1. It appears that you are you're enjoying our Military Surplus Collectors Forums, but haven't created an account yet. As an unregistered guest, your are unable to post and are limited to the amount of viewing time you will receive, so why not take a minute to Register for your own free account now? As a member you get free access to our forums and knowledge libraries, plus the ability to post your own messages and communicate directly with other members. So, if you'd like to join our community, please CLICK HERE to Register !

    Already a member? Login at the top right corner of this page to stop seeing this message.

Results 1 to 9 of 9
Click here to increase the font size Click here to reduce the font size

Threaded View

  1. #1
    Administrator

    Site Owner
    Badger's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Last On
    @
    Location
    Toronto, Canada
    Age
    77
    Posts
    12,993
    Real Name
    Doug
    Local Date
    06-12-2025
    Local Time
    03:42 AM
    My Videos in Video Club
    12

    Arrow British Rifles From 1880 Massacre Found

    A little dated, but still interesting ...

    Brit Rifles From 1880 Massacre Found

    June 25, 2008
    The Independent

    Britishicon soldiers serving in Afghanistan have recovered weapons taken from the bodies of their Victorian forebears.

    Rare Martini-Henry rifles lost in the bloody defeat at Maiwand in July 1880 have been retrieved 128 years later by troops fighting the Taliban and al-Qa'ida in Helmand province.

    Two of the rifles, dated 1874 and 1878, are currently on sale in a Sussex antique shop for 1,100 apiece.

    Mark Hawkins, co-owner of The Lanes Armoury, Brighton, said: "When we first fought the Afghans, we kept sending out armies who lost. The Afghans killed our chaps and took their weapons.

    "Now British officers are finding these guns, recognise them for what they are, and are getting permission to bring them back. We've had a few through. I think a soldier might pick up a couple, keep one as a souvenir of his time in Afghanistan, and bring the other to us."

    Peter Smithurst, senior curator of historic firearms at the Royal Armouries Museum, Leeds, said: "The Martini-Henry was the first purpose-made breech-loading rifle introduced into British service. It is an iconic rifle."

    The Martini is particularly popular with collectors, he said, because of both its place in the development of firearms technology and for the role it played in the famous battles of Britain's colonial campaigns.

    Smithurst said Afghanistan was increasingly a source of antique firearms. "I have been getting quite a few email inquiries from British servicemen and the American forces as well."

    Hawkins said: "The Martini-Henry is a very, very collectable gun - almost entirely down to Michael Caine and the film Zulu. Everyone who has seen that film has seen the Martini-Henry and knows it is the rifle used by the British in that era."

    Unlike the successful defence of Rorke's Drift in 1879, as featured in Zulu, the battle of Maiwand a year later was one of the worst British defeats of Queen Victoria's 63-year reign. A 2,500- strong Anglo/Indian force was routed by an Afghan army of about 12,000 men.

    Among the 1,000 British and Indian dead were 286 men of the Martini-armed 66th (Berkshire) Regiment, who made a last stand in a walled garden in the village of Khig. When only two officers and nine men of the 66th remained alive, they charged the hordes of tribesmen surrounding them.

    An Afghan witness described the end: "These men charged from the shelter of a garden and died with their faces to the enemy. So fierce was their charge, and so brave their actions, no Afghan dared approach to cut them down. Standing in the open, back to back, firing steadily, every shot counting, surrounded by thousands, these British soldiers died. It was not until the last man was shot down that the Afghans dared to advance. The behaviour of those last 11 was the wonder of all who saw it."

    The weapons they wielded so gallantly could finally be returning home.
    Regards,
    Badger
    Information
    Warning: This is a relatively older thread
    This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

  2. The Following 6 Members Say Thank You to Badger For This Useful Post:


Similar Threads

  1. My 1880 Carbine (picture)
    By jeff hamerstone in forum Other U.S. Service Rifles
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 03-14-2009, 07:38 PM
  2. Markings on British Military Sniper rifles....
    By Missing Something in forum The Lee Enfield Knowledge Library Collectors Forum
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: 02-26-2008, 07:52 PM

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts