A real piece of history

For those of you who like me prefer to have their Enfields covered in history rather than cosmoline then this one is for you.
I recently picked up this 1892 dated Sparkbrook Long Lee when collecting a pile of "Junk" for a deceased estate. It did not have a bolt and was absolutely filthy, the damage was obvious but I thought it would at least be good for spares.
Once on the bench and after a brief clean I began to realise that there was something a bit special hiding under all of the dirt. What I had assumed to be damage caused by abuse soon became evident to be "battle damage". The damage appears to have been caused by shrapnel, one piece has traveled from the bottom of the fore end and exited out of the side, another piece has destroyed the base of the magazine and damaged the trigger guard, the magazine release catch had been broken off and the trigger spring was missing. Having stripped the rifle I can confirm that there is no other damage to either the bore or the action and I think if the bolt was present it would even be safe to shoot.
Now for the really interesting part, the butt. I think at least two different people have been involved in adding the inscriptions. One side is decorated with the words "Briton Boer War"
"South Africa March 1901" On the other side there is the second inscription "RAS SYDNEY"
there is the Australian coat of arms and the word "BALIRAIN" at least that what I think it says, there is another inscription that appears to read "HIRLEY" but it is open to interpretation. Does anyone have any idea what or who RAS Sydney was or the meaning of the other inscriptions??
What really puzzles me is why this rifle has remained in this condition for all of these years, everything on the rifle appears to match with no attempt to bring it back into service use.
I have cleaned barrel and although worn and dirty it could certainly be shot but with what sort of result is anyone's guess. I would like to have it checked over to see if a replacement bolt could be fitted and then get it through "proof" but that's as far as I would take any restoration as the beauty of this rifle is what it is not what it could be turned into.Attachment 106226Attachment 106236Attachment 106235Attachment 106234Attachment 106233Attachment 106232Attachment 106231Attachment 106230Attachment 106229Attachment 106228Attachment 106227Attachment 106215Attachment 106225Attachment 106224Attachment 106223Attachment 106222Attachment 106221Attachment 106220Attachment 106219Attachment 106218Attachment 106217Attachment 106216

Rifles like this have always interested me too, too bad the bolt was taken for parts earlier. Would love to hear the actual story, I know some guys bring back the items they had when they had a close call, this might be one of those.

Who said they cant talk?
Very nice.

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Originally Posted by Buccaneer

On the other side there is the second inscription "RAS SYDNEY"

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I wonder if this refers to "Royal Agricultural Society of NSW?" It's a large agricultural grounds that could be used as a training or barracks area...at the time.

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Originally Posted by browningautorifle

I wonder if this refers to "Royal Agricultural Society of NSW?" It's a large agricultural grounds that could be used as a training or barracks area...at the time.

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The Royal Agricultural Society of NSW was established in 1822 and was granted Royal Title by Queen Victoria in 1891.

The RAS grounds were relocated to Moore Park in 1882, which is South East of the Sydney CBD. It was used as a camp in nearly every large conflict we have been involved in.

The way I read the carvings is; RA Shirley BALMAIN ( an inner western suburb of) SYDNEY.

Now to find an RA Shirley from Balmain in the nominal rolls.

A footnote to my above post.

A Trooper Robert Henry Shirley can be found here; Australian Light Horse Studies Centre

We all know, there were plenty of blokes that had/used different names to the one on their enlistment papers.

Fantastic piece of history, if only it could talk

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Originally Posted by Lithy

The way I read the carvings is; RA Shirley BALMAIN ( an inner western suburb of) SYDNEY.

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It's great to have additional eyes looking at these things, now that you have pointed it out it is obvious but I am damned sure I couldn't see what was right in front of me, many thanks Lithy for seeing what I could not....

The back to back RR is the mark for a condemned piece of equipment isn't it?

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Originally Posted by Lithy

A footnote to my above post.

A Trooper Robert Henry Shirley can be found here; Australian Light Horse Studies Centre

We all know, there were plenty of blokes that had/used different names to the one on their enlistment papers.

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The letters that appear to be 'RAS' could possibly be a 'RHS' if the top of what appears to be an 'A' is not connected.

After exhausting my google fu I have found out that 2582 Trooper RH Shirley didn't have a long visit to South Africa.

He embarked in Sydney on March 15 1901 as a re enforcement, posted to the 3rd New South Wales Imperial Bushmen when that unit was raised on May 4 1901 and was repatriated home February 6 1902.

The bit that has me confused is from what I can gather is they embarked without arms and yet "MARCH 1901" is carved into the LH side of the butt of the rifle.

Taking into account time taken to sail from Sydney to South Africa, it is unlikely he was issued his rifle in March.

