORE the M1 or M1A1 was introduced or made available in large numbers for issue. You see most M1 and M1A1 Thompsons in use by D-Day and after, but there were 7 individual jumps conducted before Operation Overlord. There were three jumps in North Africa, Two jumps in Sicily, and Two jumps in Italy during 1943. Most of these guys were issued the M1928A1 with both the earlier finned barrel/Lyman sight and the smooth barrel/L-sight configurations. I have a ton of photos saved that I have discovered documenting the TSMG in use by paratroops before Overlord. I posted many of them here on this board when I was badgering members for parts for a dummy build; in an attempt to give back to the community in some way.... A simple search should yield the threads. I will post a few here because I like to share my research.

 

As for this photo, it makes sense that an 82nd trooper would modify his gun so extensively. The 82nd conducted twice as many jumps as the 101st, and had many more veteran members who had fought in Sicily and Italy. The entire 504th Regiment was held for mountain fighting in Italy while the buildup for D-Day occured, and these veterans were pulled back to England just before the D-Day jump and held as a tactical reserve because the unit was quite tired from the hard fighting in Italy. Not to say the 504th guys shirked from the Normandy fight- many of them volunteered for pathfinder duty or found ways to get attached to the 505th, or the fresh 507th and 508th PIRs to lend combat experience to the green units for overlord. I digress. Most of these guys used M1928 guns, some swapped tired or shot out guns for fresh M1s in time for Normandy.

 

The pick you have if from Market garden, where the 504th did jump into combat. Maybe that is who these guys are? Combat experience lends to greater freedom in equipment modification in these WWII airborne units, and you see more seasoned guys utilize the more strange and unique modifications because they know what works and their officers let them do their thing because they knew it was effective.

 

The cross bolt stock is cool because the guy has an adjustable Lyman sight. Interesting. Maybe it was a replacement of field added improvement? Lots of guys ditched their M1928A1 shoulder stocks in favor of a stock-less sub gun in combat. Again- just speculation but this photo shows the "purists" who poo poo bolted stocks that they had just as a valid a place in history as non bolt stocks.

 

I'm going to start adding photos so bear with me.

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I found a better copy of the photo you originally posted in my archives. Hopefully it will be higher quality for detail identification:

 

Who does getty images think they are?

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Here is the (now) famous Carwood Lipton of E/506 101st Airborne standing with his back to the camera in Holland, with an early 1928A1 slung over his shoulder. I think this was taken in Eindhoven. The HBO mini series shows him with an M1 Garand. They has that, and a few other things wrong.

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Now, moving back in time further to Normandy we have Capt. Frank Lillyman who commanded the 101st Pathfinders (dude in my avatar photo) with a M1928A1 in Carentan, Normandy. Lillyman was a legend who had no problem telling it like it was, and he earned a reputation as a smart-ass in his unit. His CO, Lt. Col Mosley called him an "arrogant smart ass" and "volunteered" him fr pathfinder duty to get him out of his unit. I guess Lillyman realized like all proper gangster bad-asses he needed a 1928 Tommygun. He would become famous for pioneering pathfinder tactics and being one of the first men into Normandy on D-Day.

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Here is a well known photo from Normandy. These are two guys from the 82nd Airborne, both with separate TSMG variants. Plus a bunny.

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Edited by R67
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Here are two members of the 505th PIR, of the 82nd Airborne, somewhere in England with Late 1928A1 TSMGs. I presume this was taken during the build up for Normandy.

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Moving further back in time to the Sicilian campaign. Here is a member of Company E, 505th PIR, Otis L Sampson taken during the clearing of a Sicilian town by a local photographer.

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Another from the same image set, taken same day, by the same photographer. This is PFC Orlando H Manning of the 504th PIR.

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Here is a really cool photo showing the combat layout of a trooper before he jumped into Sicily. You can see the ULTRA rare AAF ammunition pouch for TSMG mags in the photo. Airborne guys used AAF ammo pouches early in the war. I am pretty sure these do not exist any more. Maybe the rarest TSMG canvas item of all time.

