Wartime Soviet Thompson Machinegun Document

[desantnik]

For your perusal an interesting identification document issued by the Tskhakaia NKVD bureau (now Senaki, Georgia) issued sometime in 1943 to a member of a local "destroyer" unit. The document was extended beyond its initial, unspecified issue date to later periods through 31 December 1943, 1 July 1944, then 31 December 1944, and finally 31 December 1945.

Senaki - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This unit was formed to pursue and hunt reports of enemy agents parachuted into the friendly rear area, as well as general, local security.

Most notable, this document is outstanding in that it mentions the bearer was armed with a Thompson submachinegun, serial-number 161804. An on-line search engine led me to this article Thompson submachine gun - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that reads: "Through Lend-Lease, the Soviet Union also received the Thompson, but due to a shortage of appropriate ammunition in the Soviet Union, usage was not widespread."

This document seems to substantiate the supply problems involving U.S. 45 caliber ammunition in that these Lend-Lease weapons were shipped to the "backwater" of Georgia and not used on the front lines.

The reference is this book: Bishop, Chris (1998). The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II. New York: Orbis Publiishing Ltd. ISBN 0-7607-1022-8.

I'd appreciate any more information if it's available.