Bren at War

[Peter Laidler]

Read the article about them that I have just written........

[Luis Bren]

Thank Peter !



Object description
A British soldier with a Bren gun in the ruins of Monte Cassino.



Object description
Men of the Royal West Kent Regiment in a dugout on Monastery Hill at Cassino, 26 March 1944.



Object description
A 17-pdr anti-tank gun and crew near Cassino, 17 May 1944. A Sherman tank can be seen in the background.

[Peter Laidler]

2nd photo, Mk1 gun with Mk2 butt. Note the bino case above the webbing, to the right of the carrying handle and extreme left hand bottom corner, one of the old what we used to call 'tea-bombs'. Last seen by me in the late 60's or so (but probably went on until later I suspect.....) used for taking hot food/tea up to the blokes. Replaced with better 'norwegians' and then something else

Bottom photo. They wouldn't be in that trench if the 17 pounder opened up! More No2 binos again. The bloke standing up has on a 'jerkin, leather, drivers' Great bits of kit. Thick, supple leather, sleeveless, lined with a khaki blanket like material. Last saw one in 1963 or so when the RASC drivers all seemed to have them

[Luis Bren]

2nd photo, Mk1 gun with Mk2 butt.

How about barrel and carry handle?

[Peter Laidler]

Yep, a real hybrid. Mk2 c/handle and Mk1* barrel.

The earlier 'stepped or closed' tapered flash eliminator was an Enfield idea that ZB did not agree with in the first place....... The first pulse of gas that exited the barrel (don't forget that this first pulse accellerates faster than the bullet and escapes past/around it) left a ring of carbon inside the original stepped flash eliminator. And this was the reason why the first combination tool incorporated a cutter, to clear this build-up of gas carbon. Alas, it was quickly discovered on active service that even a small carbon ring would upset the stability of the high pressure/density venting gas (that was already moving past the bullet don't forget) was upsetting the stability of the bullet causing great inaccuracy problems.

ZB already knew about this problem with UK based cordite .303", that's why they put a double ring of gas vents around the later trials ZB guns. So it was back to the drawing boards at Enfield. Well, not so much back to the drawing board as just going back to basics and doing what ZB had suggested in the first place. Enter the modified flash eliminator!

Not a lot of people know that!

[Luis Bren]

All pics, THE DIEPPE RAID, 19 AUGUST 1942

[Brit plumber]

I didn't realise the U.S. had troops at Dieppe, and using the M1 Garand.

[Luis Bren]

I didn't realise the U.S. had troops at Dieppe, and using the M1 Garand.

Second pic?
Object description
An American soldier receives a light for his cigarette from a compatriot at Newhaven on his return from Dieppe. This was the first time that American troops had seen action in Europe during the Second World War.

[Peter Laidler]

Are you saying that US troops took part in the Dieppe raid?

[Vincent]

The bloke with the M1 Garand is presumably one of the fifty men from the US Army's 1st Ranger Battalion assigned to the raid.

Not many troops, but the Dieppe raid was the first combat action of U.S. Army Rangers in WWII. IIRC, they were assigned to British commando units.