Lock, Stock, and barrel

J

John Sukey

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This, ma lads is known as the Bren
A much better killer than the rifle or Sten
At a thousand yards it'll stop ye dead
It's got a group ye could cover wi' a pencil lead
Ye'll learn to love the little gun
for after all has been said and done
Yer job is to stay alive an' kill
An' if ye master this weapon ye surely will

This is the rearsight, this is the butt
ye adjust the trigger wi' this nut
the selector's right 'ere by the pistol grip
to allow full automatic fire, straight from the hip
But keep the weapon on single shot
till the bastards are close, then slaughter the lot
There's thirty-two rounds in the magazine
each one a life in this killing machine

A quick-change barrel wi' a fixed foresight
will keep ye firing in the hottest fight
This is the breech-block, ejector and ram
keep the gun oiled, it'll never jam
The bipod will keep ye right on yer aim
learn all the parts, know them by name
Practice yer shooting an sharpen yer skill
an ye'll do all right when it comes time to kill

Jim Craig
 
Grampa hauled munitions to the front. I can barely recall him telling me about having a Sten and later a Bren behind the seat. He talked a bit about one being much better than the other, I suspect your poem clears that up. He hated talking about the war so I didn't get to hear much more than that.

Thanks for sharing.
 
nelly said:
Interesting.

Where DO you find this stuff, Sir John?

;)

Have been corresponding with a friend in Scotland and he sent me a copy of his paperback book.

Also have a friend in Tucson who got the George Cross in Korea. (one of two)
He pulled an Alvin York when a squad of chinese charged up the hill to his position, shooting the last one in line and moving up to the front. The lead chinese finaly twigged what was happening and flopped down behind a tree, so he switched to full auto and cut down the tree!;)
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Nelly your right on your tittle for Mr Sukey.He has been here and a whole lot of other places passing on lots of info and great stories( also the odd free enfield part Thanks Sir) To "SIR JOHN" Hip Hip
 
John,
Are you sure it was the George Cross? I was always under the impression that the George Cross was awarded for extreme bravery not under enemy fire. I used to work for an old man who was the only person to win it twice(George Cross with Bar). He was a Leftenant-Commander in the Royal Canadian Navy, G.H.O. Rundle. I believe he won it on at least one occasion for defusing a sea mine. I may be mistaken(it happens, just ask my wife) but your friend sounds like he should have won a Victoria Cross.
 
Mike

Your reference to George Rundle caught my attention, because his story was told in a book that was published about twenty years ago called Knots, Volts and Decibels, which I helped to get into print. I just did a Google search and confirmed that he in fact received the George Medal and Bar. The George Medal is lower in precedence than the George Cross (but still recognizes a lot of courage and nerve). They were given for mine disposal and rendering mines safe, in 1942 and 1943. According to the author of the above-mentioned book, in 1943 a new type of magnetic mine about which little was known was recovered off Halifax and after Lt Rundle had dismantled it and examined the timing mechanism, it was discovered that it had been within minutes of blowing up when it was deactivated! He went on to neutralize other mines around Halifax and St. John's.
 
Interesting poem, reminds of one of my favorite writers and books, "Quartered Safe Out Here" by George Macdonald Fraser (title taken from Gunga Din) I'd be interested in the title of your friends book.

Cheers, Will
 
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melbourne said:
Mike

Your reference to George Rundle caught my attention, because his story was told in a book that was published about twenty years ago called Knots, Volts and Decibels, which I helped to get into print. I just did a Google search and confirmed that he in fact received the George Medal and Bar. The George Medal is lower in precedence than the George Cross (but still recognizes a lot of courage and nerve). They were given for mine disposal and rendering mines safe, in 1942 and 1943. According to the author of the above-mentioned book, in 1943 a new type of magnetic mine about which little was known was recovered off Halifax and after Lt Rundle had dismantled it and examined the timing mechanism, it was discovered that it had been within minutes of blowing up when it was deactivated! He went on to neutralize other mines around Halifax and St. John's.
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Thanks for the elaboration, he was quite a guy. But isn't the George Cross also for bravery not in the face of the enemy?
 
The George Cross and George Medal were instituted during the Blitz in 1940 and were primarily intended to recognize civilian bravery such as was exhibited during air raids and the like. They have also been awarded to police officers for exceptional acts. As far as military personnel were concerned, the usual medals require gallantry in the face of the enemy, so the George Cross and George Medal were used to reward the sort of action that Lt Rundle and many others performed that would otherwise not have been recognized.

I have always marvelled at the sort of courage it would take to sit down next to a mine or bomb, knowing that the designers had built in devices that were intended to blow you up if you messed with it, and start unscrewing things (especially if it were a new design that hadn't been seen before).
 
Hey, I guess trench art isn't all ashtray and lamps made out of shells...

In Flanders Fields...

(Is it just me or is the 10$ bill the only one with a quote worthy of being on currency. 50$ Bill of Rights is ok too)
 
melbourne said:
The George Cross and George Medal were instituted during the Blitz in 1940 and were primarily intended to recognize civilian bravery such as was exhibited during air raids and the like. They have also been awarded to police officers for exceptional acts. As far as military personnel were concerned, the usual medals require gallantry in the face of the enemy, so the George Cross and George Medal were used to reward the sort of action that Lt Rundle and many others performed that would otherwise not have been recognized.

I have always marvelled at the sort of courage it would take to sit down next to a mine or bomb, knowing that the designers had built in devices that were intended to blow you up if you messed with it, and start unscrewing things (especially if it were a new design that hadn't been seen before).
Click to expand...

Thanks,
I could never imagine doing that sort of work. George Rundle was not the type of man you could imagine defusing anything, real impatient, bull in a china shop kind of guy.
 
Mike Webb said:
John,
Are you sure it was the George Cross? I was always under the impression that the George Cross was awarded for extreme bravery not under enemy fire. I used to work for an old man who was the only person to win it twice(George Cross with Bar). He was a Leftenant-Commander in the Royal Canadian Navy, G.H.O. Rundle. I believe he won it on at least one occasion for defusing a sea mine. I may be mistaken(it happens, just ask my wife) but your friend sounds like he should have won a Victoria Cross.
Click to expand...

It was the George Cross, He had the bad luck to be on Gloster Hill and was captured. I have the complete citation, and how he survived his captivity is an almost unbelievable horror story. One other George Cross was awarded for Korea to a lieutenant but it was posthumous. By the way he lives in Tucson.
When the final prisoner exchange was made, a chinese soldier attempted to help him off the truck, He decked the soldier, stripped off the prison clothes and walked across the bridge buck naked.
Another story he told me, when he got the invitation to Buckingham Palace to recieve it, he got a taxi to take him there. when the driver asked where to, he said the palace, The driver said I'm not allowed in there, He replied I have an invitation. The Cab driver didn't charge him for the trip.

Of course there were lots of people recieving honours that day and in conversation with one of them, the person asked him who he was, He replied "I'm just a private soldier." Apparently he was not important enough to continue the conversation, BUT when everyone lined up he was the FIRST in line! and the upper class twit was at the back of the line.

Now when you recieved your award you were supposed to have a little hook sewn to your clothes so the queen could just hang the medal on it. Noboby told him about that, and the Queen mentioned "you don't have a hook" He replied no your majesty, nobody told me about that, so she pinned the medal on him!
 
Actualy the British do as well.
Example of the George Cross. Returning from a bombing mission, a Wellington was attacked by several german fighters. causing a fire in one of the engines. After the germans broke off, and over the channel, one of the crew crawled out on the wing and beat the fire out. He did this TWICE, but as they were not under attack at that time, he got the George Cross.
 
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