Large Groupings Of Firearms & Knives, The Property of General Mark W. Clark

LARGE GROUPING OF FIREARMS & KNIVES, THE PROPERTY OF GEN. MARK W. CLARK. The following grouping of items all belong to and are from the estate of 4-star Gen. Mark Wayne Clark (May 1, 1896 – April 17, 1984). Gen. Clark was a graduate of Westpoint in April 1917 having entered the academy at age 17 but apparently missed time due to illness. Upon graduation he was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant and was assigned duty in France in WWI with the 11th Infantry where he was wounded in action. Due to the rapidly expanding U.S. Army in WWI he rose rapidly through the ranks from being commissioned 2nd Lieutenant in April 1917 to 1st Lieutenant on May 15 and to Captain on Aug. 5, 1917. Between WWI and WWII he served in various capacities and was promoted to Major in Jan. 1933 and to Lt. Colonel on July 1, 1940. On Aug. 4, 1941 he was jump-promoted two grades to Brig. General and made Asst. Chief of Staff for the Army in Washington. In Jan. 1942 he was appointed Deputy Chief of Staff Army Ground Forces and became its Chief of Staff. In June 1942 he was assigned as Commanding Genneral II Corps in England and a month later became Commanding General, Army Forces European Theater of Operations and promoted to Major General. In Oct. 1942 Gen. Clark became the Deputy Commander in Chief of Allied Forces in the North African Theater where he planned and directed the training of units for the invasion of North Africa, known as Operation Torch. On Oct. 21-22, 1942 after having been landed by submarine in North Africa he negotiated the surrender and cooperation of the Vichy French after which he was promoted to Lt. General on Nov. 11, 1942. When the U.S. created its first Field Army overseas, the U.S. Fifth Army, Gen. Clark was made its Commanding General with the task of training units for the invasion of Italy in Sept. 1943. Gen. Clark was the one who gave the orders for the bombing and destruction of the Abbey at Monte Cassino, what was to become a very famous battle about which several movies were made. Although Gen. Clark and his Chief of Staff were unconvinced of the “military necessity” of this bombing & destruction they, nevertheless, carried out orders. In June 1944 Gen. Clark captured & liberated Rome in contravention of orders which allowed several German units to escape and reinforced the Gothic line. In Dec. 1944 Gen. Clark became the Commander of 15th Army Group which placed him in command of all allied ground troops in Italy. He was promoted to 4-star General on March 10, 1945, the youngest officer to reach both 3-star rank and 4-star rank. At the end of the war he was the Commander of Allied Forces in Italy then became the U.S. High Commissioner of Austria and later served as Deputy to the U.S. Secretary of State. Returning to the U.S. in June 1947 Gen. Clark was assigned to command the 6th Army at the Presidio of San Francisco. On May 12, 1952 Gen. Clark took over command of the United Nations forces in Korea and it was he who signed the cease fire agreement with North Korea in 1953. He retired from the Army in 1954 and served as the President of the Citadel, Charleston, SC until 1966. Gen. Clark earned a number of very high ranking U.S. Military medals, among which were the Distinguished Service Cross, Army Distinguished Service Medal, Navy Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star. He was also awarded many very high ranking foreign medals. It appears that the majority of the items being sold in this lot were gifts to Gen. Clark during his service in North Africa & Italy. 1) *Colt Model 1903 Semi-Auto pistol. Cal. 32 ACP. SN 363378. Blue finish with about 50% coverage after market engraving, undoubtedly by either a military person with engraving skills or a local Italian engraver. Engraving consists of heavy foliate arabesque scrolls with line borders and a diamond shape on top of the slide. Left side of slide has an open panel with the engraved signature “Mark W. Clark” and four gold inlaid stars. Right side of the slide, forward of the ejection port is a representation of the 5th Army Corps shoulder patch. Pistol is mounted with faux ivory grips and accompanied by one unmarked all blue magazine. Also accompanied by a blue/green baize covered gray satin lined hinged lid box with the Llama trademark embossed inside the lid. Bottom is compartmented for the pistol and a spare magazine with the cloissonne pin representing the 5th Army Corps. 2) *Colt Model 1903 Semi-Auto Pistol. Cal. 32 ACP. SN 551637. All blue finish with standard markings & fixed sights with rampant Colt/Colt eye hard rubber grips, missing its magazine. 