Original U.S. WWII M1916 .45 Colt 1911 Leather Holster by Sears Saddlery Identified to Marine Corpsman Ralph G. Burkinel, 2nd Marine Division

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice, totally original M1916 holster made by the Sears Saddlery Co. of Davenport, Iowa, in good service-used condition. It is marked SEARS / 1942 on the back, and embossed U S in an oval on the flap, indicating that this was a military issue holster. During the war, Sears produced 163,750 holsters.

The back of the holster is inscribed with a soldier’s information:

R.G. BURNIKEL
Ph. M 2/C
B-2-Msa.

This identifies the holster to Pharmacist’s Mate 2nd (Later 1st) Class Ralph G. Burnikel, who served with Company B, 2nd Medical Battalion, Divisional Service Troops, 2nd Marine Division during WWII. We found that he was in the field by October 1943, so he would’ve seen combat in the Battle of Tarawa, Saipan, Tinian, and Okinawa.

Comes ready for further research and display!