Deactivated WWII Lend Lease Thompson M1A1

This is a superb condition WWII US Thompson M1A1. It is marked 'US Property' which was applied to the majority of weapons that were assigned to the Lend Lease program during the war. Lend Lease weapons were produed for the British war effort and issued to Allied forces. However this example has a very rare Italian marking on the receiver. FAT 51 is the Italian marking used by Fabbricca d'Arma Terni, the government arsenal at Terni. 51 is the two digit date code for 1951. This Thompson may well have been in use with Allied forces whilst fighting in Italy (1943 to 1945) where it was eventually captured. Post WWII it was re-arsenalled and put into Italian military ownership. In the 1949 Italy became a member of NATO and an ally of the United States, which helped to revive the Italian economy during the immediate post war period. A rare find.

The condition is excellent with matching numbers, crisp Parkerized finish and beautiful wood work. A real collectors piece!