3) *Standard Products M1 Carbine Semi-Auto Military Rifle. Cal. 30 Carbine. SN 2214959. Standard early carbine with 18″ Underwood bbl dated “2-44”, without bayonet lug and early features including flat bolt and push button safety. The sling cut in the buttstock has a small Ordnance wheel & flaming bomb with the number “10”. Bottom of grip has a “P” in a circle proof. The wood is very nicely varnished. Left side of stock, below rear sight, is inlaid with a 1-3/4″ x 7/8″ silver plaque inscribed with black enamel filled lettering “M.W.C.” over an inscription in what appears to be Arabic. Very likely this carbine was inscribed & presented to Gen. Clark during his tour of duty in North Africa. 4) *Scarce Mannlicher Schoenauer Model 1903 Carbine. Cal. 6.5 Norm. (6.5X54). SN 25766. Beautiful little carbine with 18″ tapered rnd bbl, ramp mounted, dovetailed front sight with German silver blade and 2-leaf express rear sight. It has dbl set triggers and the trigger bow is inlaid in heavy gold block letters “MWC”. Mounted in extra finish, very highly figured French walnut with full length stock that has raised side panels and checkered forestock with checkered pistol grip that has what appears to be a tortoise shell grip cap. Buttstock has a European cheekpiece and serrated steel buttplate with trap containing a 4-pc brass & steel cleaning rod and two other empty holes. Forestock has a sling loop with corresponding loop in the buttstock. Undoubtedly this was presented to Gen. Clark when he was the U.S. High Commissioner of Austria. 5) Medium sized Indian kukri with presentation. Indian kukri with 12-1/2″ curved blade with blade breaker near the handle. It has a brass ferrule and carved wood handle with flared butt and a brass grip cap. Accompanied by its orig leather covered wood sheath with steel tip and the two tiny sharpening knives in their pockets inside the sheath. Face of sheath has a 2-5/8″ x 2″ brass plaque inscribed “GENERAL MARK W. CLARK / commanding / ALLIED ARMIES IN ITALY / from / MAJ. GEN. D. RUSSELL / commanding / 8TH INDIAN DIVISION / 1944”. At the top of the plaque is what appears to be two shamrocks & a 4-leaf clover. Very likely this was a presentation to Gen. Clark, again during his tour in North Africa. 6) Small tourist kukri. Small kukri with 6″ curved blade, hand etched on right side “INDIA”. Accompanied by its orig leather covered wood sheath with two tiny sharpening knives in their small pockets. Large knife has nickeled brass fittings with a horn handle and a lion face pommel. 7) North African souvenir quality curved dagger. Fine Moroccan style dagger with 9″ narrow curved blade with wood handle & nicely decorated curved metal sheath with hangers and matching decorated ferrule with a matching engraved decorative pommel. One side of the sheath is engraved “AU. GENERAL / MARK W. CLARK” and the other side “SOUVENIR DE ZEMMAMA ET SBTI”, undoubtedly another North African souvenir obtained during his war duties there. 8) Another similar North African Dagger with 9-3/8″ curved blade. Metal sheath and wood & metal handle all highly decorated with hangers on the sheath. One side of the sheath is engraved “J.K. KOUJDA 1943”. One side of blade is engraved “M.L.L. / LONDON”. 9) Two 5th Army Corps shoulder patches. One is red, white & blue, probably WWII vintage, and the other is OD & black, modern vintage. CONDITION: 1) Very fine. Overall retains about all of a fine blue finish applied after engraving. Mechanics are fine, strong bore, dark in the grooves. Magazine has one small ding and some light surface etching. Box shows wear and light soil. 2) Extremely fine, near new, may be unfired. Overall retains about 98% crisp orig blue with a couple of minor scratches and faint sharp edge wear. Grips show moderate wear and may not be orig to this pistol. Mechanics are crisp, bright shiny bore. 3) Extremely fine. Probably unfired, retains virtually all of its orig gray/green Parkerized finish on metal and fine custom varnish on the stock. Mechanics are crisp, brilliant shiny bore. 4) Very fine to extremely fine. Metal retains about 98% strong orig blue with only faint sharp edge wear. Wood is sound with a few minor handling & storage mars in the finish and overall retains about all of its fine orig oil finish. Mechanics are crisp, brilliant shiny bore, probably unfired. 5) Fine to very fine. Knife shows sharpening but is fine. Sheath has small handling & storage nicks & scratches and light wear. Plaque is a medium brass patina. 6) Fair to good. Knife blades have light surface corrosion, horn handle has a couple of bug bites, sheath shows light wear. 7) Very fine. Blade has a couple of spots of light corrosion. Handle has lost most of its finish to flaking. 8) Very fine. 9) Both patches are new.