After the War

b.loree

b.loree

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So, I picked up this picture years ago at an auction held at a neighbours house. Turns out he was a WW1 CEF veteran who also ended up in Europe with our forces during WW 2. His name was Tom Kirk, I have his paybook and a couple of pictures which I will probably post even though they are CEF. However, the picture below is a true testimony of what happened to helmets apres la guerre and why so many kokarden, chin straps, spike tops etc are missing from our beloved spikey hats:


Can anyone ID the automatic? Toy or real?
 
Based on the size I'm going to say a toy. There were Dick Tracey and other radio programs in the late 1920s and 1930s, as well as early comic books that became popular and resulted in some of the first licenses for toys.
 
I agree with Peter, the ridge on the top of the barrel does not fit any pistol I am familiar with and the centered opening looks like where the cap roll would emerge, cartridges were ejected to the side (either right or left) to avoid the spent case hitting the shooter.
 
Thanks Pete and Gus for your analysis of the cap gun. We did have fun with those back in the day. Don't know if they make them any more. thanks for the comment James. I am sure you too are feeling winter creeping up on us out there in MN. :(
 
I remember spending many hours blasting away roll after roll of caps against my brother and cousin in the storage area under my cousin's house. The air would be thick with wafting smoke!

I guess the politically correct brigade have banned such psychologically damaging 'toys' these days...
 
Yes, the cap guns we played with are now condemned to the tables of antique dealers. I don't think you could buy "ammo" anyway. You know you are getting old when you see your toys for sale in antique stores. :(
 
Tom Kirk 2nd Batt CEF who also fought in WW2 with the RCEME (Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers) in Holland. This is the gentleman who brought back that ersatz tin pickelhaube shown in the first picture. The child wearing the pickelhaube is probably his son who still lives in the Barrie area. As any collector would, having bought these items at auction in a neighbour's house and seen that haube in the foto, I reached for the phone book and called the only Kirk in the book. The son had no knowledge of what had happened to the helmet unfortunately.


This is a great pic, taken close to the front. We seldom see pictures of individual armed CEF soldiers. Take note: Webley revolver and lanyard, early gas protection, a missing chunk out of the Brodie, Lewis gunner badge above the lance corporal stripe. The LG badge explains this individual being issued with the Webley. The reason why I know Kirk served in WW 2 which is hard to believe, is that there were RCEME patches, a badge, pictures and souvenir items from Holland amongst the things that I bought. Last, a head and shoulders framed pencil sketch of him wearing a WW 2 tin hat with RCEME shoulder flash.
 
Great search Brian! And I would guess the two other kids on the original photo are brothers: they have amazingly similar facial features.
 
Good point Bruno, obviously brothers with those round chubby visages! The kid in the middle is obviously Kirk's son, why else, would he have kept the picture? I am going to revisit his pay book and that charcoal sketch which I have on my wall to post some additional photos. The sketch is signed and years ago I showed it to the head of my Art Dept at the time but he had never heard of the artist and a net search yielded no results either. I also have a copy of Tom's attestation papers. He deserves to be remembered.
 
911car said:
Great search Brian! And I would guess the two other kids on the original photo are brothers: they have amazingly similar facial features.
Click to expand...

They probably fought in Europe twenty years later, too.
 
As promised some additional photos of the Tom Kirk pieces:

As stated in this pay book,Tom was attested Sept 21 1914. He would have gone overseas with the first contingent of Canadians. His Battalion the 2nd, was recruited from Eastern Ontario, those counties close to the Quebec border. The battalion sailed Oct 3rd/14 with a strength of 45 officers and 1,098 Other Ranks under the command of Col D. Watson. The Battalion served in France and Belgium with the 1st Infantry Brigade, 1st Canadian Division. It was disbanded Sept 15, 1920.


Another more typical soldier picture of Tom. As stated in the Pay Book this was a newly issued book issued Feb 1st 1917. He was paid $1.15 per day as a L/Cpl. The first entry in the book is Feb 15 1917 and he is in Sandling which has to be in England, I believe he had been wounded. He is back in the field Oct 4, 1917.




The WW 2 charcoal sketch of Tom done by artist James Klappis:


One last photo of Tom taken against the same background as the first but a different day. Tom does not look as happy as in picture #1. This time the Webley is drawn, gas mask in the ready position and you can see his Div patch for the 2nd Batt....Green half circle over a red rectangle. The 1st CN Division, was known as the "Red Patch" Div. They spearheaded the Canadian attacks in the "Last 100 Days" and defeated 1/3 of the German Army which was thrown against them. Hitler's later claim that the army had been stabbed in the back was so much BS. They were beaten and on the run, that's why they caved and sued for peace.

The Canadians were used as shock troops by the Brits or as the Germans called theirs..... Storm Truppen.
 
b.loree said:
So, I picked up this picture years ago at an auction held at a neighbours house. Turns out he was a WW1 CEF veteran who also ended up in Europe with our forces during WW 2. His name was Tom Kirk, I have his paybook and a couple of pictures which I will probably post even though they are CEF. However, the picture below is a true testimony of what happened to helmets apres la guerre and why so many kokarden, chin straps, spike tops etc are missing from our beloved spikey hats:


Can anyone ID the automatic? Toy or real?
Click to expand...

Incredible photo!
 
b.loree said:
Yes, the cap guns we played with are now condemned to the tables of antique dealers. I don't think you could buy "ammo" anyway. You know you are getting old when you see your toys for sale in antique stores. :(
Click to expand...

http://www.capgunstore.com/CAPS-for-Cap-Guns_c9.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 
Thanks Ron, problem is if you were using these in your cap pistol some neighbour would call the cops and you could be arrested or shot out of hand. The additional charge of course would be terrorist. Probably just as well that my 2 gun/holsters Roy Rogers set is long gone. :)
 
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