First issue rifle?

[tadam05]

I was wondering what rifle was issued to the very first Canadian soldiers that were deployed in WW2? In searching the net, some sites say that it was the No. 4 Mk 1., others claim it was the SMLE? Were they a mixed batch of the two? If it was the SMLE, I assume these rifles were old stock? This might be a repetitive question, but I am unable to find a reliable source on this.

Thanks in advance,

Tim.

 

[mrbeil]

Send smellie a pm. He's the expert on all and every thing lee enfield related

 

[buffdog]

SMLE

The Number 4 Rifle was not produced or issued in great numbers in Canada until 1941.

 

[tadam05]

I just found one of smellie's posts over at the milsurp forum, very informative! Thanks anyways.

 

[5THBATT]

The SMLE.

Just looked up Skennertons book.
No4s were not issued to front line troops untill 1942
First No4s finished
Maltby, June 1941
Fazakerley, July 1941
BSA Shirley, August 1941
Stevens Savage, first rifle finished 22 July 1941 & by years end total production was 1325 No4s
Long Branch, first 5 rifles by 30 June 1941, 200 by 30 September 1941 & by years end total production was 7589.

 

[JTF#]

SMLEs are what our guys had in hongkong

 

[Claven2]

Thesmle was not widely replaced until just before Normandy. Even after that it was still issued as needed. The UK mod kept them in war reserve until at least 1953 when they stopped ftr'ing the no.1 rifle.

 

[flying pig]

Wasn't there something about a WWII Canadian issued SMLE would be C^ stamped but a WWI Canadian issued rifle would not? Not sure where I heard that...

 

[TheTooner]

In WWI the Canadian service rifle was the Canadian made Ross so they would have had Canadian markings. They were replaced for the CEF in Europe with SMLEs from British Army stores in theatre (initially by picking them off dead British soldiers,) so they were probably too busy to go around restamping those SMLEs with Canadian ordnance acceptance marks. By WWII those SMLEs in Canada (none of them were Canadian made,) probably did have Canadian stamps on them, but there may have been some that never got it.

 

[sunray]

"...with SMLEs from British Army..." And not Canadian owned. The 'broad arrow in the C' meant Canadian owned.
"...first Canadian soldiers..." Were exclusively issued with kit left over from W.W.I. The Socialist F**ks under King didn't like the military(King was afraid of generals and didn't personally like any of 'em) and cut the military budgets far more than Trudeau did.
"...unable to find a reliable source..." There are hordes of books in your public library.