The Carbine Collectors Club

Click on the image above to learn more about the M1 Carbine


Forum Home Forum Home > The Club > Carbines of the Collectors
  New Posts New Posts
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Register Register  Login Login


Special IBM M1 Carbine. Help

 Post Reply Post Reply
Author
Message
Gromper View Drop Down
Recruit
Recruit


Joined: Apr 13 2019
Location: Europe
Status: Offline
Points: 4
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Gromper Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Special IBM M1 Carbine. Help
    Posted: Apr 13 2019 at 8:36am
Hello M1 Carbine collectors, I'm from Luxemburg/Europe and I've got an IBM M1 Carbine from a garret. It's a leftover from the Battle of the Bulge, from Word War 2, where our Us liberators fought for our country and our freedom.
What is historically verry interesting, there is a note on the rifle showing the name "T5 Stephen BOBKO with his ID 32088848. The same ID is written on the rifle bag.
After some reserches on the internet, I found out, that Stephen BOBKO was born in 1916 in New York, was a plumber and entered military in 1941. Furthermore I found out that Stephen BOBKO could have been member of the 79th Field Artillery Regiment during Word War 2.
My question, is it possible to obtain more informations about Steven BOBKO? Which exact unit he fought, where he fought in WW2, did he survived, is he still alive, ... ? It would be an honor to sent him or his family some pictures of his old M1 Carbine he fought with in Luxemburg/Europe.
Sorry for my english and the mistakes I wrote, I'm not used to write in english ;)
Back to Top
m1a1fan View Drop Down
Hard Corps
Hard Corps
Avatar
Got Para?

Joined: Jan 01 2016
Location: Virginia
Status: Offline
Points: 1736
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote m1a1fan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 13 2019 at 10:33am
Greetings and welcome to the club.

If a member of the military is deceased, you can request their records by mail but it isn't free. Also, you'll get the redacted version which is just another way of saying you won't get everything. I think only family members can get everything. 

I've ordered military records in the past and it costs US $50-75. Sometimes you get a few pages, sometimes way more. Either way it is well worth it if doing research.

T/5 = Technician Fifth Grade


The tag shows more information, but it is difficult to read. It looks like it reads R/A and then numbers. Perhaps the carbine's serial number? Adjustable rear sights were used by IBM later in production. Is the barrel marked and/or dated? Are there any markings on the stock? Can you post a full picture of the other side of the stock?

Search for his name in the national archive:


Generic search for Bobko


Back to Top
OAMAAM68 View Drop Down
Recruit
Recruit
Avatar

Joined: Jan 01 2016
Location: FL Panhandle
Status: Offline
Points: 40
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote OAMAAM68 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 13 2019 at 2:09pm
Hello Gromper,

VERY nice looking IBM !!

Our National Archives shows the enlistment record for Stephen Bobko SN 32088848:
U.S., World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946
Name:     Stephen Bobko
Birth Year:     1916
Race:     White, citizen (White)
Nativity State or Country:     New York
State of Residence:     New York
County or City:     New York
Enlistment Date:     29 Apr 1941 [Apparently, he enlisted in the US Army on his birthday in 1941.]
Enlistment State:     New York
Enlistment City:     New York City
Branch:    
Grade:     Private
Grade Code:     Private
Component:     Selectees (Enlisted Men)
Source:     Civil Life
Education:     1 year of college
Civil Occupation:     Plumbers, gas fitters, and steam fitters
Marital status:     Single, without dependents
Height:     67
Weight:     193
SOURCE: National Archives and Records Administration. Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, 1938-1946 [Archival Database]; ARC: 1263923. World War II Army Enlistment Records; Records of the National Archives and Records Administration, Record Group 64; National Archives at College Park. College Park, Maryland, U.S.A.

Also this direct link:
http://aad.archives.gov/aad/record-detail.jsp?dt=893&mtch=1&cat=WR26&tf=F&q=32088848&bc=,sl,sd&rpp=10&pg=1&rid=2757720

STEPHEN BOBKO was born 29 April 1916, received Social Security number 111-05-7785 (indicating New York) and, Death Master File says, died 24 May 2003. Research in ZIP Code 11229.
68536170 Source: Social Security Death Master File (public domain). Check Archives.com (fee-based)
http://sortedbybirthdate.com/daypages/1916/19160429s.html

U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014

Name:     Stephen Bobko
SSN:     111-05-7785
Last Residence:  11229 Brooklyn, Kings, New York, USA
Born:     29 Apr 1916
Died:     24 May 2003
State (Year) SSN issued:     New York (Before 1951)

This Ancestry.com link has more biographical info (probably requires membership in Ancestry):
http://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/107280503/person/410182751465/facts?ssrc=

I do not see any living relatives of Stephen Bobko but will look further if you want.

