Training with the Mk4 Sterling

[Vincent]

Anyone know what they are doing….. or have a good caption?

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[Gil Boyd]

Sighting presumably..............but the guy on the left has just seen the man in the moon.

I used to teach that with one arm holding the SMG out level for long periods, but that was an issued bollocking on the range, no practical use or shown in the pamphlet to my knowledge.

http://nazarian.no/images/wep/337_Sterling_SMG.pdf

[Peter Laidler]

Indian/Malayan(?) Army...... Malaya used to wear jungle greens. Not Africa as they look too well disciplined and awake. Interesting but I can't see any value to this except for arm strengthening exercises. The sort of thing that Muffer and BAR would put you through prior to live firing on the ranges. A bit like making all those not doing anything productive run to the 600 yard firing point and back while the others are doing the range preparatory work

[Sentryduty]

A bit like making all those not doing anything productive run to the 600 yard firing point and back while the others are doing the range preparatory work

That happened with alarming regularity while on course. The MLVW (Troop/cargo Truck) would return from dropping guys at the butts, an Instructor Master Corporal would hop out of the truck and ask: "We got some time before they are done setting up, who needs to go on a bank run?" Being cooped up in barracks for weeks made any chance to get into town a veritable vacation, but nothing ever came for free in the army, and some guys never learned that. Every time some dim witted fool would stick his hand up and eagerly say; "I need to go on a bank run Master Corporal." and start walking to the truck. The MCpl would be ear to ear with a grin, "Alright, you see that bank up there, (pointing to the 600m berm) run to it." and the forlorn fellow would set off, once he had gotten a little ways off, the MCpl turn the remainder would say; "We do things as a team here, if one goes on a bank run, you all go on a bank run." and with that life in the Administration area of the range become worse than doing run down drills and actual weapons qualifications.

[Lee Enfield]

some variation of a "master eye" drill?

Where you demonstrate how the sights move vs your thumb with both eyes open followed by closing each in turn?

[Paul S.]

http://i548.photobucket.com/albums/i...training_1.jpg

Anyone know what they are doing….. or have a good caption?

I believe it is a 'strengthening exercise'. The idea is too hold the weapon out at arms' length and elbows locked for as long as one can. More likely, it is as previously suggested a bollocking exercise. We used to have a similar exercise in the SLR training pamphlet. I also had a teacher at school who had you stand that way with a dictionary for up to an hour during detention.

I'm guessing Indian Army, not Malay.

[Vincent]

If it’s a bollocking exercise, why do they have magazines in their pockets?

[Gil Boyd]

Vincent,
Its dry weapons training........... once they have counted the stars and strengthened their biceps, they'll crack on

[Peter Laidler]

And then, after the 600 yard run, arm strengthening, being chased around getting the range prepared, the DS expect you to get good shooting results! Crazy isn't it.

Which reminds me......... In late 1970 or so on Bulford C range, my pal Pete Smallwood was the Armourer when a Sterling SMG kept failing to fire so he took it to his car and sat with the gun a live round and a magazine while he carefully fed the round into the breech, observing the path it took with the breech block fully under control of course. Only after many observations and tries, it wasn't quite FULLY under control. All of a sudden the gun fired and shot a neat hole in the roof of his nice Triumph Herald! No other damage was done and he explained it away to the DS/range staff that he had simply used a blank to ascertain the fault. Phew........

[Brit plumber]

Being a Triumph Herald I'd imagine that was just one of many many holes!