British Contract Colt New Service .455 Webley WWI Revolver/AEF service

March 2, 2023

Here are photos of my Colt New Service .455 Webley pistol which was 1 of 500 shipped to the London Armoury Company on December 26, 1916. It has a very interesting service history since it has British and Canadian Army acceptance, proof and property marks and AEF acceptance cartouche on the grip and stamp on the bottom of back strap. Still shoots flawlessly after almost 100 years!

Got this interesting reply recently: George: You have a wonderful example of the Colt .455 model. The markings leave no doubt it was issued to members of the AEF. Do you have any specific questions for us to research?

Jerry Schmidt, volunteer
Edward Jones Research Center Attendant
National World War I Museum and Memorial
2 Memorial Drive| Kansas City, MO | 64108
Desk: 816-888-8142
research@theworldwar.org

(From "Borrowed Soldiers, Americans Under British Command , 1918 " by Mitchell A.Yockelson) When General Pershing was asked by the British and the French to amalgamate small units of American soldiers into his allies armies to relieve their depleted manpower, he refused, as he and President Wilson believed that only through the actions of a separate and autonomous American army could the United States achieve its political and diplomatic goals. Pershing accommodated the British by "loaning" them the 27th and the 30th Infantry Divisions, organized into II Corps. This book is the story of those divisions, how they were raised, trained and fought under British and Australian tutelage. The AEF soldiers were equipped with British small arms and accoutrements and that's probably how this revolver wound up with the AEF.