First Registered Magnum

22hipower · #1 07-06-2018, 12:15 PM

The S&W letter arrived yesterday. As my original post had gotten a bit long I’ll start a new one to share the letter and additional information. Not a lot of new information about the gun but it does confirm the rear sight as a “King white outline square notch.” Some of you may have recognized it as a King rear sight but I had not. Had hoped the letter would show the gun shipping to an individual member of C Battery 144th FA but it actually went to McDonald & Linforth Co., San Francisco, CA. As C Battery was in Santa Barbara in 1937 it is reasonable that the men who were buying a gun for their commander would shop in San Francisco.

Google didn’t reveal much about McDonald & Linforth but I did find one other Registered Magnum (#2420) that had shipped to them in addition to #3072 and the second one in the shipment referred to in the S&W letter.

I’ll request information from the S&W Historical Foundation but don’t expect to find anything other than possibly the invoice and original order. Probably won’t uncover anything too exciting as we know it went first to McDonald & Linforth and likely from there to a member of C Battery and then to CAPT Harold O (Oscar) Welch upon his departure from C Battery in December 1937.

Our focus here on the forum is pretty much about the gun; and we may now know about all we’re going to know about the gun itself, but there is a bit more to the story about the recipient of #3072 and the men who gave it to him. I’ll make a couple more posts here and I hope you enjoy this part of the story as much as the gun itself.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

22hipower · #2 07-06-2018, 12:19 PM

Harold Welch’s military story began in April of 1917 when as an eighteen year old he volunteered for service in WWI; entered the army (California National Guard) as a private in the field artillery and left as a corporal on 28 November 1918 after the war ended. I’ve not been able to find any details of his WWI experience but did find the “History of the 144th FA, 2nd Bn” from 1940 that notes California’s 144th had been known in WWI as the “Grizzlies” and served in action in France (near Metz) and in Germany in the army of Occupation. We don’t know whether Corporal Welch was with them but it is quite possible that he was.

Later records show Welch commissioned as a 2LT in October 1932, promoted to 1LT in December of 1933 and to CPT in April 1936 as the Commander of the Battery C, 144th Field Artillery. It was on his departure from C Battery in December of 1937 that he was given #3072 by his men.

The 1940 census records show Welch in Santa Barbara working for the US Department of Forestry and military records indicate that by 3 February 1941 he was a major in the California National Guard Field Artillery.

The 144th FA Regiment was activated in August of 1940 and mobilized in March 1941 arriving at Fort Lewis, Washington that same month. In February 1943 the regiment became the 144th FA Group and was then redesignated as two separate battalions, the 980th and the 981st. By this time Major Welch has been promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and takes command of the 980th FA Battalion. The unit was equipped with 155mm guns, the newly fielded and upgraded M1 heavy artillery piece. The 980th began to prepare for war, training at Fort Lewis (and Yakima Training Area), California desert, and Fort Leonard Wood, MO in August 1943.

Group picture is the144th FA at Fort Lewis in 1943 before being redesignated as the 980th and 981st FA Battalions. Note the largest part of the formation is in the shape of a bear. LTC Welch is undoubtedly in the picture (perhaps the 9th from the left in the first row) as are likely some of the men from C Battery who presented him with #3072 in 1937.

The second picture is the only one I found of the insignia of the 144th FA.

The third picture is of LTC Welch, commander 980th FA Bn, on maneuvers in the California desert. This is the only picture found of LTC Welch.

4th picture; details of the M1 155mm Artillery piece

Jeff
SWCA #1457

Valmet · #3 07-06-2018, 12:20 PM

That’s a beautiful Registered Magnum- def a gun deserving of a letter. I’m like a kid at Xmas when S&W letters have arrived at my house. Interesting info about Mr Welch as well...

22hipower · #4 07-06-2018, 12:23 PM

On November 21, 1943 the 980th moved to Camp Miles Standish, MA and embarked from Boston on 28 December 1943 arriving in Liverpool in January 1944. The unit trained in Basingstoke, England through May of 1944 and joined the D Day invasion forces on June 6th with B Battery landing on UTAH beach at 0900. It was the first heavy artillery to arrive and the first to fire on the enemy in support of the 4th Infantry Division on D day. This information was of particular interest as my father-in-law also landed at UTAH with the 4th ID.

The 980th went on to support the invasion through France, Belgium and Germany involved in many battles including the Battle of the Bulge. According to the unit history it was the first heavy artillery to fire on the German homeland. The unit history for the European campaign is 60 pages long and includes a great amount of detail about day to day activities. LTC Welch was the commander throughout the campaign relinquishing command only at the end of the war when he was transferred to command an artillery group. As of 15 March 1945 the 980th had fired 65,688 155mm artillery rounds in combat.

I was fortunate to find the memoirs and pictures of two of the enlisted men who were members of the 980th’s from formation of the unit at Fort Lewis to the end of the war. These pictures are of Corporal Marvin Snyder who was a medic; who didn’t like to wear his helmet as he thought “the cross presented too much of a target.” He also brought back the only picture of LTC Welch.

