I live in KY about 15 minutes from Walton. Several years ago a local tv station did a feature on Frakes. The information on the written document is how his story was presented on tv. It turned out that my barber, Terry was a friend of Frakes and had bought a pistol from him. He set up a meeting at Mr. Frakes house. I was very pleased to meet him and discuss his capture and escape. I also saw some of his memorabilia. It turned out that he was quite a gun collector. He showed me quite a few guns of all types, some for sale. I do not remember the Mauser or any story about capturing a pistol but it was quite a few years ago and i cant remember everything i saw. Nevertheless, the story about Frakes time in WWII is true. Additionally, Mr. Frakes was the mayor of Walton at one time

Indeed a great story, but for me the interesting part would be how he aquired the pistol. Because he certainly couldn't take the risk carrying it back from Belgium, the Spanish certainly would have relived him of it. I'd reguard this as buying an item that once belonged to a very fortunate vetern with no direct tie in to the events.

Love your presentations! "Marquis" is the advertising sign in front of a theater. "Maquis" is the WWII resistance group. : )

Great story, how he acquired the pistol is another matter.. My granddad had a couple and he never left the UK during the war as he repaired ships on the south coast.. he also was a prolific gambler so make of that what you will

Cool story, but how did SSG Frakes wind up with the HSC?

Really cool story, but how did he come across the gun, that would make the story even better!! I’am just saying

@kenibnanak5554

9 ай бұрын

Possibly in a pawn shop after the war. :)

@heiner71

9 ай бұрын

​@@kenibnanak5554 Taken from a dead SS officer.

@onejohn2.26

9 ай бұрын

​He never said that in the rendition of the story

@kenibnanak5554

9 ай бұрын

@@onejohn2.26 Indeed. We know the man was shot down and escaped back to England, but I heard nothing in that about getting the pistol. That leaves us free to speculate about how the veteran acquired it.

@kenibnanak5554

9 ай бұрын

@@heiner71 Yes bomber crews encountered them all the time. The skies were full of them (not). Who took it? When? Where? In the prison camp? How did he get to keep it while interred in Spain? I know my father, who was also AAF bomber crew, played a lot of card games with other folk between missions and brought / sent home all sorts of souvenirs he won at those card games, cameras, pistols, helmets, occupation money, Pound notes, lire, binoculars. I also know he sold a lot of that stuff stateside. Others did too.

Thanks for sharing this incredible story. I live a few miles north of Mr. Frakes home town of Walton, Ky. and thank him for his service. 🇺🇸

The vet doesn't say how he got the gun?

Wow, he lived not too far from me in KY. Wonder if there are any of his family in Walton these days, my have check on that. Cool story!

I get the point that we don't know how the pistol was originally acquired, and obviously capture papers would be nice. But even those don't tell us whether it was traded for cigarettes in some holding pen for GIs headed stateside, or won in a poker game with a bunk mate on the trip back. Bottom line for me is that $100 is not that much to pay for the story. I think it's important to make a distinction sometimes between collectible and investment, but the two tend to get conflated. There is a connection with a GI. We are at the very sharp end of the number of those GIs who are still here to tell their stories, even if it's just about how they shoved a Nazi pistol into their duffle while they waited for their boat to shove off from the dock. There is more than one way to be a collector, and the fiscal calculus is different for each person.

Thanks Tom! Vielen Dank aus Afrika.

The coolest bring back in our family is my uncle's proximity fuse.

At what point did he get the gun?

On all the Mauser 14’s & 34’s I’ve got and it works on HSC’s when the slide is locked back like that due to an empty mag if you pull the slide back and release it, it will slam forward.

As an early teenager, at least 60 years ago, for a short time, I had a water pistol designed like a Mauser M-1914. I say "for a short time because I failed to hide it well enough from my mother. 🤣🤣

@davidlyon1899

9 ай бұрын

Naughty boy.

Thank you Tom and Randy!

This is a masterpiece!

Very interesting Definitely, and a excellent example of the era Definitely

Many guns, daggers etc. were found bodies and later traded for whatever. The vet is AF so probably traded for it during the war. It’s great that the GI’ s were good souvenir hunters 😅

I was waiting for a third page to say how Mr. Frakes came by the pistol.

Outstanding video

Was there ever a WW2 bring back that was not taken from an SS officer!?

@user-db5qd3wd6z

9 ай бұрын

My father had a WW2 bring back, a chunk of Krupp shell casing stuck in his back. Don't panic, my father would have approved this comment.

@philipdepalma4672

8 ай бұрын

I here nobody below the rank of major was allowed to carry a Luger. At least none that were ever captured.

Good job Tommy

I do not know if you know but there was a special, limited edition by the Arms Factory in Radom ViS wz 35th pistol for the centenary of Poland's regaining independence in 1918. I don't think you have it in your collection.

I don’t doubt that soldiers returning to England after combat were selling their captured firearms to other soldiers and airmen. That’s probably how he ended up with it if he did bring it back from England. Or he just bought it from somebody in the states at some point. Either way it’s a terrific piece.

@jamalwilburn228

9 ай бұрын

It happend alot and GIs would tell their families they were the ones who captured it. Legacy posted a video of a Luger holster that had three different names and serial numbers, with the last being a Navy pilot from the Pacific. Guy probably didn't find many Nambus and traded a Japanese sword for a Luger.

i have a wlther ppk/s that is marked smith & wesson houlton me down by the handle it has 3659BAB PPK/S-1 i am trying to find out what date this walther was made i really like this gun and i am trying to get as much info on it by the way i enjoy your channel thank you

Hey Legacy Collectibles ! So, we sent our latest product to you , but we haven't heard from you since then

👍👍

When the vedio is estimated to go live ? May you reply as soon as possible ?

Pretty fishy, Tom. How \ where was this acquired?

@thomaswhiteman4261

9 ай бұрын

Most bring backs were picked up GI to GI while they sat around for Months waiting for transport home

We sent the range backpack , When the vedio is estimated to go live ? May you reply as soon as possible ?

🪖🍸🍸🍸😆🪖

Lots of holes in the story. Perfect example here of buy the gun not the story! LOL

Wear a light colored shirt for showing blued pistols

This isn't a really good example of buy the story. In three pages, he made no refrernce to having picked up or claiming to own the pistol. Even if he didnt remember, he couldve said "I picked this up somewhere along my escape" or "when I was relseased, a guard gave me his pistol". Toure just buying a gun that supposedly came from him

We contact you many times , have receive reply yet . Can you reply as soon as possible ?

Can you please be careful with that 1934

I dislike your bad habits at holding weapons...you

Much easier and faster to take the mag out with your left hand. Not the right hand and im right handed