M1917 info

[kjohn]

A fellow gunner has one of these marked with a flaming bomb and a C-broad arrow. His Dad went over to England with the Canadian Army in WW2. He was issued one of these rifles, given one 30-06 cartridge, told to not use .303 British ammo, and sent off on guard duty at an ammo dump.

My friend was wondering if there is any record of the serial numbers of the M1917's that went to Britain. I told him the fact that it has a C-broad arrow doesn't mean it went to Britain and was issued to Canadian troops. It is my understanding that some were sent to Canada for issue to local guard units.

The serial on his rifle is 917###. It is an Eddystone. According to one lookup site it was built in September of 1918.

Thanks in advance for any info.

 

[jtaylor]

Hi Kjohn. No record exists in Canada of the loaned or sold M -17 rifles. Check out the thread started by the AlbertaCowboy on 11-16-18.
Many soldiers carried over M -17 rifles to England in WW2. My Dad's unit turned theirs in right on the disembarkation dock to a Brit Home Guard truck and marched off to assigned billets. John

 

[kjohn]

Thanks John. That’s what figured. Those rifles would have sent all over Hades half acre.