Help with finding Herr Pitroff

[JohnBurke]

Hello GMIC members and fellow researchers,

Attached is a picture of a name marked commercial P-08 with the name "Pitroff" stamped on the front grip strap. The style of the marking is undoubtedly like many unit marked pistols of the period and it is an authentic piece. I presume it was sold to a German Officer around 1907 based on the serial number and some other indicators. I might be wrong in that assumption but it is my initial assumption. I have searched available resources on the internet and in the 1914 Bavarian rankliste for some officer by the same name "Pitroff". If I read the documentation correctly, I have found only two names with very similar spellings but not the exact spellings; "Adam Pittroff" and "Daniel Pitrof" in the 21st and 20th Bavarian regiments respectively. I found that Adam Pittroff was KIA in 1916. And it would be great if the name on the P08 was "Pitrof" because that Bavarian officer went on to become a rather famous decorated hero. However, no such luck because the spellings do not match whats on the pistol. I'm ruling out a mispelling or a later date name change based on inputs from fellow German colleaques who insist that German name changes were not made and on the attention to detail maintained by German records keepers. I do believe the name is Bavarian based on some on-line genealogical databases that show current day Pitroffs living in Germany, specifically the areas of Kulmbach, Bayreuth, Forcheim, Bamber, and Hassberge with the majority of those living in the first two named places.

And so, I'm wondering with the resources available to some of our fellow GMIC members if someone could come up with a German officer having a name to match to the name on the P08. I'd like to be able to continue researching my pistol further but have basically come to a dead end. Any help with this research would be greatly appreciated. I wish I could provide more information to start but that's as far as I'm presently able to go.

Sincerely, John

[Deruelle]

Hi,

I haven't find name PITROFF in the Ehrenrangliste 14-18.

Are you sure that the name engraved on your pistol is genuine ?

Christophe

[JohnBurke]

Hi,

I haven't find name PITROFF in the Ehrenrangliste 14-18.

Are you sure that the name engraved on your pistol is genuine ?

Christophe

Hello Christophe,

Thanks so much for checking those references. Name spellings I found are so close! Perhaps another resource might have it? I believe it is authentic and an officer private purchase. If someone were savvy enough to authentically fake then they could of at least picked the name "Pitrof." because that would have been much better! And a P08 of this type probably worth more unmarked. Several knowledgeable colleagues have look at the marking and they think it genuine too. So I remain hopeful something will turn up.

Police owned? Post-WWI? Other thoughts? Any other ideas for continuing the hunt appreciated.

Sincerely, John

[JohnBurke]

Hi,

I haven't find name PITROFF in the Ehrenrangliste 14-18.

Are you sure that the name engraved on your pistol is genuine ?

Christophe

Christophe,

Another thought on this just occurred to me. Perhaps an officer by the name of Pitrof purchased the P08 circa 1907 and retired or died before 1914. Hence, he would not be found in the Ehrenrangliste 14-18. Possible?

John

Edited February 22, 2010 by JohnBurke