The "Lanyard Question" continues..From Essen

[Milt Keller]

As a follow up to what was written earlier regarding Luger Lanyards....


But let me try to tell you something about lanyards in the German forces.


It is absolutely correct, that the so called "Reichsrevolver" was issued with a

lanyard. Especially the long M1879 model for cavalry was issued with such a

string, but also the short M1883 model for infantry and artillery was found with

a string - maybe because usually the field artillery was mounted. Because the

German army between 1871 and 1918 was separated into several "contingents"

various regulations for lanyards could be found in Prussia, Bavaria, Saxony and

Wuerttemberg. The lanyard of the Reichsrevolver was worn over the right shoulder

and should, fixed to the shoulder insignia to prevent loss of the revolver after

firing from horseback. Those lanyards were made of black or brown leather

directely tied to the lanyard loop without any carbine hook or button. Because

of this they didn't carry any official marks or inspection stamps and if you buy

one today you just have to believe that it is authentic.


But for the successing pistol 08 no official lanyard was issued. If you take a

close look on your holster, you will see, that is nearly impossible to carry a

pistol 08 tied on a lanyard within. But you will find reports of improvised

lanyards in WWI: Ernst Juenger wrote in "In Stahlgewittern" and in "Das

Waeldchen 125" that as an assault party commander (Stosstruppf�¼hrer) he used to

carry his pistol in the right pocket of his uniform - fixed with a "long

string". But this type of a lanyard was a sort of personal improvisation as well

as the use to carry the pistol in the right pocket of the uniform in combat (the

holster was not very useful for combat). In no German army (Prussian, Bavarian,

Saxonian or Wuerttemberg) any official type of lanyard for the pistol 08 was

issued before 1918!!! I never saw any picture of a German soldier, officer, NCO

with his pistol 08 fixed with a lanyard!!! And I never heard about any official

issued lanyard. The only exception could be with the navy, where white lanyards

could be seen before 1914 - but with the pistol 04 / model 1906 they had

holsters which made lanyards useful - with the pistol 04 / model 1914 and 1917

armylike holsters were issued.


The Portugese army used to have slightely different holsters (I have one), that

does not have the suitcase-like look, than the German holsters. Therefore with

the Portugese holsters - as with the Reichsrevolver and the former navy

holsters, a lanyard could be fixed usefully. The portugese one was made of

leather.


As you mentioned in your mail with the police in the Weimar republic and the

Third Reich things were a bit different. But as you know I'm not an expert on

police and / or Wehrmacht equipment. Therefore I can imagine, that police

officers and mounted policemen received lanyards with a nickled carbine hook

according to the clothing regulations of 1932. I also know about the army

regulations of 1935 (as quoted by Joachim Goertz). Roughly translated into

English they read like this:

"For the mounted personnel equiped with the pistol 08 a lanyard (Pistolengurt)

is issued. The lanyard should prevent loss of the pistol when fired from

horseback. For use head and right arm are put through the lanyard sling, the

pistol hooked into the carbine and carried like this in the holster. In case of

emergency the holster can be kept open. After firing the safed pistol can be

kept hanging loosely on the lanyard until it can be brought back into the

holster again. When storing the pistol in the holster the lanyard should be kept

hooked with the carbine to the pistol to avoid loss of the lanyard. The lanyard

should be ordered by the divisions at the "Heeres-Feldmeisterei" until Dec. 15.

1935"

Der Oberbefehlshaber des Heeres

9.11.35 AHA/In2 III.


That means that lanyards were issued only to the very, very, very few cavalry

units of the Wehrmacht and maybe to some of the mounted field artillery

personnel. But they were not issued to any infantry, armoured, recce, paratroop

(against the regulations the paras used to carry their pistols in a pocket

of their uniform - the so called "Knochensack" - too, like Ernst Juenger in WWI

and maybe they ha improvised or cavalry lanyards too), engineer, heavy

artillery, tank destroyer, staff, maintenance.... units.


In 1941 an additional order came out, reading:

"Despite of the soldiers, carrying pistols in mounted units, also soldiers in

the "fast forces" ("schnelle Truppen", that means recce and light tank units),

motorcycle and bicycle units are to be equipped with lanyards."

O.K.H. (Ch H R�¼st u. BdE) 5.7.41

- 72 - AHA/In 2 VII


So possibly after 1941 some more units received such lanyards. So, I am

still absolutely sure that before 1918 no lanyard was issued officially and

since I am not an expert for Wehrmacht and Police I have to consider that it

might be possible, that lanyards existed with some units in WWII. And therefore

it might be possible, that some lanyards are still existing - but: I never saw

one, I was never offered one and I never saw any picture of one. Therefore I

would be very very cautious and very very suspicious if someone would offer such a lanyard to me.


Frank