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Thread: Is there any way to find out which soldier my SMLE was issued to?

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  1. #1
    Advisory Panel Surpmil's Avatar
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    Is there any way to find out which soldier my SMLE was issued to?

    There's a question we've heard before, and we all know the answer! But occasionally something turns up and while doing some research on a Canadianicon battalion from WWI I found in the collection a notebook listing rifle numbers and the men to whom they were issued.

    I'm not going to mention the unit or list the numbers for the obvious reasons, (fakery) but what I did notice was that they were generally serial numbers with two letters and three digits. I'm not an expert on SMLE serials; can anyone conclude from that information which factory these rifles might have been from?

    The notebook dates from 1915/6 and from the similarities in the numbers, I'm guessing these were issued in one or more shipments to the battalion in question. I may be able to nail down the date more accurately when I check the records for some of the men listed.

    The other question is, to what extent were serial numbers of that type duplicated, and if we can isolate these rifles to one factory's production, obviously in 1915/6 or before, will we be dealing with unique numbers or numbers duplicated several times before 1916/7?

    I don't yet have a complete spreadsheet, but when I do, I'll post some of the letter groups from the serials and anyone with a SMLE, presumably bearing a "C Broad Arrow" mark, is welcome to send me their number and I will check for a match.
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    “There are invisible rulers who control the destinies of millions. It is not generally realized to what extent the words and actions of our most influential public men are dictated by shrewd persons operating behind the scenes.”

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    A Collector's View - The SMLE Short Magazine Lee Enfield 1903-1989. It is 300 8.5x11 inch pages with 1,000+ photo’s, most in color, and each book is serial-numbered.  Covering the SMLE from 1903 to the end of production in India in 1989 it looks at how each model differs and manufacturer differences from a collecting point of view along with the major accessories that could be attached to the rifle. For the record this is not a moneymaker, I hope just to break even, eventually, at $80/book plus shipping.  In the USA shipping is $5.00 for media mail.  I will accept PayPal, Zelle, MO and good old checks (and cash if you want to stop by for a tour!).  CLICK BANNER to send me a PM for International pricing and shipping. Manufacturer of various vintage rifle scopes for the 1903 such as our M73G4 (reproduction of the Weaver 330C) and Malcolm 8X Gen II (Unertl reproduction). Several of our scopes are used in the CMP Vintage Sniper competition on top of 1903 rifles. Brian Dick ... BDL Ltd. - Specializing in British and Commonwealth weapons Specializing in premium ammunition and reloading components. Your source for the finest in High Power Competition Gear. Here at T-bones Shipwrighting we specialise in vintage service rifle: re-barrelling, bedding, repairs, modifications and accurizing. We also provide importation services for firearms, parts and weapons, for both private or commercial businesses.
     

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    Legacy Member harry mac's Avatar
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    That kind of info is reported up the chain every week, when out in the field or on ops. We were still doing it every week when I was in Bosnia in 1999.
    Ammo, weapons and WOC's (War Office Controlled Stores) accounted for and list of serial numbers checked to confirm. The completed return is then sent to the SQMS, who then reports to the Sergeant Major.
    That notebook is a proper little snap-shot of sub unit history.
    How many names are listed?

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    Legacy Member Sentryduty's Avatar
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    Mine is a 1918 C Broad Arrow marked SMLE, too bad, no luck there. I know my rifle is a simple 5 digit serial without letter prefix, as is my 1908 No1 Mk1*** which does not have a C-BA mark.

    Perhaps the markings are from rack numbers or stock disk numbers?
    - Darren
    1 PL West Nova Scotia Regiment 2000-2003
    1 BN Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry 2003-2013

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    Advisory Panel browningautorifle's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Surpmil View Post
    Is there any way to find out which soldier my SMLE was issued to?
    No. This is something we've been through a bucket full of times on here already, it's not like it is now. Those lists now are only a battalion thing. Strictly internal. No records exist in perpetuity...
    Regards, Jim

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    Legacy Member harry mac's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by browningautorifleicon View Post
    No. This is something we've been through a bucket full of times on here already, it's not like it is now. Those lists now are only a battalion thing. Strictly internal. No records exist in perpetuity...
    I think he knows that. He's just illustrating that sometimes there are exceptions.

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    My answer was to the OP.
    Regards, Jim

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    Legacy Member jrhead75's Avatar
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    Always nice to run across rarities like this! My grandfather was a sergeant with the 5th US Marines on the western front, and I have a section's worth of names along with the serial numbers of the kit those Marines were issued, in a notebook that he kept. I've since learned that his rifle still exists in a private collection somewhere (sadly that's about all I've learned about it).

    RSAF Enfield certainly went through the entire alphabet at least 3 times, if I remember correctly, since they used a 4 digit format. BSA likely did at least twice or close to it (no books handy at the moment). I'm hard pressed though to think of any SMLE producers that used a 2 letter prefix.

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    Advisory Panel Surpmil's Avatar
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    Stupid of me! I just realized that with three digits and two letters those are Ross MkIII numbers; sorry!
    Last edited by Surpmil; 02-26-2016 at 01:20 AM.
    “There are invisible rulers who control the destinies of millions. It is not generally realized to what extent the words and actions of our most influential public men are dictated by shrewd persons operating behind the scenes.”

    Edward Bernays, 1928

    Much changes, much remains the same.

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    Ross Rifle Forum would probably like that information!

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