Always the odd one out.

[muffett.2008]

I know we have done this Aussie Sniper bit to death before, the general concensus was that the No.1 Mk.III HT didn't see service during WWII.

But I came across this pic in TROVE that sure looks like an SMLE, pic. is dated 1945.
Attachment 52485

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[Peter Laidler]

Of that picture generally muffer, I would say that generally speaking, snipers found it to their distinct advantage, to be camouflaged. White bodies to tend to stand out in the greenness of the jungle. The phrase '....standing out like a bulldogs balls' springs to mind. Not quite the shooting position for an accurate shot either........... If I might be so bold as to suggest that maybe it was a posed pic for the folks back home!

[Bindi2]

The Aussies would have been suntaned brown. If that photo was taken before the troops were issued jungle greens to replace their karkki clobber which got shed faster than a speeding bullet. Who would wear clobber that yells we are here shoot here. Vegetation dyes were used in the short term man and material.

[Brit plumber]

Theres a possibility that the negative was back to front too. I know it was common for left handed Enfield shooters but as a sniper I reckon he'd shoot with his right.

[Peter Laidler]

I think that he's a cack-handed sniper BP because it looks like the shine from the rounded knob of the bolt handle on the right side

[muffett.2008]

Attachment 52487Yep, left handed, heres a better pic. with caption.Attachment 52486

[Roger Payne]

It might be me (again) but I got the impression the reason Muff posted it was because of the significance of the date of the photo, not the depth of his tan......

More than a little significant, if right.

Cheers mate.

ATB.

[Bindi2]

It might be me (again) but I got the impression the reason Muff posted it was because of the significance of the date of the photo, not the depth of his tan, or whether the negative is reversed or not......

More than a little significant, if right.

Cheers mate.

ATB.

Roger you are spot on.
I would also suggest counter sniping from ones own camp under sniper fire when calls of shoot the f#$%^r were the loudest not allowing time to cam up.

[Roger Payne]

I just re-read my above posting & it might come across that I'm being a bit crabby. Apologies & not meant at all, but it just seemed that the significance of the photograph had become side-tracked. If there was time to get a photographer involved it probably is posed; the guy is Left-handed; & it looks like he could do with some tanning sessions. But that's not the point; the photo would appear to confirm that at least one No1 Mk3* H (T) Aust DID see active service during WW2........

A contrite ATB.

[Peter Laidler]

To be honest and to inject a bit of humour to this saga, I didn't know that No1 snipers weren't used during WW2!!!!! Could've been photographed AFTER the bleedin' war............ After all, it ended in August! Mind you there were stragglers fighting until well into the 50's........

Annanuvverfing...... Anyone who has had the misfortune to have been into the Malayan or Borneo jungle will soon tell you that the thought of sniping or even shooting per se with any degree of a) accuracy and b) vision, let alone the restricted FoV with a tele sight is the stuff of comic books. That's why we invented the walk and shoot 'jungle lane'

Just my laymans 'bleedin obvious' perspective of things chaps!