Flanders mud flaps, post WW1 use.

[Strangely Brown]

Service Dress and Service caps at that date might indicate that too, right?
Those other two photos are differently WWII period, interesting.

It should be remembered that service dress and peaked caps were issued up until 1964 in boys regiments; having said that these lads look a bit older than 15 or 16.

[muffett.2008]

Note that the "trainer" is about to run a model train with targets downrange! Moving target practice. How often did they have to replace cars?

Bob

Bob, the train and carriages were obscured down range, only the targets were exposed.
This system was in use at Singleton in 1966/67 at 3RTB, but the system was upgraded to a full CINIE Range by the time I was back in 1970.

[browningautorifle]

system was upgraded to a full CINIE Range

We too had the CINIE target range, was quite an improvement and decent training aid. Fire a shot, target freezes and a light exposes the strike on target.

[muffett.2008]

Firing the sub cal. for the Charlie Guts ache was always a challenge using the 6.5x55 indoor round.

[browningautorifle]

the 6.5x55 indoor round.

Yes, long time since I did that.

[mrclark303]

Yes, long time since I did that.

Sounds like fun guys....

---------- Post added at 02:14 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:05 PM ----------

Couple of photos of Flanders flaps i have seen posted of late

Attachment 118533
Attachment 118534

Many thanks for the pics, proving beyond doubt that the flaps saw service in the early part of WW2 at the least.

It's reasonable to hypothesise in that case, that these were already attached to WW1 dated rifles, withdrawn from stores, or, perhaps more likely, older rifles allocated to War mobilised TA units in 1939.

[mrclark303]

Here's my example, it appears to be correct?? Bought about 6 years ago from World wide Arms and sourced by them from Nepal, as I recall...

It cost me £49 at the time.

If the group agree its an original, perhaps the pics could join the library as reference?

[skiprat]

Here's my example, it appears to be correct?? Bought about 6 years ago from World wide Arms and sourced by them from Nepal, as I recall...

It cost me £49 at the time.

If the group agree its an original, perhaps the pics could join the library as reference?

Nope its a Repro made in Yorkshire
but has had a makers name stamped into it at a later stage ( in the last 10 years! these copies were not marked apart from the crows foot)

Enfield SMLE Flanders Flap Muzzle Cover | Repro

[Roger Payne]

That's a pity........although the 'M Myers & Son' has been individually hand stamped, which is a bit of a warning........mass produced items would have had the markings rolled on in all likelihood.

Does anyone know if any of the originals were marked with just a broad arrow & were devoid of a maker's mark/logo? A collector that I know in Northern France, who has a track record of turning up much high quality stuff, had a piece of rust stained knotted string with six of them threaded on it, when I met him at a show about fifteen years ago. They had an old faded looking blued appearance &, as mentioned, bore no markings whatsoever, save for a small (smaller than in Mr Clark's example) broad arrow. They were priced at a figure that made them rather expensive if repro's (not that there was a glut of repro's then), but pretty fair if originals. IIRC he gave a story that they had turned up from the collection of a very old recently deceased local collector.....but I am well aware that one buys the item not the story. I know the very fact that he had six of them might suggest they must be copies, but they looked good, & I had dealt with him before & had never seen him passing off anything I could see was fake. I bought three, one for a friend, & two to keep. If I'd been totally confident that they were genuine I'd have bought the lot. I still don't know for sure one way or the other......worth a photo for the opinions of those in the know?

[mrclark303]

Nope its a Repro made in Yorkshire
but has had a makers name stamped into it at a later stage ( in the last 10 years! these copies were not marked apart from the crows foot)

Enfield SMLE Flanders Flap Muzzle Cover | Repro

Hey, I only paid £50, so ho hum, it's a very good repro. Thanks for that info Andy.

Looks like someone was 'slightly economical' with the truth shall we say and had gone to some effort to add age, etc.

I never ever buy the story, the very first lesson all collectors learn, usually the hard way!