Another soldier, Horace Carter, recounted stories of the 980th to his family who recorded them at WW2.com forum. One of his memories seems appropriate for this post: “We didn't have too much troubles except for sometimes we got ahead of the infantry 'cause the Colonel was kind of a hot shot. He was called on the floor by the Corp Commander, who told him the field artillery was behind the lines, they wasn't ahead of the lines-if he wanted to be a lieutenant in the infantry to get ahead of the lines once more.” I didn’t find anything in the official history to corroborate this story but there were many comments about LTC Welch going to the front, often only with a driver, to identify future observation posts and HQ CP locations. Also included are numerous comments about being strafed by enemy aircraft, machine gunned, and sniped at by enemy forces. Clearly Welch’s intent was to keep his unit positioned close to the action and the units he was supporting to insure effective fire from his batteries.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

22hipower · #5 07-06-2018, 12:24 PM

At the end of WWII LTC Welch remained on active duty but not much is known of what he did although he is noted as being at Ft. Sill at the artillery school in 1946. We know he participated in the Korean War and was promoted to full Colonel but so far I’ve found few details although there is a reference to him as commander of the 7th Transportation Brigade and as the commander of the Port of Pusan in 1955.

Colonel Welch retired in 1959 and I’ve found no further information other than he died, much too soon, little more than a year later on 13 December 1960. I’ve sent a request to the National Records Office for service records but I don’t know what if anything will be provided. I suspect there were awards and decorations from his long career but the only ones I’ve found were the Silver Star for WWII and the French Order of the Armee Croix de Guerre with Palm for “heroic deeds in combat” in February 1945.

It is a privilege and an honor to, for awhile, be the caretaker of the gun that the men of CAPT Welch’s C Battery 144th FA felt was a fitting way to honor his leadership. I wish I had known him.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

S&W ucla · #6 07-06-2018, 02:43 PM

Great gun AND history! His men thought a lot of him, $60.00 was about a months pay during WWII. Sounds like a great display at symposium next year!

Jtown · #7 07-06-2018, 04:07 PM

22hipower you certainly have done your homework on Col. Welch.
Nice gun, great post
Walt

EarlB · #8 07-06-2018, 04:14 PM

You got a great revolver there that belonged to a true hero that served his country thru 2 World Wars and Korea. So often we know nothing of who owned our keepsakes but you are blessed to know. Great find!

Green Frog · #9 07-06-2018, 05:13 PM

In a word, AWESOME! I enjoy reading military history and historical fiction, and your telling of this man's life and career read like the best of both. With more detail it would be worthy of a book! Hats off to you and the Colonel.

Froggie

PS My dad was also @ Utah beach, with the Navy. He made three runs in on D-Day as the motorman on a Higgins Boat (the landing craft) and many more on the days after.

Thinnes · #10 07-06-2018, 11:10 PM

Great work Jeff! The gun is awesome and the story even better. I hope you continue your research. I would much rather read about the history than read about a broken strain screw. I wrote an article about my Grampa and his Registered Mag and Dillinger
for the S&W Journal that I hope gets published. If you care to read it I can email it to you. We are the keepers of history- the guns AND the men. You are fortunate to have a gun with great provenance. Keep going! Dave

RKmesa · #11 07-07-2018, 10:44 AM

Great gun and story. Thanks for sharing,

MelvinWalker · #12 03-02-2024, 12:16 PM

I think I may be able to fill in some blanks on Colonel Harold O. Welch. This is from a 1952 Oklahoma newspaper article that lists someone of this name and rank of Colonel as Inspector at Fort Sam Houston for the 4th Army? The rank and time period work out.

ETA...I found his newspaper obituary from The Sacramento Bee on December 16th 1960 listing his death on 14 Dec...

Also, Just before WW2, a March 06, 1941 from Lawton, OK of him as a 144th FA Major at the time taking a Field Artillery course with names of other officers taking it with him at the time...This would tie in with him possibly being stationed in OK from the first article after WW2 but before Korea.

Also, posted is an account from a PFC in the 980th F.A during D Day and Cherbourg to his family in South Dakota. It lists LT COL Welch as the field commander during this battle.

...And finally, his transfer from Fort Sill in 1950 listing him as a veteran of both WW1 and WW2 in the Field Artillery.

22hipower · #13 03-02-2024, 01:15 PM

That was him indeed. Thanks for adding those newspaper clippings. The 980th was one of the two FA battalions formed when the 144FA, a California National Guard unit, was phased out and converted to two active army FA battalions. He was in Korea too although I haven't found much about that service.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

MelvinWalker · #14 03-02-2024, 01:28 PM

One more with a picture of Colonel Welch in March 1951 preparing for an instruction class.

Keith Brown · #15 03-02-2024, 04:46 PM

Jeff, that’s a treasure right there, and I love the history you’ve accumulated. Possibly a one gun display at the upcoming symposium?