-
Somme battlefield finds.......with a difference.
Last edited by Roger Payne; 06-01-2021 at 12:36 PM.
-
The Following 26 Members Say Thank You to Roger Payne For This Useful Post:
30Three,
Alan de Enfield,
Bear43,
Bob Womack,
breakeyp,
Brian B,
Brian Dick,
browningautorifle,
Buccaneer,
CINDERS,
Flying10uk,
Gil Boyd,
husk,
Lance,
mrbennet,
NORTHOF60,
Ovidio,
rambo46,
rayg,
Salt Flat,
Simon P,
ssgross,
Surpmil,
Tom in N.J.,
usabaker,
waco16
-
06-01-2021 10:37 AM
# ADS
Friends and Sponsors
-
Contributing Member
The Bren Gun does look remarkably well preserved considering how long it's been in the ground.
-
Thank You to Flying10uk For This Useful Post:
-
-
Yes, I suppose the flash eliminator assembly being stainless steel has helped.
-
-
Legacy Member
I wonder if the Bren was battle damaged, or whether the gunner had time to disassemble the pistol grip assembly & chuck it in a different direction to where he left the guts of the gun? The rifle is clearly a SMLE. My money is on them being there since May 1940, just prior to the retreat to Dunkirk.
Most likely yes, been there since 1940. Probably disabled and split by a soldier when ammo ran out.
Just the thing for putting round holes in square heads.
-
Thank You to GeeRam For This Useful Post:
-
Legacy Member
It seems to be a global truth that 'vital" ground is "vital" ground through the ages.
Look at the Middle East,for starters The same mountain passes, water crossings, ports, etc, fought over for millennia. Ditto, over a somewhat shorter time-span, North America. There are places there that saw battle or mass troop movement in successive wars. It is likely that some of these places were also involved in inter-tribal conflict before Europeans even knew the place existed. John Keegan's "Warpaths" is a good primer on the subject. Naval warfare seems to have a similar trend. The advent of aircraft and submarines simply expanded the possibilities.
Thus, places like the Somme.
-
The Following 2 Members Say Thank You to Bruce_in_Oz For This Useful Post:
-
Yes, I remember hearing the late professor Richard Holmes referring to that part of Northern France, Belgium & the Netherlands as 'The Cockpit of Europe'; fought over so many times across the ages......
-
-
Last night Alain sent me the enclosed photo - found with the Bren. It's covered in concretion, but what do you think? Royal West Kents???
-
Thank You to Roger Payne For This Useful Post: