Help With Lithgow SMLE

[Col.Colt]

I have learned some good info from other resources as well. I am still in the learning process. Trouble is even the seller really has no information either.

[muffett.2008]

Of the 18000+ rifles returned to Australia from Singapore, 12000 were returned on the coastal freighter BURWAH, these firearms were extensively damaged, white anted and rusty as was expected after indifferent storing after firing, following the fall of Singapore.

A few thousand actions dated 1940-41 were scrubbed and refurbed as .22's, 7000 were earmarked for conversion to .22 Hornet and several hundred other makes were converted to .410, what was past it was junked.

All this was post war from 1946 to 1950, I'm sure I've posted the dates of these refurbs before.

Here is one snippet from the papers of the time.Attachment 51280

[Maxwell Smart]

The IJA didn't use many then?

SMLE's was all they seemed to carry on "Spyforce".

[Col.Colt]

That's interesting since the receiver on the this one is dated 1941

[Maxwell Smart]

Given that Singapore surrendered in early 1942, that would put a limit on action date for the recaptures.

My No2 MkIV* is also a Lithgow 1941 action, 1949 conversion date on the butt, so most interesting.

[muffett.2008]

Mine also, and shows the signs of a very hard life.Attachment 51288Attachment 51289

I have always believed that despite the numbers of rifles produced in the 40-41 timeframe, that they are almost as rare as the limited production years, due to the numbers lost in two different theatres of combat, and those subsequently modified as sub cal. or sporters.
Reading the War diaries of these units you can see that these year rifles were issued late and previous dated firearms returned to store, to see out the war as second line, giving them a higher survival rate than the early war years.

[Homer]

So muffer were the 8th Division mostly equipped with new SMLE's before they disembarked for Singapore or was it that a shipment arrived there and troops were issued these as they arrived to the front? From memory wasn't it a bit of a scattered force before it arrived?
I would think that if they were equipped with rifles fresh off the assembly line, the majority of 1941 actions would have been MkIII no star. My thoughts are that by the time they began assembling MkIII*s, it would have been too late for these to arrive in Singapore in time for the battle and final capitulation.
Having said that, I've found that 1941 actions serial numbered between B80000 and and C20000 are quite scarce and I've always felt that these were lost somewhere. I've been on the hunt for rifles in this range for some years and find myself constantly examining serial numbers for this reason.

[5thBatt]

Homer, i have 2 barrelled actions both in the B90000 range you can have for a modest fee they may have come to NZ.

[Homer]

Interesting mate. Shortly after I posted last night I checked an Australian used gun site and there was a B80000 1941 dated action advertised.

[5thBatt]

Seems they changed from the 1941 to the 1942 dated actions late 1942 & in the serial range C90000 a couple of years back there were a couple of rifles in a auction that wiere in the iirc C91000 range, the lower number had a '42 dated receiver & the higher number a '41 date, one had a mismatched bolt but amazingly the bolt had the concecutive number to the other rifle.