Found In Attic...

cyclone

cyclone

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A touching story - and no, it's not about baseball cards.

My neighbour phoned me the other day, after I showed him some of "the collection"; his grandfather had apparently kept some firearms in an attic, and now the grandson (my neighbour) had found them. They were:

1) An Enfield 1915 SMLE (full wood),

2) A Lithgow 1942 SMLE (full wood), and

3) a "funny looking Enfield, marked V & R 1887 IV-I" (just kidding - I know what this is; the action works beautifully).

Kinda makes me wish I wasn't the first one in my family to start owning firearms - esp. when I heard the initial acquisition prices - hoo boy!
 
My grandmother gave away my grandfather's service rifle when I was about 8, way before I started getting into firearms :'( I have been told it was unbudda'd as well...
 
"...my grandfather's service rifle..." Canadian troopies have never been allowed to keep their service rifle. No souvenir handguns were allowed either. Kit checks were done when they got off the boats.
 
LOL - LOTS of handguns in Canada are vet bringbacks. Announcements were made on the ships that handguns, SMG's, etc. could not be brought back and hte penalty was delayed discharge from service. Lots of guys tossed their stuff overboard and to their extreme consternation, those "bag checks" never materialized. They guys who risked being caught by keeping their souvenirs got to retain them. Funny and sad, but true.
 
Claven2 said:
LOL - LOTS of handguns in Canada are vet bringbacks. Announcements were made on the ships that handguns, SMG's, etc. could not be brought back and hte penalty was delayed discharge from service. Lots of guys tossed their stuff overboard and to their extreme consternation, those "bag checks" never materialized. They guys who risked being caught by keeping their souvenirs got to retain them. Funny and sad, but true.
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+1

I got the exact story from my great uncle who served with the PPCLI [including overseas] from 1939 - 1946. He came back via New York City on an american troop ship. He told me there was a similar announcement prior to landing that anyone caught with "contraband" [such as handguns] would be delayed getting home. That night most of the soldiers, including him, went to the ships side and dumped numerous handguns & ammo overboard. The checks when arriving never came.

He did however bring back a nice K98 but neglected to bring ammo with it. He thought it would make a good hunting rifle when he got home to Salt Spring Island [B.C.] where he had spent his youth hunting. However, due to lack of ammo when he got home, wanting to get back to his favourite outdoor pass time, he traded the K98 for a Savage 99 lever in .30-30 Win. :eek:
 
took care of a fella at the hospital who served in the black watch and fought mainly in sicily and italy, but was first stationed in north africa. he told me about the luger he brough back with him. sold it a few years after his health started to decline. he always had a bit of a twinkle in his eye when he talked about that luger. he was pretty proud of it, and he missed it too. passed away about a month ago.
 
sunray said:
"...my grandfather's service rifle..." Canadian troopies have never been allowed to keep their service rifle. No souvenir handguns were allowed either. Kit checks were done when they got off the boats.
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I have met several vets (WWII) they have captured hand guns....
 
garand

my neighbour was a juno D-day vet he had his garand he traded an american for in the field right up until he passed away a year or so ago i offered to buy it but his daughter was having it Deact for her son :(

story is it was from the 101st airborne some fellows buddy fell during the battle and traded my neighbour the extra garand for a nazi flag he had nabed :( now i imagine its a paper weight or in the garbage somewhere in parts.. horrible ending i know
 
My Grandpa was allowed to keep his SMLE due to a service conflict.

He started off Infantry, was issued the SMLE and then volunteered for Bomber Command as an Air Gunner on Lancs (Aircrew got to sleep in beds in houses, as opposed to the majority of the pongos who had cots in tents). Well, he transferred over, nobody asked for his SMLE assuming he was still in the service and therefore still needed it. Then Bomber Command issued him a revolver (Webley in .38 British I think). When he mustered out, the Air Force was only interested in the pistol. Since he was "mustered out" of the Army three years prior he didn't have a chit. So he tried to turn the SMLE in, but they did not have his name on any list as owing a rifle. So he kept it, figuring it was just easier that way. That rifle was supposed to be mine, as I was the very next member of the family to join the Military. After Grandpa died, an uncle took MY rifle and sold it before I was able to get home and claim it.
 
I have a matching Luger taken from a German officer when a prisoner of war camp was liberated. The fellow who brought it back told the officer he wanted his pistol. When the camp was taken over by the Allies, the officer unbuckeld his sidearm and gave to this fellow. I have no reason to doubt this, as I knew the man who brought it home.
 
I wonder what our grandsons are going to say about us and our toys when they are old enough to post here.
 
kjohn said:
I have a matching Luger taken from a German officer when a prisoner of war camp was liberated. The fellow who brought it back told the officer he wanted his pistol. When the camp was taken over by the Allies, the officer unbuckeld his sidearm and gave to this fellow. I have no reason to doubt this, as I knew the man who brought it home.
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A late friend's POW father had a similar story, but he tracked down some of his "special" guards and the luger only had 3 rounds left between the issued mags when my friend inherited it.

Apparently he had been wounded & left for dead by his comrades after machine gunning a group of Germans with his Bren.

The germans fixed him up and also took their frustrations out on him.

The gun remains in the family. My friend told me that he deeply regreted registering it, as with it's "prohib" status it may not be transferable to the next generation.
 
Tell them about the 12-7 thing.
You can find psots on this .
If made before 1946 ( or45)
it can be left to a son or gandson
or the girls in the family
 
A fellow I knew had a Browning Hi Power with both Canadian and German proof marks. Seems it was once RCAF issue then captured , re issued to a Luftwaffe pilot and re captured from his body. It was repatriated by the fellow who showed it to me.
 
My grandfather left the family his amry service web belt, his war diary from the italy and the europe campain, and a lot of medals. His rifle would have been nice but im happy with what he left.
 
Of the stuff? i've only got the belt and the diary. my uncle got the medals. also have his UN flag from that he got when he joined after the war. He was in egypt with the UN, aparently they are a little tougher than we were because he wasn't even given a gun.I'll see what i can link up when i've got some time
 
sunray said:
"...my grandfather's service rifle..." Canadian troopies have never been allowed to keep their service rifle. No souvenir handguns were allowed either. Kit checks were done when they got off the boats.
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Not true, my uncle purchased his enfield at the time of discharge the price was either $7.00 or $17.00.and he still has it, hopefully I will be able to talk him out of it before it disappears
 
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