I'm wondering if the abbreviation for Corporal, "Cpl" and for Colonel, "Col" couldn't easily be mixed up. Especially since "O" and "P" are right next to each other on the keyboard. (Or, maybe it was intentional???)
.32 Long M&P Arrived Today - Letter Update
- Thread starter AKtinman
- Start date
Benjamin W. Gally retired from the Marine Corps as a Brigadier General. He was a colonel on Iwo Jima.
"For the assault of Iwo Jima the 5th Marine Division created the 5th Shore Party Regiment with the Commanding Officer from the 16th Marines, Col Benjamin W. Gally as commander. It was composed of the 5th Pioneer Battalion and 31st Naval Construction Battalion.[3] The 5th Engineer Battalion was under Divisional control." (Taken from Wikipedia)
There was a law in effect that when an officer who had received (IIRC) a combat commendation was retired at the next higher rank. Gally was probably a colonel when he submitted his retirement papers.
"For the assault of Iwo Jima the 5th Marine Division created the 5th Shore Party Regiment with the Commanding Officer from the 16th Marines, Col Benjamin W. Gally as commander. It was composed of the 5th Pioneer Battalion and 31st Naval Construction Battalion.[3] The 5th Engineer Battalion was under Divisional control." (Taken from Wikipedia)
There was a law in effect that when an officer who had received (IIRC) a combat commendation was retired at the next higher rank. Gally was probably a colonel when he submitted his retirement papers.
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Green Frog
Member
This gun and its story just keep on getting better and better. I wonder whether Cpl Handel in his position as company clerk just handled the order and shipping for Maj Gally, his boss? If it didn't get to Norfolk until after the Cpl had already been transferred, I wonder how it would have been forwarded. Of course in those days it was a lot easier to ship guns wherever they needed to go.
Regardless, the M&P in 32 S&W L is the one revolver in the series that sets my amphibian heart racing. Nice find!
Froggie
Regardless, the M&P in 32 S&W L is the one revolver in the series that sets my amphibian heart racing. Nice find!
Froggie
Back in the '30s, the Marine Corps was VERY small and generally all of the officers knew each other. It wouldn't be hard to find Major Gally.
The SgtMajor would be able to track down Cpl Handel.
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I really enjoyed researching your revolver. Congratulations on a fantastic revolver. Only thing better would have been if I owned it!
OP
Thank you Don. The effort you and Roy put into researching and documenting our "finds" are a real asset to we S&W fans.
It is a bit humbling to have found such a jewel and to be its caretaker for a while.
Love the history behind these guns - if they could only talk! But the mystery is part of the appeal.
OP
Wow! Quite a story. Thanks for sharing.
Green Frog
Member
AKtinman, did you get any indication of where the gun had been recently? I assume that it was consigned to the auction house from somewhere, but any indication where it's been for the last 83 years?
Froggie
Froggie
DWalt
Member
That turned out to be exactly what I had expected. I would like to know why a Marine would want a .32 M&P.
Maybe for target shooting? The course of fire used to be .22, .32 or larger, and .45.
handejector
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He has good taste?
OP
No idea, Froggie.
The gun was sold by a gun shop in Madison, Mississippi and represented as having come from the estate of a "local collector." The collector must have been an interesting guy - the majority of the guns purported to be from this estate have been pre-war S&W and Colts, many having the original grips replaced by ivory, pearl, or bone/stag.
I checked the serial numbers of many of the older K-Frames in the auction over the past couple of months in the hope that the gun serial might match the mismatched grips on my gun and that gun might have the correct grips for this .32, but no joy.
As to where it has been? The gun came to me out of Mississippi.
SWSC's link to find-a-grave shows Alfred J. Handel buried in Seattle.
Colonel Benjamin W. Gally was advanced to Brigadier General upon his retirement and is buried in California.
Questions: Was Corporal Handel the actual buyer, or was he acting as the intermediary to receive the gun and pass it to the new owner?
Was Major Gally the intended recipient?
Were Corporal Handel and Major Gally participants in a plan to ultimately present this gun to a respected senior officer / enlisted man as a retirement gift?
Lots of what-if's.
I did not see any indication that either Corporal Handel or Major Gally were involved in competitive shooting, and if they had been, an adjustable sighted gun would have had more appeal.
CptCurl
Member
I missed this thread the first time around, but I really enjoyed it on its "letter rebound."
Congratulations on such a rare find. Like others, I'm envious.
Thanks for sharing.
Curly
Congratulations on such a rare find. Like others, I'm envious.
Thanks for sharing.
Curly
DWalt
Member
That was exactly what I figured. If either had been a competitive target shooter, the much more likely choice would have been to get a target model having adjustable sights, not a fixed-sight M&P. I suppose we can never know why a Marine would want such a pipsqueak revolver enough to have it special-ordered.
