Lot 128

Colt 1903 Pocket Hammerless Pistol of OSS Spy Frederick Mayer

Previous image preload Next image preload

Colt 1903 Pocket Hammerless Pistol of OSS Spy Frederick Mayer

Estimate: $5,500 - $8,500

Starting Bid: $4,750

(0 Bids)

by Rock Island Auction Company
June 27, 2026 5:00 PM CDT
Live Auction
3600 Harwood Road
Bedford, TX, US 76021

Historic OSS Shipped World War II U.S. Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless Semi-Automatic Pistol Identified to OSS Spy Sergeant Frederick Mayer of "Operation Greenup" Fame with Holster Rig, Family Documentation, and Factory Letter This incredible and historically significant pistol was issued to none other than OSS spy Sergeant Frederick Mayer, the team leader of "Operation Greenup." This espionage mission is considered by many to be the single most successful intelligence gathering OSS operation of World War II. Among other things, the operation saved Innsbruck, Austria, from destruction by approaching American forces at the end of the war. Three heroic men who served as American spies were included in this operation: Frederick Mayer, a German born Jew who immigrated to the United States in 1938; Hans Wijnberg, a Netherlands born immigrant of 1939; and Franz Weber, a former Austrian Wehrmacht officer. These three individuals certainly had a personal dog in the fight and were tasked to scout the heavily fortified area of Austria's Alpine Redoubt to compile reports on German rail traffic over the Brenner Pass between Italy and Austria. Any intel they gathered would give the Allies hints about how the German Army intended to fight in the final stages of the war. On February 26, 1945, they parachuted in the dark with the intent being to land on a small frozen lake between two peaks. They found themselves at the ridge of a glacier at 10,000 feet and found all the containers that were dropped with them but the one that housed their skis; forcing them to have to walk down the slope in waist deep snow. They rendezvoused with Franz Weber's family, and with their help over the course of the next three months Frederick Mayer posed as a German Army officer and ended up staying in the officers' barracks in Innsbruck, Austria. During this time, he also adapted his role to pose as a French electrician who was supposedly fleeing from the advancing Soviet forces. Over the course of Mayer's time inside, any information he collected was radioed back by Hans Wijnberg. Mayer ended up being arrested, interrogated, and brutally tortured after a black market racketeer he dealt with was captured by the Gestapo and name dropped him as a spy. During the same time, Hermann Matull, another American agent, was also being interrogated and was shown a picture of Mayer's swollen face to see if he knew the man to which he claimed Mayer was a "big shot" in the American command and convinced the interrogators that a man as senior as Mayer would only be able to speak with another individual of high rank. Franz Hofer, The Party Leader of Tyrol and Vorarlberg, ordered the Gestapo to bring Mayer to him. Although Mayer believed it was just another tactic to get him to give up his radioman Hans Wijnberg, it was instead an attempt by the Germans to discuss their surrender. The whole time they did not know that Mayer was actually only a sergeant. On the morning of May 3, 1945, the American 103rd Infantry Division of the Seventh Army was ordered to take Innsbruck, Austria. As they approached the city, they encountered an approaching vehicle with a white banner made out of bed sheet, and Frederick Mayer, swollen face and all, hopped out of the car and identified himself to Major Bland West. He explained he was going to take the major with him to accept the German surrender, and the rest is history. An accompanying notarized letter of provenance dated December 4, 2025, and signed and addressed from Claudette Mayer of Wakefield, Rhode Island, states, "As Executor of my father Frederick Mayer's estate, I, Claudette Mayer, residing at the above address, do hereby attest to the fact that, in accordance with my father's wishes, the estate gifted my father's Colt 1003 [1903] Pocket Hammerless service weapon, serial number 558671, to his good friend and neighbor..." The current consignor is the listed recipient. The included factory letter states this pistol was included as part of 543 guns of the same type sold to the U.S. Government and shipped on August 11, 1944, to the property officer of the supply division of the Office of Strategic Services in the Fowler Building in Rosslyn, Virginia, in .32 caliber, with a 3 3/4 inch barrel, blue finish, and type of grips not listed, under Colt factory order number 4420. The pistol has the "U.S. PROPERTY" stamping on the right of the frame. The story of "Operation Greenup" is shown in the documentary "The Real Inglorious Bastards" produced by Storyline Entertainment, and a DVD of the film is included; this documentary was released a few years after the Quentin Tarantino film "Inglourious Basterds" to share a real story of OSS operations. Also included is a period gray leather shoulder holster rig with "NAPPA" branded button that was indicated to us to have been modified by Frederick Mayer himself with an added securing strap at the bottom.

Manufacturer: Colt

Model: 1903 Pocket Hammerless

BBL: 3 3/4 inch round

Gauge: 32 ACP

Finish: blue

Grips: walnut

Serial Number558671

Class: Curio & Relic Handgun

  • Provenance: OSS Spy Sergeant Frederick Mayer; A Private Collection
  • Condition: Excellent, retains 95% original blue finish, a small scuff on the left side front of the slide perfectly in line with the modified provision on Mayer's holster, light freckling, and sharp markings and edges. The grips are also excellent, with bright medallions, a few very minor handling marks, and crisp checkering. Mechanically excellent. The holster is very fine, with minor wear. A very desirable pistol for the advanced collector of significant espionage items and World War II: a Colt Model 1903 pistol identified to American hero and OSS Spy Sergeant Frederick Mayer of "Operation Greenup" fame!

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Rock Island Auction will contact you shortly after the auction has completed. We will arrange for shipping and or pickup.

Rock Island Auction Company

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 30% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $199 $10
$200 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $25,000