JOHN DILLINGER'S PARKER

[Old and Reliable]

Originally Posted by George Lander

I had another pleasant lunch today with my friend and spent most of the afternoon listening to his stories. He was a friend of Col. William Fairbairn and Capt. Peter Mason of what is now the British SAS. I heard lots of good stories about them & looked over the album of photos taken of Carbine Williams on his trip to Hollywood for the making on the movie. I remembered to take some pictures of Dillinger's Parker which I will try to figure out how to post here.

Best Regards, George

--That style knife was featured in the 1959 movie classic: "The Bridge On The River Kwai"- Perhaps AKA as the "Fairbairn-Sykes Commando knife-- I believe Jimmy Stewart was the actor chosen to portray Carbine Williams in that movie. His design was good for that time, like the BAR is was magazine fed, unlike the clip fed M-1 Garand. Too bad it was not adopted for better ammo with more stopping power at carbine ranges (200-300 yards)- that weapon in 7.62x39 would have been superb- I have a older (1978 era) Ruger 10/22, scoped, and it has the same sweet handling characteristics as does the M-1 Carbine as designed by Mr. Williams-I love it for shooting inside farm buildings for rodents, coons and woodchucks- with CCI mini-Mag HP rounds. I have often wondered if the late Bill Ruger may have copied somewhat the M-1 carbine when he designed his 10/22, just as he may well have copied (sans the toggle bolt) Georg Luger's P-08 design with his .22 pistol--

[George Lander]

Even more interesting is the fact that my friend made many tape recordings of his interviews and meetings with Carbine Williams. He is now having them transferred to compact discs. I told him that I believe that there would be a great deal of interest in these recordings if he had them available for sale. He is the author of the wonderful book "CARBINE" now in it's third printing. The personal stories that he relates, like the trip with Carbine to the gun show in NC and the stop at the gas station/honkey tonk on the way home alone make it worth the read. On a personal note:

About fifteen years ago I took my son to a little town in NC called Waxhaws. He had a teaching job there. While he was at work I scouted out the local gun shop. They had the normal assortment of black guns and hunting rifles and semi auto shotguns. I asked the owner if they had any old guns and he brought out two. One was a Sharps carbine and the other was a Buffalo Newton .30 caliber bolt action army rifle. We negotiated some on the prices, but since I didn't have much money with me I told the owner that I would be back to buy the two guns and left him a small deposit. On my way back to SC I kept thinking that I remembered reading about a Newton rifle somewhere. It then struck me that I had read it in my friend's book "Carbine" and that was the rifle that Carbine was carrying at his liquor still when the deputy sheriff was killed. I immediately called my friend and told him about my discovery. He drove to the gun shop and closed the deal on the rifle before my son & I got home. He later told me that he is sure that it was the very same rifle that Carbine was carrying on that fateful day. It had been buried for a time while Carbine was in prison but later retreived and sold. Talk about coincidence! Well I thought that this might be an interesting story for some here.

Best Regards, George

[charlie cleveland]

keep them great stories coming GEORGE.. thanks charlie

[Kevin McCormack]

Just for the record, when Dillinger was shot to death by FBI agents outside the Biograph Theatre in Chicago, the city was experiencing one of the worst heat waves on record, which is why Dillinger, prostitute/madam Anna Sage (not her real name), and Polly Hamilton, one of Sage's call girls, were in the Biograph in the first place - it was one of the very few theatres in the city with air conditioning. Dillinger wore no jacket of any kind, carried no sawed-off Parker shotgun under it, nor displayed a M1911 Colt pistol stuck in his belt. When he attempted to withdraw the small pistol he carried in his pants pockets at all times, agents opened fire and he was struck multiple times. He died at the scene.

[Old and Reliable]

Carrier developed the first air conditioning systems, and the Biograph, on State St- was the first major theater in Chicago to have it- If memory serves, the movie was "Manhattan Melodrama" with Clark Gable and I believe Myrna Loy-

[George Lander]

I have some pictures of Dillinger's Parker and some of Carbine Williams, but I don't know how to post them here. Can someone help?

Best Regards, George

[Bindlestiff]

At the top of this page there is a "FAQ" link, click on it and look at the section on posting pictures.

If for some reason you have difficulties, go to the main page (www.parkerguns.org) and click on the "FAQ" link on the left side of that page. Near the bottom of the page are two video's you can watch that demo how to resize and upload pictures.

[George Lander]

Thanks Robin: I think that I have finally figured it out.

Best Regards, George

[George Lander]

If anyone here would like a copy of "CARBINE" signed by the author please let me know & I'll arrange to have it done.

Best Regards, George

[George Lander]

I got to play with John Dillinger's Parker again today. I ordered a research letter from Mark Conrad but I got one digit of the SN wrong the first time. I have sent the right one and perhaps soon we will know some more. I've had two requests for the author to sign his book "CARBINE" which is available in soft cover from the South Carolina Military Museum for $19.95 if any one here is interested. I had him sign one today and the other member already has a copy that he is going to bring down to have signed.

The museum also has copies of "VENDETTA" concerning the relationship between Melvin Purvis and J. Edgar Hoover written by Alson Purvis, Melvin's son.

Best Regards, George