Good Idea.......

[Peter Laidler]

This photo shows a Mk1 Bren displayed at the Infantry weapons collection at Warminster. It is in fact a DP L54 Bren but in a chest with a glass front to show the contents. Many of them are missing here but they are all well known and recorded.

Interestingly, the white coloured triangular recess at the left hand side of the box is to allow the folding magazine loading tool to be stowed away with the gun. The tool was held down and secure by the left hand removeable gun crutch.

Another little mystery is about to be revealed too. The little 5" x 2.25" oblong space just to thr right of the rolled up Bren sling was to keep safe and clean a similarly sized set of range and elevation charts, kept within a little kakhi rubberised string-top bag. These charts were to be used with the dial sight. Alas, like the magazine loading tool, the dial sight came to nothing! With its demise, like that of the telescopic sight, the Bren was effectively relegated to the job it truly excelled at. A good, tough, reasonable accurate, easy to teach and use section light machine gun, capable of delivering a devastating amount of fire-power. In doing so, it left the big stuff to the big boys with their 3" Mortars and Vickers Machine Guns.

Oh yes, and the small 3.25" x 3.25" squared-off space, immediately underneath the bodyside DP marking (partially hidden by the gas cylinder rod....) was originally used to house a similarly sized metal tub of grease to lubricate the return spring. This grease tub, a left-over from the days of the Lewis, was replaced by a tube of grease and later by yet another grease, XG340 graphite.

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