Interesting times in Bandiana

[fergs]

Just thought id post these tasty little tidbits for the folks at home, here are a couple of no3 mk1 HT lithgows on display at the museum of ordnance bandiana. Also inclusive is a no6 Lithgow. Only thing is there all inocuous and the other thing is i couldnt get a real good shot of them due to the fact they were in display cabinets.
Enjoy the pics or weep in your beer!!!
Regards
Fergs

Information

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[Peter Laidler]

That word Bandiana immediately caught my attention. The RAEME/Armourers Training centre. Is it still the RAEME centre and do they still train the Armourers there Fergs and Son? The only person I remember is/was Mr Bannerman.

[fergs]

the REAME trainees are nearby at latchford, the museum is worth the while to visit as it has quiet a few nice bits and peices that have been rendered inocuous but you cant tell by looking at them.
Fergs

[Rowdy]

SMLE bolt in the No.6

[Son]

That word Bandiana immediately caught my attention. The RAEME/Armourers Training centre. Is it still the RAEME centre and do they still train the Armourers there Fergs and Son? The only person I remember is/was Mr Bannerman.

The training centre is a five minutes up the road, as fergs said- but is soon to be relocated again.

Mr Bannerman is still there- I'm pretty sure he invented the gun, and is still training all the armourers. I was back there early last year for a course, and occasionally swap emails with him about "interesting stuff" that comes across our benches.
I have lots of pics of the small arms collection at Bandianna. If you really want to weep in your beer- here's their innoc'd Charlton! According to the LES, there are only four (IIRC) known in existence. (I count five, plus a repro made and sold a few years back)Attachment 22316Attachment 22317

Is there one in the Pattern Room collection? If so, that would make six!

fergs, if you enjoy the Museums, the new one at the School of Infantry will be opening in September. They will be doing "special" displays from time to time to cater for "special interest" groups too. I'll be keeping an eye on these and give a heads-up when the good stuff is coming out.

[smellie]

Pattern Room had a Charlton when I was there, back in '76.

Likely it's rusted to bits by now; I drooled ALL over the poor thing!

Another fine toy they had was the ONLY surviving German Maxim 1908/16, s/n 9. Thing had a pistol-grip trigger like a Browning M1919. The one I REALLY wanted was the British Maxim s/n 1 in .450G&G; it was on the next table to s/n 100, which had had every mod known to man.

I'm off to the sock closet for a good cry.
.

[Bruce_in_Oz]

Pretty much anything in any collection in any Australian Army "museum" has been "rendered innocuous".

What this means is that it all stray internal parts have been removed and destroyed, the receiver, bolt (if visible) and barrel have been totally butchered, usually with a gas-axe or cutting wheel. Everything is welded together so that nothing moves. The original serial number is obliterated, the resulting mess gets a sloppy coat of old black stove paint, and a dodgy new "serial number" is electric-pencilled on the remains.

Even bayonets and swords are often seen with their tips bashed off and the cutting edge ground blunt.

And after all this butchery, this rubbish is then still regarded as a weapon and must be kept under fairly stringent security.
A couple of years back I saw a 1913 Lithgow SMLE, complete with intact volley sights that had been “rendered innocuous”. No longer allowed to be bolted to the wall of an officer’s mess, it was being sent to the big smelter because it was too much trouble to keep locked in a unit armoury.
I know a few armourers who try to arrange to be "in the field" when this sort of work comes in. Others actually seem to enjoy destroying historic stuff.

[Peter Laidler]

There was a NZ made Charlton at the small instructional museum at Ngaruawahia in NZ when I was there. It was a complete and in running order too. WO2 'Jock' Annandale and ASM Leo Francis used to run the place

[fergs]

Damn philistines,
atleast from what i could see the weapons all look pretty smick, then it was explained to me that the welding is all done on the reverse side. Ohwell atleast they have done it to minimise the butchery, im still in awe to the processes for the manufacture of the old SMLE in all its stages.
Regards
Fergs

[fergs]

SMLE bolt in the No.6

Yep this was a no6 mk1 similar to the no5 jungle carbine, they never went into full production.