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Capt Shores book contains many enigmas in the way it's written. It is worded in one part that he was or might have been an RAF Regiment Officer too. But back to his not being allowed to purchase his P'14........... I can only say that if, after being refused permission, he couldn't have obtained or otherwise 'liberated' it by fair means or foul, then he wasn't a very bright Officer
My Son has my Dad's M-1 Carbine - my Dad had sticky fingers if he decided he wanted something bad enough. He was a tail gunner in B-17s during WW-II and it was his personal weapon during the war.
Having witnessed, and maybe participated in, the liberation of weapons during the Vietnam War there is every possibility that anyone with more than two functional brain cells could, and did, bring theirs, or another similar to, home with them. I would assume that you folks from the UK certainly could, and did, liberate items.
Here are some more NZ anecdotes
I reckon the Kiwis on the western front over ran a supply depot in 1918 and there a loads of 1917 dated Lugers here, matched complete and in real nice nick and same maker. Compared to WW2 Lugers which the Kiwis sold to the Yanks for hard cash.
Troops on one troopship when threatened with a search, threw stuff over the side in shallow water wrapped in grease cloth and attached to lines and floats.
If you went deer culling back in the 50s you got given a SMLE and a pair of boots, they cut down all the SMLEs.
I have never encountered a NZ marked Long Tom or SMLE without Sold out of Service marks on it. they didnt bother with the No. 4s Plenty of non NZ marked rifles here without S^S markings. Seems the NZ army was a bit more through back then.
Two boys who got in to a US dumping area came a away with a pair of Patt 17s or Springfields, their teacher told them to take them back after they brought them to school.
I met a guy who said he had a No1 Mk 3 (no star) with a note in the butt saying to the effect 'this rifle served me well' and a ww2 serial number. I wouldnt trust it though
If the guys handleing the kit bags felt a gun in the bag they would cut the base out, steal the gun and sew the base up again, bypassing the lock. I talked to a fellow who's father lost a exquisite Italian shotgun that way when he returned from Italy .
I have seen a few Boer war era Longtoms with carvings on the butt listing various actions and places. one had carving of a game animal, the inscription 'the veldt' and a unit badge tacked to the butt. the new owner was going to preserve it as a early veterans hunting rifle.
but ive never seen a NZ rifle in NZ where the owner could say 'my relative carried this on active service'
I can’t imagine “rules/regulations” ever restricting servicemen too severely.
At six week training for our regimental shooting team in Rhine Army in 60/61? one of the National Service gunners had an appropriated luger pistol he inherited from his father with which we used to shoot 9mm ammunition appropriated from the days pistol/sten/stirling? gun rations(on one occasion frightening the wits out of the german cleaning the butts).
I am pretty sure that pistol travelled back and forth to Germany through Harwich without too much difficulty.
Firing 9mm 2Z through a Luger is good way of wrecking it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gnr527
You are dead right Beerhunter
Until recently, I owned one. It was a MLE Mk I* that had been purchased at an auction years ago in NZ and brought back to the States. Before the auction. It had been displayed in a museum. The rifle was made in 1899 and had the date of 1900 on the butt plate tang along with NZ markings. It also had a 5th Home Guard stamping on the butt stock. All numbered parts matched. It's now owned by another collector who'd been looking for just such a rifle. Kinda wish I'd kept it though... SighQuote:
Originally Posted by Roy
I suspect the museum may have been connected with the army eg. a Returned Services Association or maybe even the army museum Waioru. The RSAs were told to give up their display rifles years ago and loads of stuff went from the walls. And unfortunately recently the curator at Waioru was busted for selling stuff out the back door. They suspect its been going on for years. he was taking good items from the back rooms and replacing them with less good stuff, eg a nice NZ Long Tom, traded out for a mixed up commercial BSA, only a close inspection could tell.
5th Home Guard was Canterbury Battalion
Yes, the little rascal also 'disposed' of an L42 rifle that I'd given to them. Not just any OL42, but with paperwork to show it as being the second to last L42 in service with the British Army. The last one is at Warminster. But no doubt there will be someone out there who knows better, who also has the last one!¬
Large numbers of souvenir forearms were smuggled back from the war and for a few years afterwards they were relatively common.
Many of these have been turned in to the police over the years
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...standard-8.jpg
first day's haul at Scotland Yard in 1968