K-31 Troop Tag Research

Machodoc · Feb 17, 2015

Sometimes you just get lucky if you try hard enough.

I posted elsewhere about doing research on the name that was on the troop tag under the buttplate of a K-31 that I recently bought. The name was apparently not a particularly common one, and Google turned up a photographer in Switzerland who had the same name. I figured that he might be a son, or other relative, so took a chance and wrote to him.

A couple of days later, I received a brief reply ... that it had been his father's rifle.

While I didn't want to ask too much of a stranger, I nevertheless felt compelled to ask if he might have a photo of his dad, so I could print a copy to keep with the rifle. After several days of waiting, and beginning to think that the fellow didn't want to be bothered, I got this reply from him today:

===================================

I remember very well this rifle. When I was a little boy, I helped my father (born 1918) every year to clean this rifle for the annual inspection. So it is not necessary for me to have a picture of the rifle, because I know it very well ...

My sister found two photos of my father in time of WWII. I am happy to send them to you.

Best regards,

Franz Schwendimann

===================================

You may have seen the troop tag that I posted elsewhere. This tag translates to:
Franz Schwendimann
born 1918
Platoon Number III of the heavy anti-aircraft battery number 40
stationed/lived Mellingen 1A6

Here's what his son and daughter sent to me ...

Mooseman · Feb 17, 2015

Very cool. That adds a very nice provenance to this rifle.

yellowsled · Feb 17, 2015

Freaking Awesome!

j_h_smith · Feb 17, 2015

That is cool. I would call the NRA to see if this story could be put into their magazine. This is really a one in a lifetime event.

Congrats!
Jim Smith

Melnic · Feb 17, 2015

Nice story.
I'm just not getting how they are selling/turning over family legacy. I would not want to ask directly but why are they selling their family firearms? Especially in a Pro Gun country?
If they have no family, I see that, but not when there is kin to pass them down to. Maybe I'm thinking too much about it.
Maybe we are only able to import 10% of what is really being held by civilians and 10% of what they have is alot of available C&R?

Machodoc · Feb 17, 2015

Melnic said:
Nice story.
I'm just not getting how they are selling/turning over family legacy. I would not want to ask directly but why are they selling their family firearms? Especially in a Pro Gun country?
If they have no family, I see that, but not when there is kin to pass them down to. Maybe I'm thinking too much about it.
Maybe we are only able to import 10% of what is really being held by civilians and 10% of what they have is alot of available C&R?

Some of these guns were privatized (to families), and sold by them to U.S. importers (or their agents), and some were military surplus. I believe that this one was military surplus, and never was owned by the family. As a member of what I assume to have been something like our National Guard, the soldiers would be issued rifles that they kept at home, but they were still government property--and they either had to be turned back in at some point, or they were purchased as surplus.

I know that when I go to that Big Gun Show in the Sky, my sons will each probably snag some of my firearms, but the rest will probably be sold off as needed to provide cash. That was the point. We're just custodians of these things for a time.

Also, how many of you have ended up with a nice rifle that belonged to someone's grandpa, but the grandchild sold it to you or to the LGS because they had more interest in buying 4 cartons of smokes (that actually happened to me) than they had an interest in the Enfield that grandpa got somewhere. It doesn't make sense to us, but it makes sense to them.

nobis1 · Feb 17, 2015

This brought a smile to my face. What a cool story. Agreed, I would send to the NRA with the families' permission.

CasualObserver · Feb 17, 2015

That is super cool. Shame they didn't have a picture of him with the rifle, but still super cool just the same. I've never pulled the butt plate from my k31 since it is a P rifle and I assumed it never saw service, but maybe I should just to be sure. These stories of folks finding family of those named on the tags is inspiring.

Abulg1972 · Feb 17, 2015

Great story!

Bertfish · Feb 18, 2015

Machodoc said:
Also, how many of you have ended up with a nice rifle that belonged to someone's grandpa, but the grandchild sold it to you or to the LGS because they had more interest in buying 4 cartons of smokes (that actually happened to me) than they had an interest in the Enfield that grandpa got somewhere. It doesn't make sense to us, but it makes sense to them.

