WW1 German pistol appeal after firearms amnesty find
- Published
The gun was handed in during a firearms amnesty
A museum is appealing for information about a World War One German pistol handed in during a firearms amnesty.
The 1911 Luger pistol, given to Wiltshire Police, is believed to have been taken as a souvenir during the 1917 tank advance at Cambrai in France.
Police have donated the weapon to the Tank Museum in Bovington, Dorset.
Curator David Willey said: "We'd love to trace the family that it belonged to so we can perhaps find the records of the man who brought it home."
The 1908-model Pistole Parabellum, commonly known as a Luger, has a leather holster with the inscription: "Souvenir of the Big Advance at Cambrai November 1917. To Alice from HUD, Jany 21 - 18."
An inscription is etched into the leather of the gun's holster
Museum curator David Willey said: "The Battle of Cambrai on 20 November was a hugely important moment in the history of the Royal Tank Regiment and is still celebrated today.
"It was the first ever large-scale and effective use of tanks in warfare, with almost 400 fighting tanks that advanced without any prior bombardment so the enemy had no warning."
After advancing for about six miles, the British were halted and later the Germans launched a counter-attack.
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"This gun was probably captured by a British soldier during that incredible advance," Mr Willey said.
"To be able to identify the soldier would be wonderful, and means we have another story to tell to our visitors."
The model was the German Army's most widely issued gun during World War One, when more than two million were produced.