Igor's P-38

[Murdock]

The soldier who brought this P-38 back was PFC Igor Belousovich, of the 69th Infantry Division. On April 25, 1945 he was a member of one of the three patrols sent to make contact with the approaching Soviet Red Army at the Elbe river.

Igor's father had been a White Russian cavalry officer, and later a pilot in the Czar's air force. The Russian Revolution convinced him to seek more favorable career opportunities in America. Igor was raised speaking perfect Russian, and was the only one on the patrol able to communicate with the Soviets. He was also the only one with a camera. The photos frequently shown in the press on the anniversay of the first contact with the Soviets are all Igor's.

If you want to fall down a rabbit hole, simply google Igor Belousovich 69th Infantry Division, or Igor Belousovich, US State Department. Some of the information that comes up is Russian propaganda, and the English translations are awkward in places. Lots of good photos, though.

Igor had a dry sense of humor. When I asked him how he came into possession of this P-38 he said, "I got it from a German soldier. He didn't object."

The gun is a Spreewerke product, rather than the Walther or Mauser variety, showing typically rougher wartime finish compared to the guns produced by the other two arms plants. Not too bad though, given it was produced by Polish slave labor in Czechoslovakia. Serial number places it as made in December, 1942. The holster also shows a 1942 date of production.

The gun came to me unexpectedly through my personal relationship with Igor Belousovich and his family. It was offered to me after Igor passed, but at the time I advised the family to keep it among themselves. Over time it was offered to me again because no one in the family had an interest in keeping it, and they knew I valued my relationship with Igor, and the history it represents.

I would appreciate any advice or recommendation from some of the advanced collectors who are members here on how to best manage my custodianship of this pistol.

The photos below show a bit about Igor and his pistol. Please note the photo of a "just glad to be alive" 23-year-old PFC Belousovich on the back of a Sherman tank with some buddies in late April or early May 1945. He's wearing the holstered pistol in that photo.

 

[Murdock]

Igor's father, originally a cavalry officer, became a pilot in the Czar's air force. (There's a great photo of him in the family's album of the young officer climbing into a biplane). The Russian Revolution changed the young officer's career plans. He traveled to Siberia, where he met and married Igor's mother. They later traveled to China, and Igor was born in Shanghai. While a small child the family emigrated to San Francisco, where there was a substantial Russian expat community, which was close knit. Even as the kids were assimilated into American life, the adults conducted private cultural and history history lessons, so Igor always spoke Russian like any other Russian of his generation.

Igor attended UC San Fancisco, but WWII interrupted that. The US Army sent the young man to Syracuse University (coincidentally, my alma mater) to enhance his Russian language ability, which proved to be unnecessary, so he was taught German instead. By 1944 the US Army decided they needed shooters more than talkers, so Igor was sent to the 69th infantry division as a rifleman.

The 69th entered the ETO in late 1944, and got to Le Havre in time to participate in the end of the Battle of the Bulge in January 1945. From there the division progressed across Belgium and Germany fairly rapidly, until halting to await the approching Red Army.

As discussed above Igor was a member of one of the three patrols that met the Reds on 25 April 1945. He was included on the patrol -- and given a place in history -- because somebody remembered there was a young rifleman in a subordinate unit with a Russian surname, who maybe spoke Russian.

The photos below show the US Customs declaration listing the souvenirs soldiers were bringing back, with the P-38 at the top of the list, and a brief write-up by Igor's eldest daughter about how he actually obtained the pistol. Photos of the covers of two books relating to the join-up at the Elbe are also shown. They either mention Igor or have sections written by him.

After the war Igor went back to UC San Francisco. He was given a commission in the Army Reserve after obtaining his college degree, and ultimately retired as a Lt. Colonel of intelligence. His "day job" and career was in the US State Department, where he was a Kremlinologist for over 40 years.

 

[mikerjf]

Fascinating! The only advice I have to offer is, any provenance/supporting items for something with this historical significance are best collected *now*. Family statements, etc.

 

[Golddollar]

I would appreciate any advice or recommendation from some of the advanced collectors who are members here on how to best manage my custodianship of this pistol.

Give it a rubdown with Break Free and take it out to play at least once a year.

 

[ameridaddy]

Wow! What a piece of provenance! Ask around your family to see if anyone will treasure it after you're gone. If not, find a museum you like who will give you a statement in writing that they will keep it and not sell it into obscurity to buy other things for their collection.

 

[rockquarry]

I'm not a 9mm advocate, but the P38 was always my favorite design for an excellent, safe, and accurate pistol. Newer pistols aren't necessarily an improvement.

 

[BAM-BAM]

Every time I see one of those the "Man from U.N.C.L.E." theme pops in my head.....showing my age!

 

[Murdock]

Give it a rubdown with Break Free and take it out to play at least once a year.

I'm thinking Ballistol rather than CLP, just to keep things Teutonic.

