Smle mk v

[Peter Laidler]

Thanks lads. I had to chuckle! I hope you did too....... Mind you, it NEARLY happened once. I was a Sergeant (A TA reservist.....) and me and my pal had driven down for miles and miles from the Scottish training areas in a clapped out old Bedford RL and decided to stop at an Engineers Depot in Ripon, late in the evening. The cook sloshed us up something just edible to eat and the Mess found us a room and bed to kip on with sheets and blankets instead of sleeping bags and tents or the back of the truck. We had just the barest of civillain clothes between us and after a shower, went down to the bar for a drink. Only to be told that we had to wear ties and a bloody jacket! We should have known really..... But if we went out into the back room and drank our couple of beers and crisps it'd all be sort of OK unless the Orderly Sergeant saw us - which he did!

Next morning we paid our bill and there was a note from the RSM, telling us to report to him at 0915. Well......, we wanted to be gone by about 0800 and our combats (combat clothing and boots) were filthy. Anyway, we didn't clean up as he was bound to understand the two hard and overworked reservist Sergeants on the Military Training Team. But no....., he didn't understand and went on to tell us about not bringing a civillian tie or jacket with us as well as the usual gibberish they spout!

I was due to be commissioned in the next few weeks and really felt like saying something like '.............' You know what I mean! But I felt a nudge in the side from Sgt 'Lash' Langford as if telling me to '......you've only got a few weeks of this shxx left and you're out of his hair' So it went in one ear and out of the other. Filled up the Bedford with petrol and off we went. Least said, soonest mended!

I wouldn't have minded, but he followed the telling off with a note to my unit at Banbury........... My boss, another paratrooper, Capt Jock Fox called me in, ripped it up in front of me and without another word said '....off you go'

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[arkshooter]

[QUOTE= Only to be told that we had to wear ties and a bloody jacket! We should have known really..... But if we went out into the back room and drank our couple of beers and crisps it'd all be sort of OK unless the Orderly Sergeant saw us - which he did!

/QUOTE]

Reminded me of the "Erol Flynn" character in the McAuslin Novels by George McDonald Fraser. The waiter told Erol he couldn't come in unless he had on a tie. Erol used his pistol lanyard as a tie, and dared the waiter to say anything.

[Bruce_in_Oz]

I was under the impression that most of the Mk5s ended up in India.

Interestingly, post the second great unpleasantness, Indian troops went in as garrison troops to what was then French Indo-China.

Here they kept order alongside recycled Japanese troops who were employed as "policemen". That went down well with the locals, especially given the activities in the previous few years.

Somehow or other some of these Indian Mk5s found their way into the hands of the local anticolonialists.

There are photos of said locals armed with Mk5s in a couple of the Viet war museums. One depicts a black-clad chap pointing the rifle at the sky is what is probably a posed "PR" shot.

I found it again posted here: Viet Cong soldier with No 1 Mk V Trials Rifle

Sadly, whilst the Viets tended to throw nothing away, (just in case), a huge flood of the Red River about twelve so years ago filled quite a few stores depots with a vast amount of mud. The goodies, mostly weapons and other tech gear of US and French origin festered in a mud blanket for months and most eventually went to scrap. I saw some photos (no copies) and it was a nasty thing to see, not unlike the piles of abandoned and sometimes burned mountains of goodies in Cambodia.

I'll see if I can find any more links or images.

Finally, sort of in the same vein, there's this: Các loại súng bộ binh tốt nhất !

[RCS]

My friend bought eight rifles, all upgraded to Mark 111 in India during the WW1 period. These rifles were Mark 1** IP and on the other side were marked R^F and a date such as 1916 or 1917 (I did find a 1914). He bought another four more and there was a Mark V also from India but as issue, it was well used which is something you do not find with a Mark V

[bigduke6]

I was under the impression that most of the Mk5s ended up in India.

Have heard India, South Africa and most recent, sold to the Irish army, in the late 20,s I think.

[gsimmons]

Attachment 33018



Attachment 33019

Mine has damage to the wood and the rear sight been dinged. But I don't know anything else about where its been etc.

[RossM10]

Is anyone compiling a list of surviving Mk.Vs? If so they can add mine to the list.
A3588 made in 1924.
I bought it from a well-known dealer in Aldershot 20-odd years ago and he had several to choose from at the time.

[Peter Laidler]

Don't forget that there were TWO variations of the Mk5. The 'new-build- at 23 shillings and the Mk3 revamped at £18 shillings.

It'd be a good idea to log the serial numbers of the survivors Ross, but to achieve what? A better idea would be for someone to collate and print/publish the whole unabridged history of them.

Any ideas what variant yours is Garry? Looks like a revamped Mk3

[gsimmons]

Sorry, I guess I really don't know. I thought it was the second variation. It was manufactured in 1924. How do I tell?

[gsimmons]

Attachment 33029
Does this help? I can try to take more phots tonight if it helps.