Lithgow SMLE Question
- Thread starter tadam05
- Start date
Because. My understanding is that late in WWI the stock disc became optional, as a "not really required for combat" modification - Al la SMLE III* configuration. Between the wars, when time permitted, butts with marking disc space were sometimes retrofitted, and sometimes not, as time, supply and motivation permitted. Unlikely that many WWII produced rifles would have come out of the factory with discs, but again, after the war, retrofitting may have occurred.
... Compounding the issue, is that Wood from WW1 rifles were pressed into service, Disc's included. Adding to it, prior to the Outbreak of WW2, the Australian Army was in large measure, fragmented along State lines and even down to the City level.( And Reserve Units) And some, chose to use the Disc's to identify Regimental/Unit property. Once the War broke out, the practice ceased, and those Rifles in Service with unit markings, had the markings removed, replaced with a blank one usually. Sometimes, with only the "disc" being turned over......... I've a 1922 Lithgow, all matching, that shows no sign of having ever had a unit marking Disc installed. ........ Based on recollection, of my "Old Schools" Cadet Unit, very few,if any, of the Locally made Rifles, had the disc, but the majority of the "British made " ones did. ..... David K
... While that's true, the Australians lost a lot of Men and Equipment when the Japanese started moving south, and conquering all in their path. Capturing Hong Kong, Singapore and so on. With the desperate times and shortage of men and Equipment, bearing in mind there were Australian and NZ Troops, fighting in the Middle East, ( Tobruk and El Alamain ) trying to keep accurate records of a particular Units Weapons became an impossibility. And the practice was dropped completely. And then there was the added cost. ...... If ever one gets the opportunity, the Australian War Museum in Canberra is well worth a visit. And it's quite the eye opener! ...... Pots and Pans were gathered to reuse in Aircraft, Food rationing was widespread, to allow food to be sent to England and the "Boys Overseas" and the Government of the day, even had a contingency plan to abandon the Northern half of Australia to the Japanese, and fight from the South. Darwin was bombed, and Ships were torpedoed off the Australian Coast. Iron Ore carrying ships went down in approximately 3 minutes, when fully laden. But I've digressed ! LOL !! ....... David K
I have heard it said that crew on munitions ships slept the best.
3 minutes less time for panic.
