Bren at War

[Lee Enfield]

Two members of the Home Guard, armed with a 'Tommy gun' and Bren light machine-gun, manning a slit trench on the green at Dorking, Surrey, 1 December 1940.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...02/large-2.jpg


Two members of the Home Guard armed with a 'Tommy gun' and Bren light machine-gun, Dorking, Surrey, 1 December 1940.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...02/large-3.jpg

...snip...
Regards

No kit, no spare mags, no web gear... guns almost certainly supplied by the photo team and passed around to personnel for photo propaganda and morale purposes.

[Peter Laidler]

The blokes laying with Bren at the back of on Bisley range in the plotos are from the East Surrey Regt. Re the video. Notice the small boy standing in front to the left of the Bren. I bet he got an earful! The blokes firing the Bren off the tripod at the end of the video are using a trials ZB gun (note the vents in the flash eliminator*) and are staff members of the Small Arms School at Hythe (or Bisley where it moved in June 1940.

* We decided against the vent holes in the flash eliminator and had to pay royalties for the privilege and opted for the stepped flash eliminator instead. Alas, without the vent holes there too gas 'rings' soon formed and the now disturbed escaping gas (don't forget that it's travelling faster than the bullet at this stage of the game.....) was causing a high proportion of the bgullets to become unstable. So we reverted to what the canny Czechs suggested in the first place........ A straight narrow taper!

[Luis Bren]

Where can find ZB26 and ZGB trial pics ?

Regards

[browningautorifle]

Nice pics of the early first war uniform and the brand new Bren.

[Peter Laidler]

They aren't actual 'Brens' but Czech made trials guns. Note the raked rearwards backsight aperture that doesn't extend to the back of the body as the Bren does. Also vents in the muzzles that caused dust and crap when fired from off the tripod (or over low cover).

Files and folders of all the trials guns are held at the Small Arms School and are awaiting publication. Alas it's a looooooong time coming. The Small Arms School archive is packed away awaiting redevelopment of the Warminster HQ site.

Cant get the film to run. Any reason?

[Luis Bren]

Hi Peter!

I have read on several websites, the origin of the bren, very short description of the tests and any photograph that time.

They are not videos Peter.
Are taking a picture of the video, to see how photography.
I put the video on pause and click the Print Screen button and stay a photograph.

[Peter Laidler]

Ah, yes........ But you are talking to a total computer illiterate now! Thanks Luis.

Some of the original men on the trials photos - and presumably in these video's - were identified by one of the now long retired (and recently deceased) SASC Officers. He had identified most of the men in the 40's and 50's Infantry Training pamphlets just for the SASC records. I think it was the late WO2 Gillett SASC who featured in the 1950's Bren pamphlets

[Luis Bren]

Peter
Now you know something more than PC funtions!

A game of football at Chanzy barracks, Le Mans. Ordnance sergeants in trousers against men in shorts on the BEF assembly ground. (Note the gun mounted on a tripod as a precaution against air attack).



4th Battalion Border Regiment on the Somme Front, May 1940: Soldiers of the 4th Battalion, Border Regiment take up defensive positions by the roadside.

[Luis Bren]

Men of the 2nd Cameron Highlanders with a Bren gun set up between rocks during training at Mena Camp near Giza, Egypt, 4 June 1940.



Men of the 2nd Cameron Highlanders man a Bren gun set up on an anti-aircraft mounting during training at Mena Camp near Giza, Egypt, 4 June 1940.



Men of the 2nd Cameron Highlanders man a Bren gun set up on an anti-aircraft mounting in the back of a 15cwt truck during training at Mena Camp near Giza, Egypt, 4 June 1940.

[Luis Bren]

Men of the Essex Regiment relaxing at Duda, 15 December 1941.



Rhodesian troops of the 60th King's Royal Rifles fire a Bren gun during a training exercise, 12 May 1942.



New Zealanders take prisoner the crew of a Matilda tank, captured by the Germans and used in an attempt to break through the Allied lines, during which it was knocked out by an anti-tank gun, 3 December 1941.