WOW thats a lot of Mausers!!

[Gil Boyd]

See the last few seconds of the video the British lad had sorted himself out a decent looking German rifle slung over his shoulder

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[GeeRam]

See the last few seconds of the video the British lad had sorted himself out a decent looking German rifle slung over his shoulder

Well spotted.

I bet he never got it back home though.

My Dad said his RE unit made use of captured MP40's when on Jeep patrols and for initial POW sorting and guarding while they were trying to get as many German Pioneer troops out of POW camps to assist the RE's in clearance and building works of services, sewers etc. Dad said the folding stock and ability to carry the MP40 slung at the ready meant it was so much better than carrying a STEN or a rifle. After a couple of months when it became clear there was little need to be armed full time, the cache of MP40's and MP44's his units had "acquired" had to be 'surrendered'.
Dad admitted though that when he returned to the UK in early 1946, he tried bringing back a Luger and a P38, but the MP search teams on the troopship out of Kiel were very thorough in their searchs and all rifles, pistols and the odd MP40 found among their kit were all thrown over the side once out to sea. All he brought back were his collection of ceremonial German dress daggers and a few medals acquired, which he lost when he was on his 12 months tour in Palestine, as his younger brothers found them at home, and nicked them taking them to school and swapping them all for cigarette cards etc....
In the 80's and 90's I'd take him with me to Sunday morning militaria fairs, to get him out the house etc., as he never lost the interest, and he got very grumpy when he'd see a dealer with a dagger he had brought back and what they were then worth...