Audie Murphy Carbine

[jonnyo55]

I was channel surfing last night and came across a show on AHC called "Secrets of the Armory". Intrigued, I stuck around and one of their segments featured the carbine supposedly carried by Audie Murphy, now residing at the 3rd division museum. Looking as they passed it back and forth, I noticed the flat-bottom stock and "shouldered"*handguard. Hmm, Winchester, thought I, right down to the honey-colored stock. EARLY Winchester...flip sight, type 1 band. They then focused on the receiver stamping...WRA it is, S/N 1108573, IIRC. It was then that I noticed that the stock had been "low-wooded" (it is NOT factory low wood), and the front sight seemed to be of the stamped/brazed variety, though I didn't get a close enough look to verify this. The museum curator then went on to say how a sharp-eyed employee of the Anniston Arsenal had found it and sent it over to them.

Here's my question: Originally, I had thought that somebody in the 3rd division had put Audie's carbine off to the side in , say, 1945, after he had been awarded the CMH (among many other decorations). This, apparently, was not the case. Did the AA worker restore the piece to its original configuration, using the best available WRA parts, including the stock? Or, was "low-wooding" a common enough field modification that it could be substantially original?

Did anyone else see this? What was YOUR reaction?

[Tuna]

It very well could have been a field modified stock. They were know to crack or break with use. Lets face it if it is Murphy's carbine then it had a lot of use and this one may have done just that. The front sight should have been a type 1 milled sight.

[BruceHMX]

Did anyone see the carbine a while back on Auction Arms that Audie Murphy owned after the war? He had loaned it to another vet during the watts riots for protection.

Found it.
http://www.gunauction.com/buy/11647342/

[Tuna]

I wish people wouldn't use barrel dates to try and date a carbine. They say 12-42 but in reality it was early February 1943 time frame for it.

[PhillipM]

Audie's carbine stock was broken, but he wired it together because he liked it so much.

[Shooter5]

I was channel surfing last night and came across a show on AHC called "Secrets of the Armory". Intrigued, I stuck around and one of their segments featured the carbine supposedly carried by Audie Murphy, now residing at the 3rd division museum. Looking as they passed it back and forth, I noticed the flat-bottom stock and "shouldered"*handguard. Hmm, Winchester, thought I, right down to the honey-colored stock. EARLY Winchester...flip sight, type 1 band. They then focused on the receiver stamping...WRA it is, S/N 1108573, IIRC. It was then that I noticed that the stock had been "low-wooded" (it is NOT factory low wood), and the front sight seemed to be of the stamped/brazed variety, though I didn't get a close enough look to verify this. The museum curator then went on to say how a sharp-eyed employee of the Anniston Arsenal had found it and sent it over to them.

Here's my question: Originally, I had thought that somebody in the 3rd division had put Audie's carbine off to the side in , say, 1945, after he had been awarded the CMH (among many other decorations). This, apparently, was not the case. Did the AA worker restore the piece to its original configuration, using the best available WRA parts, including the stock? Or, was "low-wooding" a common enough field modification that it could be substantially original?

Did anyone else see this? What was YOUR reaction?

It's the MOH - Medal of Honor (not the CMH). There is a Congressional Medal of Honor Society but thats it.

[Sunray]

There are no records of who got what weapon issued from W.W. II or any other war by any country's military.
This alone makes the gunauction story suspect. I can write anything I want and pay to have it notarized.
"...Obviously there is no question as to the truthfulness of this story - A DFC recipient’s veracity is not in doubt..."

[Ltdave]

it said, that the DFC recipient got it in '65 from Audie but it is unknown where Audie got it. therefore, if it DID come from Audie, then it probably at one time belonged to him. not necessarily issued to him...

[Tom Doniphon]

I believe they said that the Audie's Winchester made carbine was found by the curator at Anniston. How they knew what serial number carbine he used is unknown to me. IIRC, the serial number was actually 1108783.

[tmark]

George D. Mclvor has it!

[PhillipM]

I believe they said that the Audie's Winchester made carbine was found by the curator at Anniston. How they knew what serial number carbine he used is unknown to me. IIRC, the serial number was actually 1108783.

Audie had it memorized and quoted it in an interview.

“THE “WOUNDED” CARBINE

The story of Audie Murphy’s service during WWII has become legendary since then. Here was a young man, turned down by the Marines and the paratroopers as being physically unfit, who went on to receive every award for valor that our country could bestow, all before his 21st birthday. He was wounded four times, awarded two Silver Stars only five days apart, two Bronze Stars and ultimately the Medal of Honor. In 1967, during the course of an interview, Murphy recalled:

“Losses are inevitable, so you learn not to get too friendly with anybody … Every action is new people. One way or another, people come and go … You don’t remember the guys’ names. You remember that one-one-zero-eight-seven-eight-three (1108783) is the number of your rifle, but names are too personal. That’s really how it is.”

When this quote was noted in the 1990 book Hero – The Life and Death of Audie Murphy by Charles Whiting, an individual at the Center of Military History Clearinghouse at Anniston Army Depot searched that serial number through its computers. Surprisingly, a match turned up.

When the 3rd Division went into Southern France in August of 1944, Audie Murphy was there with the 15th Infantry Regiment. They pushed north to the vicinity of the Vosges Mountains, where at Genevreuville Murphy received his first wound after a year in combat. A mortar round exploded next to him. Murphy recalled: “When I come to, I am sitting beside a crater with a broken carbine in my hands. My head aches; my eyes burn; and I cannot hear.” After his injuries were taken care of, Murphy repaired the broken stock on his carbine with wire and continued to use it. He began referring to it as his “wounded carbine”.

In the following days Murphy’s “wounded carbine” became well-known in his unit and some felt that it might be a lucky charm for Murphy. However, on 25 October in the forests near Les Rouges Eaus, Murphy was wounded by a sniper. As he lay on the ground, he was able to discern the sniper’s location and quickly fired one round that killed the sniper instantly. When his fellow-soldiers came to his assistance, it was assumed from the nature of the wound that Murphy would be sent home. One NCO asked Murphy if he could have his “lucky” carbine, perhaps hoping that the battered weapon might bring him a measure of luck as well. It was not to be, as the sergeant, with most of his platoon, were wiped out the following day in a fire fight in the forest.

“In all probability, the carbine was salvaged from the battlefield and turned in, where it was refurbished and eventually placed into storage."
Thanks to Audie documenting the serial number of his weapon, we have been able to identify it today and preserve it as a tangible piece of the WWII history of the 15th Infantry Regiment, the 3rd Infantry Division, and the US Army.

[da gimp]

Thanks Phil, that's the first time I'd read this... dern neat on having the serial number.

As far the auction rifle, while AM may have loaned/given the rifle to the guy........ it may have started out as a M1 carbine like Audie Murphy used in WWII and the story morphed from there............ It has happened more than once with. a vet's kid saying a Garand,/Carbine was the rifle Dad brought home from WWII....... when by the serial number , the date the rifle was made was in 1954.......I'm sure the kid's dad told him, I used a rifle like this.........

[ElWoodman]

The carbine in 3d ID's museum resided for many years at the VA medical center in San Antonio Tx. that bears his name. When I asked where it was following renovations, I was told it went to 3d ID museum. Just 2cents more!

[LAH]

Here you go..

audie murphy carbine.jpg

[deadin]

How they knew what serial number carbine he used is unknown to me.

I understand that Murphy mentioned the serial number in his book "To Hell and Back".