LF: Info on Vancouver Police collecting WWI Machine Guns in the 80's or 90's

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dolany99

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Hi
Does anyone here remember a story of Vancouver police being called to pick up several WWI era aircraft machine guns from an elderly woman in the Vancouver area? I'm going on a vague tip, apparently this may have happened in the 80's or 90's and I'm trying to find out any information about this story, if it's true. I know it's not a lot to go on, and I'm not even 100% sure if Vancouver is the actual location, but I figured it would probably be a news worthy story and possibly some gun enthusiasts might remember it.

Allegedly the guns were a Vickers and a couple of Spandau or Maxim machine guns of the type that would be mounted on a fighter plane of that time. I would like to know the eventual outcome of the story, if the guns were destroyed or if they were transferred to a museum. In particular I would like to track down the serial numbers to see if they can be traced back to a specific person or aircraft. I've scoured the news archives and internet, but to no avail...yet. Please reply if you have any info or any ideas.
Thanks.
 
WWI machines guns were pretty common following the Great War. I have read they were an extremely popular war trophy and some people even received them as gifts.

I think a bunch eventually ended up in Regimental Museums but where the majority of them went I have no idea?

I hardly ever even seem them as dewatts. I'm honestly surprised there aren't still more around?

Sorry I can't help with a tip on your story, but I sure wish there were more nice ones out there for collectors even if as dewatts.

-Steve
 
Alledgedly there were sporting goods stores selling Vickers and Lewis guns by the train car load between the wars and before that sort of thing was regulated. There's likely way more of them out there than anybody realizes. Heck, they still find Sten guns in attics and barns every year.
 
"...see if they can be traced back to a specific person or aircraft..." Not in a million years. Those records were not kept.
"...the eventual outcome of the story..." Those MG's would have been chopped no matter where they turned up. Nothing scarier than a little old lady with a belt fed MG.
A Vickers, Spandau and Maxim are all essentially the same gun. Vickers was a Brit manufacturer. Spandau a place(German arsenal and prison) and Hiram Maxim the inventor. Very cool things to shoot though.
 
When the amnesty was in place when the long gun registry was coming into effect, a gentleman came into our Headquarters and turned in a 50 cal Browning M2 that he had removed from a crashed bomber here in Newfoundland during the war. He also had several belts of ammo for it. I believe that the gun was donated to a museum afterwards. We also had a hand grenade and a couple of mortar rounds turned in.

You'd be very surprised what is tucked away in the dust in some basements and attics.
 
Recall a story of a Calgary armed forces guy bringing some back from the latest Balkans conflict. Apparently suitably dewatted, but ended up charged and convicted anyway. Judge was sympathetic and he got a token sentence.

Grizz
 
Steve1987 said:
WWI machines guns were pretty common following the Great War. I have read they were an extremely popular war trophy and some people even received them as gifts.

I think a bunch eventually ended up in Regimental Museums but where the majority of them went I have no idea?

I hardly ever even seem them as dewatts. I'm honestly surprised there aren't still more around?

Sorry I can't help with a tip on your story, but I sure wish there were more nice ones out there for collectors even if as dewatts.

-Steve
Click to expand...

Seen a few MG 08/15s at legions. Couple of sled mounts, less guns at a war memorial in the Crowsnest Pass.

Grizz
 
he was prohib collector,what ever designation that is. mailed some machine-gun barrels back from former yugoslavia. RCMP & MPs got all bent out of shape, confiscated everything, charged him.

the unofficial story that didn`t go to the papers---- dropped charges and eventually gave it all back with apologies. was just around the time all the laws changed.
was great security ad for the married quarters, all the bad guys thought we had basements full of loaded guns, so they stayed away. most were operational. he lived a couple of blocks from me.
 
sunray said:
"...see if they can be traced back to a specific person or aircraft..." Not in a million years. Those records were not kept.
"...the eventual outcome of the story..." Those MG's would have been chopped no matter where they turned up. Nothing scarier than a little old lady with a belt fed MG.
A Vickers, Spandau and Maxim are all essentially the same gun. Vickers was a Brit manufacturer. Spandau a place(German arsenal and prison) and Hiram Maxim the inventor. Very cool things to shoot though.
Click to expand...

