SMLE found by an author researching the fighting and retreat to Dunkirk

[Brian Dick]

Regarding the origins of the Sht. Mk.1. I think some want to make the explanation much more difficult than it is. I stick to my original opinion. It's a second line rifle that was issued to rear echelon troops and disposed of before the withdrawal at Dunkirk. Those folks who've never experienced the supply system in any Army just don't understand that with limited resources, especially during peacetime, the militaries of the world generally don't throw away anything that's still useful or in the case of rifles, gauge up correctly and still shoot! The USA was probably the biggest offender in throwing away perfectly good equipment because the supply of new stuff was/is fairly endless. Of course, my friends working at Anniston will tell you that it's not quite that way anymore with over 10 years of war in various deserts wrecking all of the pertinent equipment and an unfriendly government more willing to give money to everything but the military. However, when I was in an arms room working in the 1980's, we still had 81mm mortars that I couldn't help but wonder were in new condition during WWII! The tubes were so thin it was amazing and they still worked fine. Almost all of our weapons were left over from the Vietnam War with just the start of an infusion of new stuff like the M249 SAW which still had many bugs to iron out and 60mm Airborne mortars which were things of beauty and perfection. My point is: forget the list of changes and all that's been written in books by various authors. Reality is that weapons that were serviceable were issued and used even if the books say they weren't.