This is a very fine example of a WWII German MP-40 submachine gun that was used by and brought to the U.S. by a heroic U.S. Army 776th Tank Destroyer Battalion company commander, Captain Willis Cole, Jr. According to Cole’s son, this MP-40 was Cole’s personal weapon during WWII: “Dad said he tried the U.S. Thompson and found it bulky to store and deploy in the turret of his M-10, and he expressed a distaste for the production and finish standards as well as the design of the M-3 grease gun. The MP-40 drew his praise for lighter weight and recoil, high rate of fire and quickly deployable carbine stock. This MP-40 for sale was always described by him as his personal weapon.” The gun remained with the family until now. At the close of WWI, treaty restrictions on the permitted number of arms were imposed by the victorious powers, and Germany recognized that developing and equipping its forces with the best weapons possible, including the SMG, was an imperative in restoring their military might. Beginning in 1918, the year prior to the imposition of the treaty, Germany began a 22 year program of development which moved through 12 designs of SMGs before the MP-40 was recognized and adopted as the culmination of that intense development effort. This MP-40 was manufactured by the Steyr factory in 1943. The rear receiver end cap is stamped with: "MP40/bnz.43/1705b". The left side of the receiver tube, barrel nut and barrel are all stamped with serial number "1705b" with the appropriate "WaA623" Waffenamt proofs. Additionally, the trigger housing, folding buttstock, rear sight, bolt and firing pin and spring assembly are all correctly serial numbered "1705” or “705” as appropriate. It has the traditional dark red Bakelite grips and dark brown lower receiver cover. Complete with one original WWII MP38 u. 40 marked manufacture magazine that is proofed on the back side with a maker’s code "bte 42" over WaAB37 Waffenamt. It is accompanied by eleven MP40 magazines (six post-war and five original WWII magazines with some of the following maker’s codes: bte 41, fxo 41, bte 42, 98E and bte 43, a post-war black leather MP40 type sling, magazine loader, and replacement (reproduction) barrel bar. It is accompanied by numerous documents outlining Willis Cole's WWII service record and post-war years serving with the INS (U.S. Department of Justice, Immigration and Naturalization Service) for 28 years and as the INS attaché in the early 1960s at the U.S. Embassy, Athens, Greece with jurisdiction over matters in the 14 countries of the Middle East. Willis F. Cole, Jr. was admitted to the U.S. Naval Academy as a midshipman on June 29, 1938, and would have graduated with the Class of 1942 if not for voluntarily resigning from the Academy on January 12, 1940, “under entirely honorable circumstances.” The resignation came after a return trip home during the 1939 Christmas season when Cole kindled a relationship with a girl that he hoped would end in marriage. What a man will do for love! But love would have to wait. A world war was brewing, and based on advice from his father, a U.S. immigration agent in the Los Angeles office concerned with espionage and sabotage matters attributable to Japanese and German interests and a keen understanding of U.S. foreign relations, the son secured an appointment as a 2nd lieutenant in the U.S. Army Coast Artillery Corps on January 28, 1941. At Fort Monroe, Virginia, he received anti-aircraft training on the newest, most powerful Anti Aircraft Gun which was soon to be issued as the weapon on the new M-10 "Wolverine" Tank Destroyer developed by Ford for the Army. Under secret order Cole was released from training and ordered to report to the 776th Tank Destroyer Battalion, Heavy at Fort Lewis, Washington. Assignments at Camp Hood and Fort Benning followed, preparing the 776th for combat in North Africa. The 776th arrived Casablanca in late January 1943 and fought in area of Maknassy and Ferryville, Tunisia. In September 1943, the 776th sailed to Italy and fought its way to Rome. The 776th transferred to southern France in the fall of 1944 and combat missions continued, supporting French 2nd Armored Division advance to Strasbourg, aided capture of Mannheim, Heidelberg, and Ulm, Germany, and ended the war in Austria. The accompanying “An Informal History of the 776th Tank Destroyer Battalion” (photocopy) and Cole’s personal copy of “Tank Destroyer Forces-WWII,” which is inscribed to him along with his service number in gold leaf, are invaluable resources chronicling the battalion’s training, movement, personal actions, losses and engagements and confirm Cole’s service with the 776th. Cole participated in Tunisia, Naples, Rome, Rhineland, and Central Europe Campaigns, advanced to captain, commanding Co. A, and was awarded Silver Star and Bronze Star Medals, Purple Heart with Cluster, and Croix de Guerre with Palm. Co. A was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation. The Silver Star was awarded “for gallantry in action on 4 June 1944 in the vicinity of Frascati, Italy. Lt. Cole, in charge of a tank destroyer command post noticed German foot soldiers proceeding under cover toward his position. He immediately organized a dismounted patrol from the personnel available and moved forward to meet the enemy. Observing that his men were outnumbered, he divided them into two groups and laid a plan to surround the enemy. Directing the two groups to come in from two sides, he advanced alone across open terrain, risking detection to gain more complete observation, and gave the signal to attack. Lt. Cole killed two Germans himself and effected the capture of 138 more, completely armed.” The accompanying affidavit from Cole’s commanding officer, Col. Louis Wadle, provides the circumstances that led to Cole receiving the Bronze Star. “A platoon of Company ‘A’, 776th Tank Destroyer Battalion was located at Montaquila, Italy in close support of infantry. In brief, incoming German artillery fire on November 9, 1943 severed the leg of a sergeant named Olson as he was entering his M-10 tank destroyer. Mr. Cole, alone, went to Sergeant Olson a carried him out from under the continuing artillery fire, jumping down stonework terraces out of necessity, while carrying the sergeant.” Col. Wadle also explains how Cole severely injured his back. “In northern France, we were suddenly redeployed on Thanksgiving Day, 1944, in order to counter an unexpected major attack by German armored units and infantry. Positions were reconnoitered in complete darkness…Mr. Cole suffered a severe back injury that night. To get his M-10 tank destroyer into suitable firing position it was necessary to drive it into a slot between obstacles and then rotate the turret 90 degrees…Later when getting out of the turret in darkness, Mr. Cole stepped off the back of the turret, intending to make a customary long step down to the rear deck of the tank destroyer, but instead stepped into a fall of some 14 feet onto rubble and cobble stones. Although shaken and suffering injury to his back Mr. Cole, now Company Commander, remained with his command. In the action that followed the following morning, Company ‘A’ was officially credited with destroying six enemy tanks, one armored car, and many German infantrymen.” By all accounts Cole was an intelligent, courageous and aggressive tank destroyer commander. He was evacuated from the war zone in late December 1944 after suffering a severe belly wound which required more than a year of treatment.

Very fine with 70% plus of the original blue finish overall with wear on all the edges and high spots, blue loss and oxidation on the rear of the receiver, pistol grip, metal stock with some light pitting and brown on the barrel nut and rear of the barrel. The brown grip plates, and lower receiver cover are both in very fine condition. As noted, it is registered as a functional MP-40 SMG. A rare example of a fine MP-40 SMG documented to a heroic American veteran. NOTE: This item is restricted as a National Firearms Act (NFA), fully transferable Class 3, which is registered with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, (BATFE) that is classified as a "Curios or Relic" as defined in 27 CFR, 478.11. These weapons are still subject to the provisions of 18 U.S.C. Chapter 44 and 27 CFR part 478.