Use of the L42 in the Falklands Conflict

[Gil Boyd]

Each Battalion had 6, so good chance of that.

L/Sgt Coull named on the L42 chest doesn't appear to have fought down south. Also Nige Ayres states "NEVER saw one river on that island for it to be tossed into".............good point!!
Just further confirmation of writers embelishment I'm afraid, or a tip from someone who clearly doesn't know!!

[Lee Enfield]

...snip...

Simon,
I am sure will corroberate the fact that there is only one of the L42's showing as written off/missing off his list during the Falklands War, and that is Nigel Ayres rifle of 2 Scots, who was hit in the back on Tumbledown Mt and his L42 action took a direct hit. I know that as I have that rifle now and he got to shoot it last year.

so the rifle must have had a shattered stock in the action area??

I can't think of any other damage which would be repairable?

does the rifle show any sign of the damage?

[Gil Boyd]

Nigel can't remember too much for obvious reasons on the night as he was casevaced, but he was hit in the back/neck area and the rifle was certainly wacked on the action, and attributed for saving his life. He said they couldn't pull the bolt rearwards from memory, so it was definitely the action that took the strike, but it did come home with him.

The action on it now is numbered the same but clearly blued and a first class job by REME on return. Dont forget they still had a period to serve, (10 years) until the L96/M85 came out of the woodwork for trials and replacement. It appears there must have been a shortfall, and the damage repairable in someones mind, otherwise why would they have wasted any time on it?

[GeeRam]

What about that RM L42 on South Georgia, as from memory those Marines were repatriated back to UK after negociated surrender, including being disarmed and thus the Argentinians took that L42 and it would therefore be a 'loss'..........?

[DanL96a1]

Here are the markings on my L42 transit chest from what I gather it should have been in the Falklands as the unit was the Scots guards and the sniper who's name in the box was there

Hi mossin L/Sgt Colin Coull Scots Guards mentioned in the book “victory in the Falkland” and “amongst friends : Scots guards” I’ve seen l42 chest with yellow paint saying 2SG in black marker pen.

[Gil Boyd]

Dan/Mossin,
Nigel did not think he went south with them. But memories are memories after 36 years and he could be wrong of course!

[DanL96a1]

Gill I bow to your knowledge on that. I don’t know if Coull was in falklands at time of 82 but mentioned as a reference I think below

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=fIWjAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT289&lpg=PT289&dq=l/sgt+colin+coull&source=bl&ots=l9IViUbDUU&sig=tRDV9Q_iczUPt9ATMfeK9LFWtlE&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiW-9yk8YXZAhUhLcAKHc5ACm4Q6AEwDnoECAYQAQ#v=onepage&q=l%2Fsgt%20colin%20coull&f=false

Some more photos have some of the SG someware...
Redirect Notice

https://www.gettyimages.in/detail/news-photo/british-soldiers-leave-southampton-aboard-the-rms-queen-news-photo/607439454#british-soldiers-leave-southampton-aboard-the-rms-queen-elizabeth-2-picture-id607439454

[Gil Boyd]

A request to those that know what goes on in the Royal Navy.
Would Royal Marine stocks have been listed within their orbat during the Falklands..............and would REME have had them back for any repairs or have they their own lads in Plymouth or Pompy???

Dan that photo is of the Scots Guards and the old sweat with the faceveil carrying the chest. Be interested to know who that was?

[55recce]

"I had no oil on mine and in the constant wet the bolt got stiffer and stiffer. It lost its zero, then the scope fogged up. I got so exasperated with it that I dumped it in a stream and carried a captured Argie FN for the rest of the battle, which worked out just fine out to four or five hundred yards."
From Out of Nowhere - A History of the Military Sniper by Martin Pegler Osprey Publishing 2004 Page 289.

The source for this is cited as personal interview with Vincent Bramley. He wrote 2 books- Excursion to Hell about his own experiences as a Lance Corporal in 3 Para during the battle of Mount Longdon, and Two Sides of Hell with further recollections of the battle of Mount Longdon from 8 Argentinian soldiers from the 7th Infantry Regiment and 5 British Paratroopers.

Both books are quite good and seem accurate.

[mossin]

Among Friends: The Scots Guards 1956-1993 page 148 mentions a Sgt Coull
Among Friends: The Scots Guards 1956-1993 - Murray Naylor - Google Books