Can't really tell but it almost looks like a Ghurka Kukri he's carrying. Isn't that the big curved scabbard?
Printable View
Can't really tell but it almost looks like a Ghurka Kukri he's carrying. Isn't that the big curved scabbard?
It is a kukri. One conclusion would be that he 'procured' it whilst his regiment was serving in Italy along side an Indian unit. a kukri would be handy for a sniper for cutting foliage.
Not Indian but a Gurka unit.I would never call a Gurka an Indian with in ear shot or it could result in some very nasty reprecutions involving said kurkri and your family jewels.:yikes::runaway::surrender:
Sean6,
Many Indian units carried the kukri as well, and were very handy with them too. They still do carry them for that matter.
Best,
Richard.
For clarity, I should rephrase my comment to read, 'Indian Army formation'.
On the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947 some of the Gurkha regiments went to the new Republic of India Army and some transferred to the British Army. For those that wonder, they were not in the British Army before, they were in the "Indian Army" a separate formation as it was constituted under the "Raj".
Talking to someone from Nepal recently, it seems the Indians are gradually taking over and quite deliberately. Apparently they have convinced themselves that the Chinese didn't knock them for six in 1962, thus it will probably be a surprise to them the next time as well.
Back to the business of "eye discs" etc:
Was there not a "clip-on" device that enabled an instructor lying beside a trainee, to see the sight picture of the L1A1?
I seem to recall references to a simple "beam-splitter" in my early days. Something similar was available for the M-16.
Never actually saw anyone using them, mind you.
You're right Bruce...... It was a little black cube thinggy that slipped over the top of the backsight leaf. The instructor looked into the small mirror of one-way glass and saw the firers aiming picture. The trouble was that you couldn't use the aim corrector thing when you had rifles with the double leaf backsights!
Attachment 67876
this looks odd to me. doesn't it appear as if both rifles cock left-handed? or am i missing something really obvious???
oops. my bad. somebody already mentioned it. sorry
The photo is printed back to front. The technical term for this, used in the high echelons of photography circles is 'ar5e-about-face'