Pre-WW1 SMLE No.1

[Brit plumber]

Good point there Chosenman. We would occasionally get these battle damaged rifles back from 'warmer climes' through the system at work including several that had been used to fight off an ambush and the ambushers eventually murdered the group of NATO/UN soldiers (I'll leave it at that.....) I asked the unit/regiment museum if they wanted one or two of them plus a couple of the murder weapons to preserve for posterity. Not for show or display but in many years to come, after a few decades in a back store that would be quite historic artefacts.

A couple of days later after some ongoing dfiscussions the answer came back to the effect '........ Nope......, let bygones be bygones without the macabre reminders of history.....' So I supervised them all getting the chop with the hot-axe and only kept a couple of bayonets

You showed me those rifles Peter and I'll never forget it. I was based quite near where that incident took place and every time we went passed that place, I would always remember them. I'm in agreement that possibly in years to come their story will obscure into history with no tangible evidence. At least if there was a reminder, macabre as it may be, it would be real evidence to go with their story and not just another tale in a book from a long forgotten war. It's like the battle damaged rifle in the SASC, that is a real tangible link to an actual incident, there is only that link to the story, had it been scrapped or repaired, it's doubtful his story would have been told and if it was, I doubt it would have the same impact on people.