A rifle named Rosalie Lee Enfield No.1 Mk III

Yeah, I can see that happening. Private Bloggins whittles on His Majesty's property. He gets caught, jacked up, put on charges and the rifle taken away. Then, he gets out of the glass house he gets his hands on the confiscated item and sneaks (steals) it back from the armourer and continues whittling???? The more that I think about it, the better the story gets.

Not saying that this didn't happen, but quite the tale. Some things make me go hmmmm.

I have an interest in Boer War weapons and there are many with beautiful carvings to commemorate battles and where a soldier had fought. Made by both sides of the conflict, a pattern tends to show that these trench art items were lovingly crafted AFTER the war by the retired soldier or commissioned by him. Often made for presentation or display at the regimental Mess and such.

In service, carving up crown property, and especially a weapon, I would imagine would be 'frowned' upon.
 
I have a long Lee which has the battles etched on the side as well as the guys name. The tang of course shows his unit.

The batles run out the day before he was wounded. Interestingly the war diary speaks to his being wounded and the regimental surgeon holding off the Boers with the wounded man's rifle.
 
englishman_ca said:
Yeah, I can see that happening. Private Bloggins whittles on His Majesty's property. He gets caught, jacked up, put on charges and the rifle taken away. Then, he gets out of the glass house he gets his hands on the confiscated item and sneaks (steals) it back from the armourer and continues whittling???? The more that I think about it, the better the story gets.

Not saying that this didn't happen, but quite the tale. Some things make me go hmmmm.

I have an interest in Boer War weapons and there are many with beautiful carvings to commemorate battles and where a soldier had fought. Made by both sides of the conflict, a pattern tends to show that these trench art items were lovingly crafted AFTER the war by the retired soldier or commissioned by him. Often made for presentation or display at the regimental Mess and such.

In service, carving up crown property, and especially a weapon, I would imagine would be 'frowned' upon.
Click to expand...

I would tend to agree maybe done after the war.
How could you hide that in the crowded confines of the trenches?
Maybe that was the battles the unit was involved in, but one soldier in all those major battles? Could very well be though.... it almost seems like a unit commemorative to me, but what do I know?
 
The article does say that the soldier himself provided the story

In 1956 Lecorre visited a military exhibit and recognized “Rosalie”. He was overcome with emotion and recounted the amazing story. Lecorre passed away on January 20th 1963

The story may have been embellished since I suppose.
 
The author assumes the carvings were all on one side because the soldier was right handed. I'd think it was to have one unmarked side in order to help keep the carvings hidden.
 
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