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Major Jack C Miller's Cattaraugus 225q

A

Ardenkb

Joined
Nov 6, 2015
Messages
2
I found this knife that I think is a Cattaraugus 225q in my mother's garage. Major Miller's name was scratched on the sheath along with the following: Hawaii, Jeleliu,Ulithi, Holiday Hillih, New Challdinia, Leyte and other place names not quite legible. Anyone have any information about this serviceman, his unit or activities?
 
Possible match. Couldn't find any reference to what unit he served with, but his obituary mentions WW2 service in the South Pacific.

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/gazette/obituary.aspx?pid=176267059

Those battle names on the sheath initially made me think Navy or Marines. But both units I served in the Army with had a WW2 history involving the South Pacific. A lot of them match up with the battle history of the 81st Infantry.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/81st_Infantry_Division_(United_States)

Let us know what you find out.
 
Jeleliu is probably Peleliu, Ulithi is correct, Holiday Hill is a mystery to me, and New Challdinia is New Caledonia, Leyte is correct.

Is that written on the sheath as if in sequential order? If so, that was a odd tour through a few of the nastier places (Peleliu, Leyte) in the Pacific War. New Caledonia became a staging area early in the war (as was Hawaii of course) and Ulithi became a major Navy repair facility late in the war.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Peleliu
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulithi#Second_World_War
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Leyte

The Catt 225Q is a good knife and quite usable today (assuming condition is OK). If you do use it, I recommend getting a modern replica sheath — the old one has earned its rest, especially with the markings.

Edit/addition: Holiday Hillih (?) might be Halmahera, but I don't think it saw action in WW2:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halmahera
 
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Halfneck said:
Possible match. Couldn't find any reference to what unit he served with, but his obituary mentions WW2 service in the South Pacific.

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/gazette/obituary.aspx?pid=176267059

Those battle names on the sheath initially made me think Navy or Marines. But both units I served in the Army with had a WW2 history involving the South Pacific. A lot of them match up with the battle history of the 81st Infantry.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/81st_Infantry_Division_(United_States)

Let us know what you find out.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I will try to contact family perhaps they would like to have this knife.
 
I still carry my grandfather's Cattaraugus 225Q.



I did a restoration/modification but it's still a Catt.
 
AreBeeBee said:
Jeleliu is probably Peleliu, Ulithi is correct, Holiday Hill is a mystery to me, and New Challdinia is New Caledonia, Leyte is correct.

Is that written on the sheath as if in sequential order? If so, that was a odd tour through a few of the nastier places (Peleliu, Leyte) in the Pacific War. New Caledonia became a staging area early in the war (as was Hawaii of course) and Ulithi became a major Navy repair facility late in the war.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Peleliu
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulithi#Second_World_War
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Leyte

The Catt 225Q is a good knife and quite usable today (assuming condition is OK). If you do use it, I recommend getting a modern replica sheath — the old one has earned its rest, especially with the markings.

Edit/addition: Holiday Hillih (?) might be Halmahera, but I don't think it saw action in WW2:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halmahera
Click to expand...

Morotai was near Halmahera and was a staging area for Leyte if I recall.
 
Random comment OT, you guys make this site worth supporting :thumbup: Thank you for the helpful replies to the new user.
 
Ardenkb, it would be great if you could post a picture or two of the knife and sheath. We might be able to "crowdsource" the hard-to-read place names.

And here's some background on the "Quartermaster knife" — it was not produced for quartermasters only, but was generally issued (see post #4): http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...-WWII-fighting-knives?p=11002653#post11002653

And mine (bought from the 'Bay), with the original sheath on top and the modern replica below:

tumblr_nu0ml9FkAi1r4zf5xo4_1280.jpg


Apparently, the company roughed up the center part of the stacked-leather handle before it was shipped off, probably to improve the grip. So if yours has that (most examples you'll see do have it), it's not damage but was intentional. Finally, as the linked post above says, Case also made similar knife.
 
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"Holiday Hillih" has been nagging at me, and the penny finally fell (as it should have much earlier). It's Hollandia, which was taken in March-April 1944 as part of MacArthur's strategy of leapfrogging Japanese strongpoints in the New Guinea campaign.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Hollandia

Photos of the knife would be interesting.
 
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Interesting history. I have worked in the Pacific region as a school teacher, so I think all of the identification of location is correct. I do not claim to know a lot of WWII history but I am familiar with the geography. :cool:
 
My understanding is that like the Mark 1 USN knives (most of which also had a left-side sheath), the expectation was that any sidearm would be carried on the right side, as Halfneck says, putting the knife on the left.

However, here's evidence that some (Maj. Gen. Norman Cota, here being decorated by Gen. Omar Bradley) managed right-side carry of both pistol and knife. (Note also the gouged center portion of the handle.)

Gen%20Norman%20Cota%20Cattaraugus%20225Q%20ed.jpg


(Photo from http://www.usmilitaryknives.com/old_photos_70.htm, which is a wonderful site to explore.)
 
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Same stuff I found leghog :D Bringing this back up as I'd be interested to hear the outcome.
 
leghog - just interested if the Major Jack C. Miller we both found is correct. I just think it would be cool if we were able to help reunite an old soldier's family with his knife.
 
Halfneck said:
leghog - just interested if the Major Jack C. Miller we both found is correct. I just think it would be cool if we were able to help reunite an old soldier's family with his knife.
Click to expand...
We? Perhaps the current owner of the Catt 225Q/OP doesn't want to give is knife away even to the family of who it was once issued to (the original owner was the U.S. Army). MAJ Miller most likely gave it away, traded it, or sold it some time in the past. I know I'm not really willing to return my small collection of issue knives, issue firearms, or issue wristwatches to anyone to whom the military previously issued them.

Regardless, the OP only has two posts on BF and both of those are in this thread and his BF join date is the same date of those posts. We may or may not ever hear from him again either of which is fine.
 
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