What would a gunner in an artillery regiment carry?

[Mulletard]

Well? not a no1 mk3 or no4 mk1....I think.

Sidearm only? Thompson or Sten?

My grandfather was in the 5th canadian armoured div. I never asked Much in my 20s when he was alive. Wish I would have.

 

[Claven2]

Depends on year, but likely a lee enfield or revolver.

 

[TheTooner]

After a while in action they might have acquired anything our side or the enemy had, but I think Thompsons weren't so common that a Gunner, i.e. the rank equivalent of Private, would be issued one. His personal weapon issued initially would most likely have been a rifle or smg, and the latter was most likely a Sten. If he was issued a sidearm he's probably an NCO or despatch rider.

 

[Mulletard]

Yeah I kinda figured an SMG wouldnt be for lower ranks. Not for a whole crew anyways. So good possibility a no4. Or possibly a revolver. Thanks for the info.

I think 1940 was his sign up year.
I'll have to check his discharge papers again for rank.

 

[Beater]

my father was a gunsargent in the ww2 he carried the same as everyone, #4 and a sidearm aswell which was a revolver

 

[mcpiper]

My grandfather was a driver/mechanic with an anti aircraft unit and later an anti tank regiment. He was issued a Lee Enfield and the NCO a revolver. I have pictures of him with a Thompson as well as a non issued pistol sometime after Normandy that were "acquired" in the field.

 

[Nyles]

I don’t think SMGs were as widely issued as people think, at least officially. An infantry battalion in 1944 had 695 rifles and 32 Stens, almost all of which were to section commanders.

 

[Grizzly Adams]

I don’t think SMGs were as widely issued as people think, at least officially. An infantry battalion in 1944 had 695 rifles and 32 Stens, almost all of which were to section commanders.

German MPs were very popular.

Grizz

 

[donor]

Polish artillery crews in Second Corp in Italy all carried No4.They came in handy more than few times and it's mentioned in memoirs.

One Polish regiment fighting in ###ton SP guns alongside Canadian regiments near Falaise,France also had to resort to small arms at some point.Here mix of Sten and no4 guns was mentioned.

 

[Beater]

German MPs were very popular.

Grizz

funny or maybe not so funny story my father told me. one of the guys in his outfit picked up a MP40 and kit. carried it and never used it , until he had to . pops said the first time he used it they drew fire from behind and the sides. from all sides. every gun makes its own tune. made him ditch it and get a sten back

 

[Mulletard]

The memoirs of gordie bannerman are a good read on the Gov't of canada website. (60th/76th field battery 17th regiment. Aneroid sask. and indian head sask.)

My grandpa also served in the 60/76th field battery 17th regiment of the Royal Canadian Artillery as a surveyor. His rank was corporal.

As far as I can tell they had to do alot of sneaking around to go scout landmarks etc.

 

[TheTooner]

I don’t think SMGs were as widely issued as people think, at least officially. An infantry battalion in 1944 had 695 rifles and 32 Stens, almost all of which were to section commanders.

The most common job in an infantry battalion is rifleman. It's not such a common job in the supporting elements, and rifles were more expensive to make than Sten guns, so I would expect a higher proportion of personnel with smg as their personal weapon in units other than infantry. But rifles would be in the mix. Service support units might expect to withdraw more easily than artillery, while artillery personnel would be expected to fight to defend and extract their Guns, Engineers would be right up front carrying out tasks under fire, they, too would certainly want a good number of rifles, and both would have LMGs (Bren guns, possibly Vickers K on vehicle mounts.)

 

[Kev303]

During WW2 my grandfather was gunner on a 25 pounder and he was issued a Thompson sub

 

[Eaglelord17]

If he was a gunner he would have been carrying shells...

Most likely a Lee Enfield as his side arm.

 

[bush1]

My father and his brother both drove graders and dozers in France after D day maintaining roads and they had rifles with them but I never asked exactly what they had. Wish I asked about that years ago.

 

[Ganderite]

A co-worker was an artillery officer in Korea. he was rushed home on compassionate leave when his father died.

His batman packed his personal weapons in his bags.

I eventually bought them form him.

A Remington 1911 in 45ACP and a M1Carbine in a folding stock.

I assume his unit was equipped by the Americans. I don't know if the big guns were American or Canadian.

 

[oppy]

Canadian troops were good at scrounging and "acquiring", so it would not at all surprise me if what a gunner "carried" vs what he was "issued" were two very different things.