"Broad Arrow" Stamping Info please

[Mike Haas]

I'm doing some research on US Lend/Lease Weapons during WW2. Most of my info thus far has been about New Zealand L/L's.

I've determined that New Zealand used the vertical "Broad Arrow symbol" ...^...

My question is did all the British Commonwealth Countrys use the "broad arrow"..ie: Canada- India - Australia??? - Regardless if it was a US L/L or manufactured in Britain

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[LesterH]

There are a lot of makers marks and factory stampings. Main one is the crows foot /!\ the early ones are curly edge or what the RN calls the Pussers Arrow. Canada CA,JI,LB. Australia MA or OA, India is RFI, or GWR( Their railway works made a lot of weapons). USA is either US Government Property, S for Savage or [S] for Savage Stevens, CP Chissapie Falls Factory .SA serial number on Thompson guns and Lee Enfield No4 MK1*.
Look for electro pencil numbers, this is a sign of Lend Lease equipment for the RED Army.Thompson guns especially late 1928A1 models with Lyman fixed sights AO serial numbers.
Inglis in Canada made for UK,Commonwealth and China. Look for JI and JII stampings. China used 7.92mm Mauser calibres and not .303. Canadian webbing is a lighter colour than British 37 patt. Zytel was the main manufacturer.
P14 and P17 rifles. P13 Bayonets made by Remington and Winchester but with NO oil hole in the pommel.
Also look for "local" stampings near the manufacturers original stampings.
Hope this is of help. Kind regards, Lester

[Kev G]

My question is did all the British Commonwealth Countrys use the "broad arrow".. Regardless if it was a US L/L or manufactured in Britain

There are a lot of makers marks and factory stampings. Main one is the crows foot /!\ the early ones are curly edge or what the RN calls the Pussers Arrow. Canada CA,JI,LB. Australia MA or OA, India is RFI, or GWR( Their railway works made a lot of weapons). USA is either US Government Property, S for Savage or [S] for Savage Stevens, CP Chissapie Falls Factory .SA serial number on Thompson guns and Lee Enfield No4 MK1*.
Look for electro pencil numbers, this is a sign of Lend Lease equipment for the RED Army.Thompson guns especially late 1928A1 models with Lyman fixed sights AO serial numbers.
Inglis in Canada made for UK,Commonwealth and China. Look for JI and JII stampings. China used 7.92mm Mauser calibres and not .303. Canadian webbing is a lighter colour than British 37 patt. Zytel was the main manufacturer.
P14 and P17 rifles. P13 Bayonets made by Remington and Winchester but with NO oil hole in the pommel.
Also look for "local" stampings near the manufacturers original stampings.
Hope this is of help. Kind regards, Lester

I think the OP was asking about the 'Broad arrow' and it's use by other Commonwealth countries ?
You might also want to edit your comment regarding "China used 7.92 Mauser calibres and not .303" as apart from having nothing to do with the broad arrow this 'information' is also incorrect.
ATB KG

[LesterH]

Thank you for the above comments. You will find the Chinese did use 7.92mm Mauser calibre weapons.Inglis made 43000 Brenguns for them in 7.92mm on Lend Lease.( My note follows from the JI stamping)The Chinese also had a short version of the K98.In 1936 the Chinese purchased the ZB36. Mike Haas has an interest in Lend Lease weapons. The stampings referred to above are from my own collection which features a lot of ex Red Army Lend lease and captured D/A guns.( It took me many months to sort out who gave what to who)!
A lot of British and Commonwealth armies used equipment made around the world. The stampings above will assist with tracing the history of the equipment. Plus a lot of stuff gets repaired.You don't always have a crows foot but you usually get a makers mark of some sort. There must be thousands and thousands of them!

[Kev G]

Lester I was not refering to the Chinese use of 7.92 Mauser calibres but rather to your comment that "China used 7.92mm Mauser calibres and not .303." (my bold)
China was supplied with large quantities of .303 and US .30 and .45 ACP ammunition and small arms in these calibres.
Inglis did indeed make Bren guns for China in 7.92 Mauser but these didn't start production until the very end of 1943.Before 1944 all Bren guns supplied to China were in .303.
For instance by May 1942 1,469 .303 Brens had been shipped to China from the order of 15,000 and 150 million rounds of .303 Mk VII ball ammunition had allready been shipped for rifle and MG's use there.

ATB KG

[LesterH]

Kev G . Thank you again. However you still continue to quote me out of context. Inglis stampings JI and JII if 7.92mm will probably be lend lease.
I hoped to post a short note on stampings which may or may not indicate lend lease guns and equipment. In an 11 line post You could never comprehensively cover weapons used by the Chinese army and various war lords. They bought, borrowed and stole all sorts of weapons to fight the Japanese and each other.

[muffett.2008]

Edited.

Keep it civil.

[Mike Haas]

The conversation has strayed a bit far from my original question. Let me narrow things down here some. The original questions main intent had to do with the "Broad Arrow" stamping on New Zealand WW2 Stocks and..repeat and?? was the "broad Arrow" stamping soley used in NZ or was it a universal Commonwealth stamp. I now suspect it was solely a NZ mark but I don't want the question to get "lost in the weeds". I fail to see how the Chinese Army and "War Lords" are relevant to my original question.

I'll atach a link that has several excellant photos of the "Broad Arrow" stamping I'm inquiring about. Due credit given to the original posters as ID'ed in the link!!

I was toying with $1,000.00..

[Badger]

I now suspect it was solely a NZ mark but I don't want the question to get "lost in the weeds".

Me neither Mike ...

It's an interesting original question and I'd like to here the answer to it myself...

So, can everyone get back on topic focus and help out Mike (and me) with an answer?

Thanks folks ..

Regards,
Doug

[Paul S.]

Here's a thought. Why not ask the AWM staff or the NZ equivalent if WWII lend-lease kit was broad-arrowed?

All I know is that I can't remember seeing anything short of vehicles - at least as far I noticed, that wasn't broad-arrowed somewhere on it in my years in the Australian Army, but that was 20 odd years after WWII.