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The guy on the left has one of these AAf ammo pouches on his hip. Also the butt of his TSMG is barley visible. I bet it is a M1928A1. Their names are file name, but I am not sure in which order. DAMN my attempts to stay organized.

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Moving further back to Africa, the photos grow less and less available but evidence does confirm the use of M1928A1s in Africa by the 2/503rd Parachute Infantry Battalion, the first Airborne unit to jump into combat. Here is a film reel still of the battalion before their second jump into Youks Les Bains, Algeria.

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The unit trained extensively with the English Paratroopers before they jumped their first jump near Oran on the Sebkha d'oran salt flats. Here is a dude with a STEN!!!! Crazy. But here is the photo.

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While I appreciate purists and collectors for what they do or try to do when making or changing a firearm back to its original factory condition, in reality the firearm or military Collectable for that matter very rarely stayed factory for long. To me, a GI mismatched Thompson is just as original if not more so then a factory gun that never saw action. If some of you folks knew what we do to our gear in the Marines you would be appalled from a collectors perspective. I laugh to myself when enthusiasts claim when that was never done like that back then when I can show them photographic evidence that says otherwise. I still use the old M16 bayonet in the field even after we stopped issuing them over 15 years ago. Go figure. Edited by halftrack
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The best image I have found of the 2/503 in their combat equipment they would have used in North Africa come from a LIFE photo shoot conducted while the First lady, Eleanor Roosevelt visited the unit in England before they shipped out to North Africa. The unit was the first American combat unit to train in England, and became somewhat of a press attraction while they were there. The first lady was one of many dignitary to visit the American Paratroops. Churchill also visited them around this time.

 

Look at the sexy sexy AAF ammo pouch this guy has on his belt.

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The last photo I will share is a photo of the 509th PIB sometime in 1944. This is Dick Fisco, who was somewhat of a legend in the 509th showing off his fighting stance. He had a modification to this TSMG like in the original photo you posted. I believe this was taken before or shortly after the Operation DRAGOON jump into Southern Frnce in August of 1944.

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R67,

THANKS for the post of the better image. Its quite unique in its own right considering the personal touch provided by the user. Very Cool, it confirms that the cross bolt mod was being utilized during the war years instead of much later or after the war. As far as I know, and Ive been searching for years, this is the only war time image depicting a 28A1 with the stock mod. All the other image contributions are greatly appreciated, some I haven't seen before

Thanks Again, Cheers

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The timeline seems to have gone something like this: The M1928A1 is produced and issued in quantity. M1s and M1A1s are produced and issued, while '28A1s are no longer produced. There's some overlap in unit use between the '28A1 and later models. Then, Thompsons are withdrawn from front line service, to be replaced by the M-3. Some guys were fond of their TSMGs and kept them until the end of the war, and their units allowed it. Simple.

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The timeline seems to have gone something like this: The M1928A1 is produced and issued in quantity. M1s and M1A1s are produced and issued, while '28A1s are no longer produced. There's some overlap in unit use between the '28A1 and later models. Then, Thompsons are withdrawn from front line service, to be replaced by the M-3. Some guys were fond of their TSMGs and kept them until the end of the war, and their units allowed it. Simple.

 

Thats combat infantry for you. If it works, you use it. I just read about two 101st guys who jumped into Normandy with M1 carbines and hated them. They swapped them for a BAR and a Thompson as soon as possible.

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The Thompson wasn't withdrawn with the standardization of the M3. Rather, it was declared "Limited Standard", meaning it was to be used until supplies were exhausted. It wasn't withdrawn until much later.

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Getting back to that original photo i cannot see any way the second mag is actually attached to the first mag?? Also the feed end is jammed up into receiver section in front of the mag well?? Im thinking this set up would be somewhat finicky to transfer mags.

I can't see how the mag is attached to the other mag but the mag change wouldn't be difficult because the second mag is upside-down so you would only have to flip the mag 180 to put it in the gun

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