Semper fi,
Bill
USN '63-'68
USMC '68-'98


Back to Top
OAMAAM68 View Drop Down
Recruit
Recruit
Avatar

Joined: Jan 01 2016
Location: FL Panhandle
Status: Offline
Points: 40
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote OAMAAM68 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 13 2019 at 2:15pm
PS: Battle of the Bulge was 16 December 1944 to 25 January 1945. Was the Type 3 adjustable rear sight installed before or after the battle?
Semper fi,
Bill
Back to Top
New2brass View Drop Down
Moderator Group
Moderator Group
Avatar
Dan Pinto, Photo Editor

Joined: Nov 29 2015
Location: CT
Status: Offline
Points: 4627
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote New2brass Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 13 2019 at 2:56pm
Originally posted by OAMAAM68 OAMAAM68 wrote:

PS: Battle of the Bulge was 16 December 1944 to 25 January 1945. Was the Type 3 adjustable rear sight installed before or after the battle?
Semper fi,
Bill

Very slim chance replace stateside.
Probably after the battle

Back to Top
OAMAAM68 View Drop Down
Recruit
Recruit
Avatar

Joined: Jan 01 2016
Location: FL Panhandle
Status: Offline
Points: 40
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote OAMAAM68 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 13 2019 at 3:55pm
Dan,

NLs 272-1, 281-3, 323-2, 345-4 and 382-14 all address adjustable sight installations. However, I don't see whether the adjustable sights installed stateside by unit armorers beginning in mid-1944 and later in Europe by field installation teams were T-2 milled, T-3 stamped or a mix of both. They are all just referred to as adjustable rear sights. I had guessed most were T-2 milled. SA made some 330 thousand milled adjustable sights between January and July 1945. NL 382-14

I have in my notes, a 2012 post by BQ: "When the adjustable rear sight was put into production both the milled and stamped varieties had been standardized so one did not come before the other. I[n] actual observations Inland used the milled version first, in the high 4.9 to low 5.0 million range, followed by the stamped version roughly 40,000 serial numbers later. IBM on the other hand started with the stamped version and then migrated to using milled adjustable. [emphasis added] On the other end of the spectrum, more milled rear sights show up on late WRA carbines then the stamped version."

This IBM carbine was likely updated by an Army field team in theater during the war and not a post war rebuild at FN since it has no T-3 band. The serial number should give us a better idea of when this IBM reached the European theater.

Semper fi,
Bill
Back to Top
New2brass View Drop Down
Moderator Group
Moderator Group
Avatar
Dan Pinto, Photo Editor

Joined: Nov 29 2015
Location: CT
Status: Offline
Points: 4627
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote New2brass Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 13 2019 at 4:17pm
MWO B28-W3 Carbines Cal. .30 M1, M1A1, M1A3; To replace leaf type rear sight with a sight that is adjustable for both windage and elevation is dated 11 Sep 1944.

From memory I believe it addressed both type 2 and type 3 rear sights. 

So stateside the logistics of it getting to the soldier before the battle is slim. 
So I bet it was changed in the ETO in the days or months following. 

The 89th chemical motor division is the earliest report of rear sight upgrade in the ETO. It would seem from the article it was late December 1944 to early January 1945.

The CCNL and the article I linked have a common thread, the dedicated research and reporting from Don Hillhouse.
One day we may find records of who got replacment sights and when.

A few pics  of the IBM receiver might clear it up.

Might make a nice Featured Carbine?

Back to Top
Gromper View Drop Down
Recruit
Recruit


Joined: Apr 13 2019
Location: Europe
Status: Offline
Points: 4
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Gromper Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 15 2019 at 11:17am
Thank you verry much for all your help and replys, this is a great M1 Carbine forum. I'll try
to get more informations about Stephen Bobko and try to find out in which unit he fought in Europe.

On the tag => T5 Stephen Bobko, his ID 32088848 and the rifle serial number 3.75x.xxx.

My M1 Carbine has the serial number 3.75x.xxx and normaly hust have a first model rear sight. 
Thats what my book (US M1 Carbine Wartime Production by Craig Riesch) says.

This rifle must have been updated by an army field team (field modification) in theater during 
the war. Since the war was over, this rifle was lying on an attic and nobody touched or made a 
mondification on it.

Below the markings on the rifle:

1) Rear Sight => I.R.CO 7160060
2) Bolt => AOB / B
3) Barrel => IBM Corp. 11/43
4) Front Sight => POB
5) Barrel Band => KV-B
6) Operating Slide => AOB
7) Trigger Housing => BE-B
8) Hammer => GMB
9) Magazine Catch => EPB
10) Stock => LW-B
11) Recoil Plate => PR-B
12) Handguard => LW-B
13) Oiler => IS

As you can se all parts come from IBM!!!

If you want a picture from a part of the gun please let me know.
Back to Top
W5USMC View Drop Down
Moderator Group
Moderator Group
Avatar

Joined: Apr 29 2017
Location: Missouri
Status: Offline
Points: 2949
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote W5USMC Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 15 2019 at 11:51am
Gromper, It appears that you have a really nice IBM, I encourage you to submit a Carbine Club Data Sheet on it. See the link below for info.

http://www.uscarbinecal30.com/Forum/carbine-club-data-sheets_topic26.html

Wayne
USMC Retired
NRA Life Member
Back to Top
ncin1911 View Drop Down
On Point
On Point
Avatar

Joined: Dec 13 2018
Location: Hoosier State
Status: Offline
Points: 435
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ncin1911 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 15 2019 at 9:49pm
@Gromper; thank you very much for posting that fantastic IBM; you have a great find there!
3.75mil serial would have been flip sight and the stamped adjustable probably field installed as has been stated. From my own IBM research, barrel date is spot on for 3.75mil and IMO assembled within last two weeks of Nov43. 
Would you post some pictures of the receiver and the rear sight staking please?

Back to Top
Smoky 1 View Drop Down
Recruit
Recruit


Joined: Dec 22 2018
Location: Weippe, ID
Status: Offline
Points: 80
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Smoky 1 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 02 2019 at 7:25pm
What a prize. I have never seen one with that kind of doc. That one is a keeper.
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 12.01
Copyright ©2001-2018 Web Wiz Ltd.

This page was generated in 0.156 seconds.