I forgot to mention it but the main man at the RAF end, who could answer any questions about the amalgamation of what were called 'common' weapons (not aircraft cannons and the like, but small arms stuff....) was a genius. He was a real RAF small-arms Armourer and not a bomb jockey (sorry BP.....). His name was Flight Lieutenant Stan Payne and he'd come through the ranks. We used to meet at the Armourers Dinner until a few years ago but he's passed on now. Even their part numbers didn't equate to the Army numbers - or even the old MoS part numbers now that I think about it - , and they were only just getting used to Browning from their old .38" No2's and S&W's. It was him that divested the RAF of its old .303" Bren Guns for 7.62mm L4's and he's to blame for a small cock up with them. All Air Cadet and school RAF CCF cadets had .303" Brens for ammunition compatability. But he had the .303's withdrawn from them in the 70's and reissued with 7.62's until someone realised that they weren't scaled for 7.62mm ammo.......... anyway! I think that the RAF rifles came with a 9B-XXXX or something part number code while we were well into NATO 13 figure. He told me that during the integration period, the RAF found that they had a zillion No9 bayonets in stock! So if you still have wrapped ones in yoiur collection with the RAF 9X-XXXcode, that's them too!

They also kept their No7 rifles for a LONG time, well into the 80's but once they got into the Army system, they were replaced at the first unserviceable opportunity for No8's
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