X2 E1 Trials bayonet

There were still zillions of these rifles issued to the arse-end troops in Singapore, including the Singapore Guard Regiment the UK Governor Generals Guard and Lee Quan Yew's Quarter Guard. They only had bog standard bayonets without the flash eliminator prongs. The bayonets were all in bog standard '44 pattern webbing frogs forstandard use but the guard had white '37 pattern stuff with shiny brass and all that crap! The ceremonial stuff such as rifles, bayonets and scabbards were all painted in high gloss black down at the vehicle paint shop while the blades were chromed. The chrome was rubbish as they were always being re-done. I don't know why they didn't use the same chrome as we used for the re-ground L1A1 pistons

At the big shooting comps at Nee Soon ranges there was a real mixed bag of stuff. No4's and 5's for the arse end blokes, FN's from the local MOR's (Malayan Other Ranks), Brens, L4A1's and Mk5 Stens plus L1A1's, Owens, Sterlings and the then new F1 from those up-country units. An Armourers nightmare. The district armourer that I remember was Dave Lee. Mind you, if hius job was a hotchpotch, the ammo QM's was even worse!

Sorry to go off at a tangent but just spent the long weekend at Carlisle with other ex apprentices