Commonwealth Small Arms Photo Shoot

[Hawkshadow]

For your viewing pleasure are a couple of the pictures that I snapped recently during an impromptu photo shoot.

The black and white photos are of a relative who served from Italy through Holland. After being wounded once by shrapnel, he was ordered to trade in his Thompson for a Bren when he returned to the line. He was subsequently attached to a Bren Carrier section, where he served until mere days before the end of the war when an encounter with a landmine "changed his direction".

Over the years I have spent hours with this man learning as much as I possibly could and taking in as many stories as he could remember. It has been a privilege and an honour that I will keep forever. Lending an ear and showing genuine interest is the least we can do.

The Bren in the picture was lent to me by a truly exceptional member of this community for the sole purpose of reuniting this old vet with the weapon which played such a large part of his life. It was amazing to see his mind go from "yea that's an old gun" to "oh yes, that looks a little like the Bren I carried overseas" to the realization that it was one and the same.

 

[Rory McCanuck]

Cool story, and a very nice pic!

 

[Cdn303]

Time to be buz-killington, but the sling on the enfield is on wrong. The buckles should be toward the rifle, (with the smooth side closest to the wood) and the claws facing away from the rifle. The way then are, the claws will wreck the stock.

 

[locke it]

Time to be buz-killington, but the sling on the enfield is on wrong. The buckles should be toward the rifle, (with the smooth side closest to the wood) and the claws facing away from the rifle. The way then are, the claws will wreck the stock.

Lol, somebody had to say it...

Neat thread!

 

[fugawi]

Nice pics. Good on you that you learned your relative's war service.

 

[Claven2]

What's the gunk on the Sten?

 

[Hawkshadow]

Oh man, I threw the sling on quickly and didn't even realize that I put it on backwards.. Damn it! Time was short, and I threw this setup together in 5 minutes before the Bren went out the door.

The gunk on the sten... Before I received it, I assume that it was wrapped in tape some time ago. The gunk is hard as cement and takes a lot of time to get off. I heat it to soften it up a little, then scrub with lighter fluid and an old credit card. I also tried goo-gone but found that it doesn't work as well. If anyone else has some wonder cure to try, I'm all ears!

 

[JRW (QOR)]

My father told me when he was in his barricks someone dropped a sten and it emptied the mag. Luckily no one was hit, but he said everyone scattered PDQ!

 

[fugawi]

My father told me when he was in his barricks someone dropped a sten and it emptied the mag. Luckily no one was hit, but he said everyone scattered PDQ!

My father's unit was to be issued Stens before D-Day and was supposed to surrender their Thompsons. But they dumped the Stens and kept their Tommy guns when they went over.

 

[tootall]

I'm inspired!
I'm going to set up a photo shoot with my Dad's 3rd Division tunic and a few guns, some live, some dewat.

One question, did Canada ever issue the Inglis Browning HP with shoulder stock, or only the Nationalist Chinese contract?

 

[Claven2]

My father told me when he was in his barricks someone dropped a sten and it emptied the mag. Luckily no one was hit, but he said everyone scattered PDQ!

If I had a dollar for every time I heard this absurd storey. It's a wonder all our troops were not dead before reaching europe... :roll eyes:

Save you the suspense:

IT'S NOT POSSIBLE.

I would recommend you read Peter Laidler's excellent book on the Sten, it goes into great deal why this is a mechanical impossibility and essentially calls 100,000 grandfathers or friends of grandfathers bold faced liars - which they are.

You might get ONE round off this way, but that's it.

 

[Hawkshadow]

I'm inspired!
I'm going to set up a photo shoot with my Dad's 3rd Division tunic and a few guns, some live, some dewat.

One question, did Canada ever issue the Inglis Browning HP with shoulder stock, or only the Nationalist Chinese contract?

Definitely do! If you're able to take the time, you can get some great looking shots! I have a bunch of other pictures with more of the fridge showing... I'm hoping I can find someone who is one of those photoshop wizards who can fix this.

The CH series were the only ones that Inglis made with the shoulder stock and the tangent sight. After this, they went to the T series where several alterations were made. Two of which being the removal of the stock and stock cutout, and the change from tangent sights to fixed. There are cases of the CH pistols in Canadian Army service, but they weren't issued standard with the stock (to my experience and knowledge).