"...not in a million years..." Many - most - of the WWI machineguns in Canada were trophy guns, officially brought back after the war. Many were donated to Legions, etc. Some wound up in private hands. These trophy guns were all recorded, and can be traced. One that turned up a few years ago was a MG08/15 captured by the 16th BN on Hill 70.
"...A Vickers, Spandau and Maxim are all essentially the same gun..." And all revolvers are Colts and all auto pistols are Brownings.
 
Canada is a very large country , I think we would all be surprised at the different arms tucked away in peoples barns , attics , basements , etc . Given that there is an armed conflict going on somewhere in the world at any given time .....heavy arms are probabley not that hard to come by if you have a strong heart and are resourceful . There are some videos on You Tube of some of the guns found in Iraq.......very interesting...
 
MG-'08 at the museum in Maple Creek, on sled-mount.

Western Development Museums in Sasktchewan had a whack of 'em last time I visited.

Town of Douglas, Manitoba has an MG-'08 w/schlitt on their memorial cairn in downtown.

As far as tracing is concerned, it is possible for some guns. There is one in the reserve collection at the CWM (not even on display!!!!!) that Billy Bishop took from a German 2-seater that he downed. That is unusual in itself; most of them burned either on th way down or after impact. Ran into a .455 S&W revolver some years back, marked to 32 Sqn RFC with an issue number. THAT ONE would be easily traced; not many WWI flyers from that small town!

Wish I could track down the guy who carried my Remington 1858/'66 revolver. I know where he is buried, have been there, but don't know exactly who he was. I think many of us have a gun we would really like to know about.

For most of them (and us): hard sleddin'.
 
hmmm this probably isnt same story, but my dad went on a trip to pick up, i believe a vickers machinegun, off of an early crashed airplane,i think a patrol type ww1 aircraft with rear mounted machinegun, on Vancouver island somewhere, he recovered it for a museum, i believe its the Canadian Museum of flight in Langely.
 
Over the years, some police forces kept one of each type of weapon that was either seized in a bust or surrendered as part of an amnesty. I was lucky enough to fire several of these machine guns in the RCMP's inventory at Connaught Ranges back in 2000. They included Lewis and Bren guns on full auto [Best. Range. Outing. Ever!]!
 
dolany99 said:
Hi
Does anyone here remember a story of Vancouver police being called to pick up several WWI era aircraft machine guns from an elderly woman in the Vancouver area? I'm going on a vague tip, apparently this may have happened in the 80's or 90's and I'm trying to find out any information about this story, if it's true. I know it's not a lot to go on, and I'm not even 100% sure if Vancouver is the actual location, but I figured it would probably be a news worthy story and possibly some gun enthusiasts might remember it.

Allegedly the guns were a Vickers and a couple of Spandau or Maxim machine guns of the type that would be mounted on a fighter plane of that time. I would like to know the eventual outcome of the story, if the guns were destroyed or if they were transferred to a museum. In particular I would like to track down the serial numbers to see if they can be traced back to a specific person or aircraft. I've scoured the news archives and internet, but to no avail...yet. Please reply if you have any info or any ideas.
Thanks.
Click to expand...

Back in the 80's there was a restaurant that burned down in Vancouver .
The demolition company found a bunch of ww1 Lewis guns in the basement of the restaurant.
I new the owner of the demo company & saw the guns .
 
dirtytwo said:
Over the years, some police forces kept one of each type of weapon that was either seized in a bust or surrendered as part of an amnesty. I was lucky enough to fire several of these machine guns in the RCMP's inventory at Connaught Ranges back in 2000. They included Lewis and Bren guns on full auto [Best. Range. Outing. Ever!]!
Click to expand...

Maybe five or ten years ago there was a photo op story about visiting the Ottawa Police Service property room. All very cloak and dagger about vaguely describing the building and all the security measures. Besides the very sad truth about old rape kits and unsolved crimes, the story emphasized the crime guns and showed their BRENs and assorted WWII machine guns in transit cases. The streets are so much safer with those things out of circulation.
 
"Back in the 80's there was a restaurant that burned down in Vancouver .
The demolition company found a bunch of ww1 Lewis guns in the basement of the restaurant.
I new the owner of the demo company & saw the guns . "


Ho Inn resturant maybe the wrong spelling it was in china town they also found gold bars I believe if memory serves me right as well as a Lewis guns and dual german machine guns off a forker.
 
Ottawa Police just had a amnesty and got around 800 guns, over 300 handguns . lot of old ladies giving away there stuff. the police are reluctant to tell them to bring them to the gun store and sell them. I was told that there was a lot of collectibles in there.
 
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