Lee-Enfield No.I Mk.III (*) Lithgow 1915

[Drachenblut]

Hello fellow milsurp members,

I am wondering if anyone has a Lithgow Australia 1915 Enfield. I would be very interested in buying one for whatever it would cost in the future, and am hoping to locate some examples right now... Can these rifles even be found? It was Lithgow's third year of production and most 1915 rifles were sent to England for the Expeditionary Forces if my information is correct?

I had family at the Dardanelles Campaign (Gallipoli) in 1915 and wanted a rifle to symbolise that fact, as their possessions (including an Enfield) were lost in the interwar period when they moved to Canada.

If anyone can help me to have a chance at re-claiming a piece of family history, I would be very appreciative. How much do these examples usually run, cost wise?

Thanks,
Drachenblut

 

[smellie]

Hi, Drachenblut;

Early Lithgows are not all that common; I wish you luck. I recently turned up a 1917, but it could use new wood and a whole bunch of TLC. Aussie rifles generally kept their butts intact, often you can find the whole history of the rifle there. I have a 1918 like that: it really shoots!

Under battlefield conditions, I would think that a lot of rifles got misplaced, switched around, lost/found, found/lost, blown to bits and replaced with an 'acquired' specimen, things like that. One thing the AEF did do was attempt to keep everyone using Aussie rifles.

Good luck in your search.

 

[Drachenblut]

Thank you smellie. If you ever find a 1915 dated Lithgow, let me know!

 

[RangeRover]

Are you only interested in complete rifles, or do you want to hear about sportered ones too? (haven't seen one, but if I do I'll let you know).

Thank you smellie. If you ever find a 1915 dated Lithgow, let me know!

 

[Drachenblut]

Sporters will be acceptable as I could hopefully restore it slowly over time, so long as it is Lithgow, 1914-1918 dated, 1915 preferable.
I know early Lithgow's are hard to find... then again everyone said you would never be able to own and Mg-42... but Marstar for 5000 bucks or so says it all. Everything has a price.