British Army Dispatch rider small arms ?

I've seen pictures of dispatch riders armed with a Sten Gun (various models) just wonder if they also were issued a side arm? Enfield revolver or Browning Highpower?

I'd think the Sten would be standard. I knew one that did that and he spoke only of SMG use.

I think M1 Thompsons were used particularly in the Italian campaign Geoff. But a side arm would seem to be slightly more convenient though.

I wonder if it was regarded that Despatch riders should carry more self defence firepower than a pistol, due to the important nature of much of their work??

You wouldn't get both. There were never enough to go around for that. And pistols are pretty useless against anyone armed with more than a pistol.

Wouldn't some members of the British armed forces who also happened to have privately owned side arms during WW2 sometimes carry the pistols while on duty. Although my Grandfather wasn't a member of the regular armed forces during WW2, he was in the Home Guard and was also an Air Raid Warden with the Civil Defence. I know that while on duty, both with the Civil defence and Home Guard, during the war he always carried his privately and legally owned pistol. He wasn't an officer in the Home Guard, just a Private, so was issued with a rifle which is believed to have been a SMLE, not a P14/17. I don't know if he was technically allowed/permitted to carry his own pistol while on duty with the Home Guard and Civil Defence; I only know that he did.