Mystery SMLE No1 Mk 1

[glen chappelle]

My 1904 Enfield Mk 1 also has 05 under the rack number

[5thBatt]

I've seen 1918 dated Mk III* rifles with NZ markings on them, which indicates to me they were ordering brand-new rifles by the time the war ended rather than just going for whatever was on clearance from the gun trade.

The story here is NZ troops waiting to return home after the war, handed in their battle worn rifles & were issued new rifles, hence the rarity of earlier NZ marked MkIII SMLEs, the Mk1s remained in NZ & were apparently used for training.

[ssj]

I've seen 1918 dated Mk III* rifles with NZ markings on them, which indicates to me they were ordering brand-new rifles by the time the war ended rather than just going for whatever was on clearance from the gun trade.

By then I'd assume there would have been nothing lying around to by cheap....

[Colonel Enfield]

The story here is NZ troops waiting to return home after the war, handed in their battle worn rifles & were issued new rifles, hence the rarity of earlier NZ marked MkIII SMLEs, the Mk1s remained in NZ & were apparently used for training.

That makes sense and sounds like something the NZ Government would do (especially because it meant they didn't have to pay extra to ship all the new rifles back home!)

[Roy]

Around 1912 the mounted rifles were rearmed with MkIII's and their MkI's were issued to senior cadet forces.

After the first echelon of the 1st NZ Div left NZ in 1915 (carrying MLE's) there was such a shortage of SMLE's in NZ that NZ reinforcements left the country unarmed and the troops were armed from British stores upon arrival in England perhaps this occurred in 1917 -18 as a high proportion of SMLE's here are from those dates. Both of my NZ marked 1917-18 actions have 1920 barrels on them and had windage sights. Possibly from a mass post ww1 refurbishment of ww1 worn rifles here . My 1908 NZ SMLE was rebarreled with a 1941 Lithgow barrel, so at least some of the early pre ww1 NZ SMLE's soldiered on to their next war and I have seen a picture from Crete of a Kiwi section with sunlight reflecting off the volley sight plates of their rifles.

[5thBatt]

here are my NZ marked SMLEs

1904 EFD Mk1


1916 EFD MkIII, Mk1 body, 1918 dated barrel.


1918 BSA MkIII* 1939 dated Lithgow replacement receiver.


1918 BSA MkIII*


1918 EFD MkIII* 1925 dated barrel


1918 LSA MkIII* 1939 dated barrel


1918 SSA MkIII*


1918 NRF MkIII*


If you want to see more of these rifles, just click on the pics.

[Kiwi]

I have seen a picture from Crete of a Kiwi section with sunlight reflecting off the volley sight plates of their rifles

Was the photo you saw of a SMLE or was it a P14 as there were P14's issued to our Engineers up until around 1943. Don't have a clear enough photo to post at this stage, but the NZ Army Museum Newsletter (march/April 2014) shows some NZ troops in Crete/Greece with P14's.

[Roy]

I honestly can't remember. But thats interesting since engineers were amongst the first to receive SMLE's pre WW1

[Colonel Enfield]

here are my NZ marked SMLEs

Great pics and thanks for sharing! Interesting to note they've all got the butt discs too, despite that supposedly being phased out about 1915/1916.

[Bindi2]

The Brits and the Aussies phased them out. The Kiwis are a law unto themselves coming home with new rifles and fitted discs to them. Smart coolies cheap new rifles.
The Aussies came home with worn rifles and were sent worn out rifles to replace the new ones sent to England early in the war. Don't say it 5th I know.