Carved Boer War rifles are quite abundant, and have been documented in 3 volumes of "Carvings from the Veldt" by Dave George, who lives in Australia. The original trend for carving started among the Boers. They owned their kit, and named it to prevent it getting mixed up or swiped. Soon the names and carvings became very elaborate, and the practice was encouraged by Gen. Louis Botha, who holds his densely carved Boer Mauser carbine in photos from Natal taken in Dec 1899. Australians began to mimic the practice on the troop ships home. It's very unusual to find a British or Canadian rifle carved, though Australian and NZ ones are well known. Among Boer rifles it is possible to recognise certain hands who were expert carvers and did several rifles in the same style. What I like about carved Boer rifles is that they sometimes enable the owner to be identified, and can be matched to their service record or medal.

I would hazard a guess that it was struck on the lower front face/bottom of the magazine by a bullet travelling almost parallel with the bore.

His unit, the New South Wales Imperial Bushmen wore these "unofficial" titles on their slouch hats [left side turned up]. Image copied from the British military badge forum.
By the time he saw action in South Africa [March 1901] the Boers no longer had artillery, so I expect this would most likely have been a bullet strike...

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Originally Posted by Roy

The back to back RR is the mark for a condemned piece of equipment isn't it?

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You are quite correct the back to back RR is a sign that the rifle was condemned but when? This is a British military rifle that has the British condemned mark on it, I am certain that any British soldier found defacing his rifle would have been in serious trouble so it begs the question if the British army had condemned it how did it get into either Boer or Australian hands???

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Originally Posted by Lithy

After exhausting my google fu I have found out that 2582 Trooper RH Shirley didn't have a long visit to South Africa.

He embarked in Sydney on March 15 1901 as a re enforcement, posted to the 3rd New South Wales Imperial Bushmen when that unit was raised on May 4 1901 and was repatriated home February 6 1902.

The bit that has me confused is from what I can gather is they embarked without arms and yet "MARCH 1901" is carved into the LH side of the butt of the rifle.

Taking into account time taken to sail from Sydney to South Africa, it is unlikely he was issued his rifle in March.

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I think you might have found our man, as I said in my opening post the two sides appear to had been done by two separate people so it is quite possible that Trooper 2582 RH Shirley was given this rifle when he arrived in South Africa when it had already been inscribed with March 1901 before he got it. Of course there is no guarantee that the rifle left South Africa when he did so the damage caused to it could had occurred when not in his possession.
Looking at the damage and where it has occurred if some was actually holding the rifle when it was hit I doubt if they could have survived especially if it was being held in the shoulder.

Buccaneer, you don't think perhaps that the worn appearance of the bore is just Metford rifling?

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Originally Posted by RobD

Buccaneer, you don't think perhaps that the worn appearance of the bore is just Metford rifling?

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Hi Rob, you are quite right it is if fact worn Metford rifling, still rather dirty but hopefully it will be good enough to pass proof should I ever manage to get that far once Phil has had a chance to check it over for me.

I wonder if Trooper Shirley carried it when it was damaged, and possibly did the carving while wounded? In any event I don't think he completed it - the carving has been pricked out in preparation, but compared to the many carved rifles documented by Dave George, I don't expect this was the final effect he was after. Then I expect he parted company with the rifle and the rifle was condemned as unserviceable. Another soldier, this time British, brought it back to Britain. Tommies liked to bring back stuff that fitted into a duffle bag, so single stock Boer rifles are often duffle cut under the barrel band. A Lee Metford would come apart and fit into a duffle bag. So, incidentally, does the little Boer Mauser carbine, which is quite common in UK despite being a rare rifle.

The other confusing part of the story is that the men posted to these units were actual bushmen.

They were recruited from the Western districts of NSW in a targeted campaign to find men that could ride, shoot, find their way about the bush and act independently in order to fight the Boers on their own terms.

A bloke from the inner Sydney suburb of Balmain with these attributes would be a rare specimen indeed.

Once again we go back to the Lee Enfield mantra. Never say never.

I am very pleased to report that this grand old lady has been saved from the scrap heap.
A replacement bolt has been found and fitted and the rifle was sent to proof, she came back having passed with flying colours so she can now be legally held as a firearm capable of being used and not condemned to being deactivated which would have been her fate had she failed. No repair work was done other than fitting the replacement bolt, so she still retains all of the battle damage which was the main reason for getting her through proof.
Another piece of history saved!!!!:thup::thup::thup:

Good news, I always prefer to have a working piece even if it's so collectable you won't shoot it.

And so they stamped some proof marks in it again?

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Originally Posted by Surpmil

And so they stamped some proof marks in it again?

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Yes new proof marks as the replacement bolt would need proofing to the rifle once fitted, the new "CIP over N" mark is very small but it does now appear on the the bolt, bolt head, barrel & action.