No 8 Rifle

[Peter Laidler]

It begs the question of just HOW big was the target shooting team or teams? And why would they qualify for a special issue? I just feel that W for Woolwich is a red herring. After all, the W would indicate Weedon Ordnance Depot shooting club or the Trials wing at the School of Infantry Warminster or Wilshire Police. The majority of the actual Woolwich Garrison was Army, including the Base Workshops, that was relatively small by Base Workshop standards and they'd just get the run of issue kit. I just recall that in our workshops we had certain rifles (No4T's and L42's for example) that were part of the workshop equipment, just for the testing of other kit, such as telescopes. Other experimental units had rifles issued to test ammunition or 'pyrotechnics' or signal pistols to use as gas dischargers etc etc but it all followed the usual pattern and was issued from Ordnance.

I just have a gut feeling that these W No8's were contracted from the old Ministry of Supply, from the Fazakerley factory, with War Department (as they all were in the early 50's) approval for some other Government or overseas department..............

But someone will come up with the answer
But the Woolwich Garrison shooting team just doesn't ring any bells somehow. Can you imagine it, the club secretary, Major Smithers phoning up his old school pal pal at the Ministry of Supply saying
'...... I say, is that you Stinky Beardmore me old chum....... I need 70 of those new No8 rifles for the Woolwich shooting club. Can you help?
'....Fraid not Spotty, there's a huge demand from the Army and now those stinkers in the RAF want some as well........'
'That may's be so Stinky, but unless you send me 50 No8's down, especially numbered from W 1 to 71 by next week, I'll have to tell all and sundry in the Mess about you and that rotter 'Winker' Wainwright at the back of the school pavillion...... and he wasn't the only sly *** that you were having either........
Ok, Ok, Spotty, I'll have them with you by Monday. Mums the word and I won't mention you and matrons daughter.

I just don't think things worked like that even then.........