You know I've talked to a lot of WW2 vets and I have yet to find one who actually carried a 1911 into battle.Most of them laugh and say something like "why would you take a pistol into battle to face riflemen?"My dad didn't,he was an artillery officer and carried a M1 carbine.My uncle was an Army Air Corps Lt. Colonel who flew B17s in the Pacific Theater and he carried a S&W revolver.My father in law was a staff sergeant in European Theater and he carried a Garand.That's just my family,I've talked to many others and can't find a single one who carried one.Now I'm not saying noone ever did but I think it was kind of rare and this great reputation was greatly exagerated.There is no way I would even think twice about what 45 I would carry,the 20SF and to me it feels just enough different from a 20 to seal the deal. Steve
BTW,I don't carry any 45s, 9mm and 357 Sig are my pistol calibers.
My ole lady's grandfather carried one - I don't know what my grandfather's weapon was, and my father somehow never got issues anything but m16s it seemed he said. (grandfathers were both enlisted men/NCOs and my father is an officer but retired)
Not everybody was issued one. My stint in service came after they were replaced by the M9 so I hadn't shot one until my RIA.
I'd imagine they were issued and carried about how the M9 is today.