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Thanks, I guess I thought the Mk I stamp might have referred to the bayonet model it was made for instead of the scabbard model. Being there was a Mk I and Mk II bayonet.
Still unusual he shows the scabbard and not the bayonet, Ray
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H&H, like everyone else got told to stop all work on such and such a day and on that day, to finish what had already been commenced. In other words, no further work was to be commenced.
H&H didn't complete any kits as such. They just converted rifles sent down by BSA and fitted brackets and telescopes. They did have a what they called a 'bulk reserve' of rifles that coul;d be brought out and converted if there was a break in the supply line, such as bombing at BSA Birmingham. The biggest supply line problems for H&H (and Lines Brothers Stens too incidentally.....) was disruption caused by bombed railways.
I always suspect that this bulk reserve store consisted of the early Savages that were slowly converted and filtered into the system albeit few in number. And later, when the ceassation of production order came through, these were hurriedly converted and formed the bulk of the 'less telescope' rifles. After all, if BSA were told to stop production and sending rifles down and the telescope makers got the same orders - even though we're getting into early '46 now, - these were the only rifles that H&H could finish. And when they stopped converting, the money dried up!
