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

[Peter Laidler]

Kids, playing Surpmil? Obviously a jestful comment........ It's a ring of oily stuff around the butt. The butt marking disc has recent fallen out as can be seen by the dust free recess and verdegres, caused by the screw just falling out of the dry-rotten wood. It just looks to me that the change lever/safety screw has been removed to further disable the rifle by throwing the safety mechanism away. Obviously done at the same time

Can't answer the sheared off screw but it's recent. The rifle is what it is and been where it's been

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.

[Rusty.303]

G'Day all, I must say I am enjoying the thread.
A bit off topic but anyway.
My neighbors father is 96 years old, he fought in Greece in WW2 when the Germans invaded.
He narrowly escaped with a few others by requisitioning a small boat, rowing to where they were randomly picked up by an allied destroyer.
Before this they ditched the rifles minus mag and bolt.
He told me about 6 months ago that when he reached home questions were asked about the his rifle, he told me he was going to be charged for the rifle until he produced the mag and bolt which he still had.
The sharp old bugger still remembers the rifles serial no.

[Beerhunter]

My neighbors father is 96 years old, he fought in Greece in WW2 when the Germans invaded.

Even further OT (perhaps) there is an old boy (at least there was a few years back) who lives in the centre of Crete. IIRC he was about nine years old when the Germans invaded in 1941. Being that kind of boy, he started "picking stuff up" and has been doing so ever since. So he now owns one of the best collections of German and British Commonwealth kit on the island. (Bits of Ju52, gliders & tanks, guns, radios, etc.) It's mostly in a dreadful state but it is worth a visit.

BTW, if you visit his "museum" and you have a British or antipodean accent you will be treated like a king, I was. Many Cretans believe that the Greek Government left them in the lurch and the British Commonwealth soldiers did their best to protect them from the Germans. Additionally, the Cretans felt that they did not have the means to defend themselves and so after the war, lots of German weapons were "picked up" by the locals and secreted away "for the next time".

[browningautorifle]

when he reached home questions were asked about the his rifle, he told me he was going to be charged for the rifle until he produced the mag and bolt which he still had.

That's very interesting. And makes perfect sence as to why no bolt and mag in the found rifle.

[Surpmil]

Kids, playing Surpmil? Obviously a jestful comment........ It's a ring of oily stuff around the butt. The butt marking disc has recent fallen out as can be seen by the dust free recess and verdegres, caused by the screw just falling out of the dry-rotten wood. It just looks to me that the change lever/safety screw has been removed to further disable the rifle by throwing the safety mechanism away. Obviously done at the same time

Can't answer the sheared off screw but it's recent. The rifle is what it is and been where it's been

Kids, playing Surpmil? Obviously a jestful comment........ It's a ring of oily stuff around the butt. The butt marking disc has recent fallen out as can be seen by the dust free recess and verdegres, caused by the screw just falling out of the dry-rotten wood. It just looks to me that the change lever/safety screw has been removed to further disable the rifle by throwing the safety mechanism away. Obviously done at the same time

Can't answer the sheared off screw but it's recent. The rifle is what it is and been where it's been

No jest Peter, that's just how the photos look to me. I suppose a soldier could remove the safety screw with a coin as the slot is wide enough, but if done to disable the rifle, why bother to put the screw back? Would make more sense just to hide or throw it away with the lever and spring.

Looks like there's a large chunk missing out of the wrist of the butt and from here it looks like there was tape holding it on until fairly recently.

But you can see it better than I can.