MK3 STEN Photographic Profile

[Vincent]

The SS were looked at sideways by the Old School ARMY Generals, who mistrusted them. & thought them 'Criminals' & not 'Gentlemen'.

They had good reason to believe the SS were criminals. The SS ran all the concentration camps after ’43. “Totenkopf” is short for SS-Totenkopfverbände. In English it means SS Death's-Head Units. They ran and guarded the death camps. I am sure the Old School ARMY Generals knew about the camps. Even my mother, who worked in a U-boat factory, knew about the death camps.



A soldier with a Mk3 Sten and a death camp survivor. British 11th Armoured Division at Bergen-Belsen I believe.

[tankhunter]

I have visited Belsen on three spate occasions, each time I was on Exercise. & had my Own Land rover to roam Freely! There is absolutely NOTHING left of any original structures. It was all burnt to the ground by Flamethrower Mounted Bren Gun Carriers by the British Army. You see Typhoid was Rife & needed to be eradicated! There are Many cairned 'Pits' with wording on them. Stating how many People are buried in that particular mass grave.

It is a very moving & Emotional feeling when you are there. Deathly quiet & the hair on the back of your neck, REALLY prickles!......

So, the Totenkopf Verband marked Weapons are very scarce to find! After these 'Peoples' involvement at the camps. it is perfectly understandable, If the markings were erased Post war, during refurb Programes!......

Just My thoughts on this Subject.

[Flying10uk]

I believe that it is very important that people are educated on exactly what "what went on" in these camps as there appears to be a growing ignorance among the the the general population of what did and of the SS involvement's in these camps.

[philb]

3rd SS Panzer Division Totenkopf - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

the history of

[Flying10uk]

I have managed to find an early type of cocking handle without the turned down end to retro fit to the MK3 Sten that began this thread. I was also lucky enough to be able to get a Lines Brothers marked trigger housing cover from the same vendor. Hopefully the cocking handle is correct?

[Vincent]

Hopefully the cocking handle is correct?

Good question. It’s certainly a step in the right direction I would say. They sell them over here as “MK3 cocking handles.”

Have a look at the pictures on page 61 of Peter’s Sten book. It looks like it doesn’t have the hole in casing for a safety cocking handle. Hard to say for sure, but to me it looks like the cocking handle is the earlier MK2.

[Flying10uk]

I see what you mea, Vincent, but unfortunately it was the only cocking handle that I could find without the turned down/reduced end for the safety locking of the bolt. To be fair to the vendor it was described as an early type cocking handle but the description was not specific as to which mark of Sten it was intended. I think that I was fairly lucky to find any cocking handle without the reduced end and it will be a useful spare to have if nothing else. I will most likely use it, assuming it fits, until a more correct example crops up.

[Vincent]

I agree. It’s a good find no matter what.

Here’s a picture from a vendor here in the US.



As you can see the earlier Mk2 handle has a turned down/reduced end. But it’s not a safety for locking the bolt.



The Mk3 handle works the same as the Mk2. Removing the turned down/reduced end just simplified it, as Peter says in his book. The turned down/reduced end on the Mk2 handle can’t reach the casing. If the casing had a hole, it wouldn’t go through it.

[philb]

just traded for these pretty sure they are genuine mk3 ?

[Vincent]

Going by the manufacturers codes the one on the left was made by The University of Sheffield and the other 2 by John Chatfield.