 

[Murdock]

The holster is interesting. There is a strap inside that runs from the flap down inside and under the pistol frame. When the flap is opened and held up with one hand, the pistol is lifted up just a tad to make it a bit easier to grasp. Igor's daughter said that the name of the German soldier who carried the gun had put his name on the back, but if so it's no longer obvious or legible. It might be a capital "K" and ends in 'r," or maybe they are just handling marks. They were not inscribed deeply. Igor stamped his own name inside the flap at some point.

There's probably another rabbit hole to fall down on holsters of that era.

 

[Rudi]

An outstanding rig! Is the extra mag. present? Some looking on the nets may turn one up. Best to be cyq marked as well. The jvd marked ones would also be correct, as they made nothing but replacement mags. for all makers. A great piece of history.

 

[charlie sherrill]

Wow! What a piece of provenance! Ask around your family to see if anyone will treasure it after you're gone. If not, find a museum you like who will give you a statement in writing that they will keep it and not sell it into obscurity to buy other things for their collection.

I never donate to museums. Like you say, they will sell it to buy something else. A loan is OK as long as you have it in writing. My son and I went to a local military museum yesterday and picked up an inert panzerfaust he had loaned them 13 years ago. Had it been donated I'm sure they would have sold it.

 

[Inusuit]

I never donate to museums. Like you say, they will sell it to buy something else. A loan is OK as long as you have it in writing. My son and I went to a local military museum yesterday and picked up an inert panzerfaust he had loaned them 13 years ago. Had it been donated I'm sure they would have sold it.

I'm the firearms historian for a state museum. I don't understand why museums get a bad rap. People are making incorrect assumptions based on ignorance of the museum policies. Our institution has a policy preventing the sale or deaccessioning of artifacts. Paperwork associated with donations can specify return to donor or prohibit disposal of the item. Of course it depends on the museum and their policies. Investigate those before making a donation.

I have given my father's firearms and other artifacts to different museums.

The other option is your beloved guns will be pawned by your grandchildren to get money for the latest version of a cell phone.

 

[2152hq]

Great History and P38 rig.
The condition is spectacular. The Spreewerk machining/finishing of '42 on that one doesn't look any different than that of an AC44 I have.

My Dad brought home a nice one. A 'Zero Series' Walther Banner pistol w/belt, holster. He was a Sherman driver in the 20th Armored.

One day he took it and pounded it into pieces in the garage
with a sledgehammer.

Maybe he didn't care for the wooden case I made for it.

 

[Greyman50]

I have donated to 2 local military museums. The one I thought the best turns out to be the Worst. Years ago I was offered a position on its board of directors, guess I should have taken it. Learned many items I donated just “ disappeared”. One they still have Was a 100% correct top tray of a WWIIUS footlocker. “Last month happened to go in to look at museum, some Idiot had put a shaving mug in the tray beside the tube of Barbasol a brushless shaving cream, go figure.. Also missing were the stone Mint A-shirts and drawers and socks……
The other museum has had several “ curators” that had certain “ issues” , when let go many items that did not belong to them disappeared.Guess I’ll just sell whats left….

 

[Murdock]

An outstanding rig! Is the extra mag. present? Some looking on the nets may turn one up. Best to be cyq marked as well. The jvd marked ones would also be correct, as they made nothing but replacement mags. for all makers. A great piece of history.

There are no marks of any kind on either magazine.

A second magazine came with the rig, as I understand was standard issue. The pistol is indeed marked "cyq" which is how I was able to trace it back to the Spreewerke plant in Czechoslovakia and determine its date of manufacture. Marks can be seen in the first set of photos. (e/88, Reichsadler, cyq Waffenampt code, etc.

Of the three plants that produced these, Spreewerke produced the fewest. Something like 280,000 of the over one million made during the war. It's also the only plant outside of Germany to produce a complete German weapon system. They also made 88mm flak guns.

 

[Hawg Rider]

My father brought back this Walther P-38 (marked "cyq", ca. late 1944-45) along with a Browning Modele 1922 pistol (Nazi marked, ca. 1940) and some swords, carbines, and rifle...he told me that he actually assembled the P-38 with matching parts off of the assembly line at the Spreewerke factory in Berlin-Spandau. Very rough finish late in the war. The P-08 holster is much earlier, but worth as much as the pistol these days!

 

[Krogen]

Oh my! What a fascinating person and firearm! Many of us have said "if only this gun could talk." You've had the opportunity to hear the story firsthand and to own the gun. Excellent thread; thank you!

 

[THE PILGRIM]

The first 1934 Beretta that I ever saw was a Bring Back from Italy.
It was given by an Uncle to some Cousins.
Years later when I asked about it nobody knew what happened to it!

 

[DWalt]

I remember when you could go into about any pawnshop in America and buy all the P-38s you wanted for $25 each. Same for Lugers. No exaggeration. Often including holsters. The only one I still have is a byf 44, near new condition. Has the soft holster. There were also hard holsters.

The first P-38 I fired belonged to one of my high school teachers who had brought it back from the war. He had no ammo, so I bought a box and we shot it all up in his back yard. Big thrill at the time.

 

[glenncal1]

NRA museum or the museum in Cody WY? I doubt they would sell it.