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Springfield M1 Garand, SN: 277138, MAIZIE

Not for Sale

 

Once upon a time, before we bought everything including collectable firearms online, we had the magazine Gun List. An advertisement for an early Garand with some personalized carving in the stock intrigued me. I contacted the dealer by phone, he provided a more detailed description, and we agreed on a price. Several weeks later I had it in hand. Some would say the beautiful condition was ruined by bold carving in the stock. I thought the opposite, it had a story. So, I called to discover it was a consignment piece and that the dealer knew nothing more, but he gave me the consigner’s name and phone number.

It was my pleasure to meet Doris Kersch. She me that her husband, Conrad Kersch had brought it home in Dec.1942 from his war in the Pacific.

I asked her about the carving and she, good naturedly, told me that Conrad said his Australian whore was named “Maizie.” She knew little else about the rifle. When he arrived back in the U.S., he toured San Francisco with the Garand slung over his shoulder. How times have changed !

Doris also had the “ammunition belt” that went with the rifle and Conrad’s leather flight jacket. Conrad had written a detailed diary of his Pacific war and a book about his escape and evasion experience after being shot down on his 6th mission from England. Neither was published because he wouldn’t allow editing. After some tough negotiations with a beautiful lady, I have the whole enchilada.

Conrad J. Kersch entered the military in 1935 and initially served as a machine gunner in an infantry unit. The glamor of the Army Air Corps called, and he transferred. He was assigned to the 19th Bomb Group (H), 93rd Bomb Sqdn. (H). He served as an engine mechanic. In late 1941 Conrad volunteered to attend the Sperry Gun Turret maintenance school in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Prior to the Pearl Harbor attack Dec. 7, 1941, the 19th Bomb Group received orders to move from, Hickham Field, Hawaii, to the Philippian Islands. By mid-November a total of 35 B-17s had moved to Clark Field, P.I.

On Dec. 8 the Japanese attacked Clark field and destroyed 12 of the 19 available B-17s.  The 19th BG commander was very concerned about crowding and dispersal.  Fortunately, on Dec. 6, he transferred the sixteen B-17s of the 14th & 93rd Squadrons to Del Monte Field in Mindanao.  The Japanese had not yet discovered the aircraft at Del Monte field. 

 Having missed the Groups transfer, Conrad became a member of the first flight of three B-17Es, traveling on the new eastward route, to reinforce the 19th B.G. at Clark field arriving mid-Jan. 1941  

In Feb. 1942, Conrad shot down his first Japanese fighter from the tail position of a B-17E.  As the only Sperry trained ball turret mechanic on base, he received stern notice that he was “flight restricted” until replacements were trained.  

On 15 Feb. 1942 they learned of the Surrender of Singapore, two days later their base was attacked.  Conrad arrived at the revetment area and found his aircraft and four others burning. The tail section of his aircraft was not burning yet, so as much equipment as possible was removed through the waist gun ports and piled in a safe area.  Conrad’s diary entry read:

I went back to the pile of rescued items and selected the Garand rifle and its bandolier of loaded clips. These I will always keep with me, not just for protection but in remembrance of her too.”

“All aircraft in our group had a Garand rifle and shotgun, plus ammunition, stowed in a handy location near the rear door in the event of a survival situation.  It would be certain death to land on any uninhabited island without some protection, however, if one came down in the water the sharks would solve all worries.”

On Feb. 24, 1942 with all serviceable aircraft gone, the stranded air crew men were waiting for pick up.  Conrad writes that he retrieved his rifle from its hiding place.  In seven other places in the diary, he mentions having his Garand by his side including in Sydney, Australia when he was on his way home. 

It’s clear that this rifle was stowed in the tail of a combat aircraft, a B-17E, that was destroyed in the final days of our presence in Java.

The carvings take a little bit of extrapolation.  A B-17E has a nine man crew, the rifle was intended as a survival tool.  If the aircraft went down, the rifle would be used by the unknown survivor crewman: John Doe

Conrad wrote, “I will always keep with me, not just for protection but in   remembrance of her too.”  In remembrance of her, the Aircraft is her, her name was “Mac-Mac Maizie.”

In Oct. 1943 with 52 missions under his belt, Conrad shipped out to Molesworth, England to join the 303rd Bomb Group (H), 427th Sqdn. (H).  On his 6th Mission, his aircraft was shot down over France.  He joined the underground and fought the Germans until the war ended.  That’s the story of the second book.  

Betty did drop the hint that, perhaps, in 1947 she and Conrad rented a car and found his downed aircraft.  “His” two Browning .50’s may have been “souvenired” and shipped home as household goods. Although very interesting, I wanted nothing to do with that.  Don’t even ask me, “I know Nothink.

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