Printable View
My rifle is a 42 Lithgow and I have mounted a like new walnut stock I bought from the net. I have this Somme dug butt plate and I'm thinking of cleaning the brass, removing the rusty screws and mounting it. What do you guys think?
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../buttpl2-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../buttpl1-1.jpg
Can you name any great battles of the Somme fought by the Australians in 1942, 43, 44 or 45.
Or to put it another way if you were restoring a 1942 Cadillac........
https://www.milsurps.com/images/imported/deleted.gif
Would you put a 1916 Cadillac rear bumper on your 1942 Cadillac and call it restored. :rolleyes:
https://www.milsurps.com/images/imported/deleted.gif
I think you'll have a WWII 1942 Australian rifle with a WWI buttplate. Not sure why you would want to do that? Except that you have no other buttplate.
I've got a WWII butt plate on it now but this piece has been sitting on my shelf so I thought well heck I can take the rifle to the range and fire with some history.
I'm against it, as my first and second reactions. If it MUST be placed on a rifle, which I'm still against, it really ought to be period correct.
Leave it be, I think. Neither the rifle or it's operator made it off the the field "alive", I think. Shudders.
I think it woud be nice to mount the butt plate (with minimum cleaning) on a walnut plaque with a nice brass name plate indicating it came from the Somme and hang it on my "I love me" wall. This would be a more proper end for something 100 years old with a known history.
I have this nosecap, recovered from the site of a fierce battle involving a Welsh regiment.
I plan to mount it on a timber base with its details on an engraved plaque.
It's easily the most poigniant item in my collection.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../Nosecap-1.jpg
Cheers,
Matt
Butt plates aside........... what a sheer MAGNIFICENT Cadillac. Is that a restored example Ed? Or a press photo of the era? It looks like the sort of car that Ike would have had (in Kakhi of course) while inspecting the troops just before D Day.
What a pleasure to see a work of art like that............
Peter,
Pretty sure it's a restored example. Some years ago, a friend had an unrestored one that ran (& that was about it) that he was given in exchange f/painting another car. The only thing I really remember about it was the "flat head"(valve-in-block) V8 engine. It was enormous in comparison to the little Ford flathead V8s I owned. Id bet that one head on the Caddy V8 weighed 75 lbs or so. Yes, it is a beautiful auto, if a little over-ornamented f/my tastes. BTW, I don't think the US military used Cadillacs, @ least officially, in WWII. They did use the engines in some armored vehicles, I seem to remember.
Donzi
Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter Laidler
....a Cadillac for a staff car. I don't know about England, but in North Africa and Italy, yes.Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter Laidler
Looks like a modern pic to me. Notice the headlights on in one pic, and the license plate "blanked" out in another. It actually is probably nicer looking as a restoration than it was when new. Production vehicles just don't have the attention to detail as a one at a time restoration. It IS a cool looking car !!
FWIW,
Emri
Coooooool is underselling a car like that. It is a masterpiece. The idiotic thing is that I don't like huge cars but being an engineer, these big examples just seem to bring out the beast in me. The sheer quality of the, well.... everything. It's one of those 'words fail me moments.........
Thanks again Ed and all, a true sight to behold
I am off to the Somme battlefields in a fortnight. The attached is the basement of the B&B I shall be staying in.
That one is going to give me nightmares. :ugh:Quote:
Originally Posted by RobD
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...g?t=1275780576
Here's another cellar on The Somme....
ATB
Personally, I wouldn't keep my rifles in a cellar, it's just inviting rust as these photos prove, has Roger got a licence for that? ;-)
Curly
Doesn't belong to me sadly, Curly. I wish it did. I was just lucky enough to be able to hold it for a while. A local farmer unearthed it about 18m ago whilst ploughing a field between High Wood & Delville Wood, so I was informed.
ATB;)
Roger, is that the remanants of a Vickers?
Sure looks like one!
If anyone is interested in staying at a B & B in Ypres my good friend Peter stayed at Varlet Farm. The owner according to Peter was such a great person and they have many artifacts found on their farm including a Maxim. The email address is info@varletfarm.com. Oh yes I am not getting a free night for promoting this place. LOL
I'll back enfield 303t on that. I've stayed at Varlet Farm a couple of times. Charlotte is a lovely person & will positively spoil you with home made food. She also used to let everyone have a little (harmless) battlefield souvenir, though I'm not sure if that is still the case. I'm now fortunate enough to have a little place near High Wood on The Somme. Although it's the other end of the British Sector of the old Front Line, it's still only about an hour & a quarter from Ypres, so I just drive up these days. It's quite something to drive the Western Front....
Yes, it is what's left of a Vickers. Brought to light after nearly a century. I was scuffing about on the site of the old Meteorological Trenches a few weeks ago & found a Webley Flare pistol. Being largely brass it's in pretty good nick. If anyone's interested I'll try & get some photo's of some battlefield finds. A French friend of mine dug a German trench on the edge of our village about a month ago & unearthed about 5 G98's, a couple of German mess tins, caches of both German & British ammo......it fascinates me, so if there's any interest amongst others I'll bring back & post some pictures. The flare gun I left in France as they don't require a licence of any sort over there....!
ATB
Thanks for words on Charlotte as Peter said they had such a great time at her place. I walked alot of battfields and was amazed just how many artifacts a person can find literally with no effort. I envy your place near High Wood. Hope to return to that area again someday.Quote:
Originally Posted by Roger Payne
Indeed, you can, I climbed the hills at Anzac cove about 25 yrs ago & saw many things on the surface & also found a lot of objects lightly covered, I left everything as it was & it is something I will remember always.Quote:
Originally Posted by enfield303t
Quote:
Originally Posted by Roger Payne
I don't collect Enfields but have enjoyed this thread about old relics. Would love to see some more.
Thanks,
Emri
Stick around - there are plenty of 'old relics' on this forum !!!Quote:
Originally Posted by Emri
OK Emri, I'm over there again at the beginning of July so I'll see what I can do.
ATB