Unfortunately this seems to happen pretty often. Some people just don't see it as a big deal. Sheesh, watch one episode of Pawn Stars and you'll see.

My Dad bought an A5 off of a guy who needed money. Although built in the 70s it was still one of his Grandpa's guns. Asked my Dad to hold it in case he could one day buy it back and that was about 25 years ago. Guess he didn't want it back that badly.

jkeiler · Feb 18, 2015

Very cool picture and story. Are you sure the troop tag didn't say "heavy AA battery?" That is not a light AA gun, though likely he was in more than one unit.

j_h_smith · Feb 18, 2015

Bertfish said:
Unfortunately this seems to happen pretty often. Some people just don't see it as a big deal. Sheesh, watch one episode of Pawn Stars and you'll see.

My Dad bought an A5 off of a guy who needed money. Although built in the 70s it was still one of his Grandpa's guns. Asked my Dad to hold it in case he could one day buy it back and that was about 25 years ago. Guess he didn't want it back that badly.

I have bought many firearms because people have needed money, with the understanding that they can come back for their firearm. Some come back for the firearm, others don't. I won't buy junk, but it's something I do for my friends and family. I give them fair market value, so don't think they're only being paid pennies on the dollar.

Jim Smith

Machodoc · Feb 18, 2015

jkeiler said:
Very cool picture and story. Are you sure the troop tag didn't say "heavy AA battery?" That is not a light AA gun, though likely he was in more than one unit.

Good question! I got the information for translating the tag from: http://www.swissrifles.com/sr/tags/

As luck would have it, their first example was similar to my tag, so I went with that. Did I miss something?

[EDIT: Yep ... looks like I did. "L. Flab" is "light anti-aircraft," and "Sch." or "Schw." (Flab) would be "heavy anti-aircraft."

Good catch!!

jkeiler · Feb 18, 2015

Machodoc said:
Good question! I got the information for translating the tag from: http://www.swissrifles.com/sr/tags/

As luck would have it, their first example was similar to my tag, so I went with that. Did I miss something?

[EDIT: Yep ... looks like I did. "L. Flab" is "light anti-aircraft," and "Sch." or "Schw." (Flab) would be "heavy anti-aircraft."

Good catch!!

Thanks, just a guess. But now that I see the troop tag it was definitely marked for a heavy (schwere) battery. I'd bet it also says FLAK which is the German for Flugabwerkannone (and of course where we get the term flak.) Possibly the Swiss note it differently, as Flugabwerbatterie (FLAB) but since it seems to show the abbreviation for battery afterwards it probably says Schwere FLAK Batterie III/40, which is likely Heavy AA Battery 3/gun #40 or possibly Battery 3/Battalion 40.

SmokeEaterPilot · Feb 19, 2015

Rarely do you find people get a "hit" on their K31. Very very cool Thanks for sharing!

iH8DemLibz · Feb 19, 2015

Jack Pot!

tomandjerry00 · Feb 20, 2015

That is incredible!!!!!

Abulg1972 · Feb 20, 2015

Machodoc said:
Good question! I got the information for translating the tag from: http://www.swissrifles.com/sr/tags/

As luck would have it, their first example was similar to my tag, so I went with that. Did I miss something?

[EDIT: Yep ... looks like I did. "L. Flab" is "light anti-aircraft," and "Sch." or "Schw." (Flab) would be "heavy anti-aircraft."

Good catch!!

I love that you got a picture of him manning the AA gun. The picture that was sent to me by the son of the rifle's owner just shows him with his ugly horse when he was a dragoon.

falconguy · Feb 20, 2015

That is so cool. One of my K31 rifles has a tag. I think I'll research it.

toolness1 · Feb 20, 2015

Thats awesome, pics are sweet too.

Glad he didn't have to use that anti-aircraft gun on any Luftwaffe back in his day.

K-31 Troop Tag Research

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