Royal Navy Use of No4 Rifles

[Flying10uk]

On a recent television airing of the James Bond Film You Only Live Twice which was filmed in 1967 I noticed a scene aboard a Royal Navy Frigate with a guard of honour armed with No4 rifles. Were the Royal Navy still using No4 rifles in 1967? thanks

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[Peter Laidler]

Yes. They were still using them in the Far East in 1969

[Bruce_in_Oz]

Supplementary question:

Did the same ships also retain their Lanchesters to those times?

[Peter Laidler]

Yes, Lanchesters were still in service then too, certainly in the far east. The last ones went from the RN stores in 1978 although these were reserve issue. The new ships that came on stream from the 70's will very probably have been equipped with Sterlings and L1's. The RN and Air Ministry were totally separate organisations from the then War Dept

[Flying10uk]

Thanks for that Peter. I wasn't sure when I saw the rifles in the film if they were provided by the film company or loaned by the Navy and as they were still in service they were most likely loaned by the Navy, I guess.

[Peter Laidler]

During that time out there, the RAF/RAAF had a secure hill-top high chain-radar station up a winding stony laterite track that was only accessable by foot, land-rover in 1st gear - or donkey .. just joking, and the small arms there were, No4's and Mk2 Stens were serviced by some Armourers from the KSLI. When the KSLI (the last British Infantry) left the Far east we took over the '6 monthly' as the inspection was called. The Australian Armourers couldn't believe that the RAF still had such archaic kit.

[MikeVee]

Thanks for that Peter. I wasn't sure when I saw the rifles in the film if they were provided by the film company or loaned by the Navy and as they were still in service they were most likely loaned by the Navy, I guess.

I have the impression that 007 movie scene on deck was enacted by the RN as a type of ' advertisement' as is done here in the U.S. Am I mistaken? I remember the scene it's a favorite.

[Flying10uk]

I would guess that the "Guard of Honour" scene in the film was most likely made up of Royal Navy personal working as extras as it was clearly filmed on-board a Royal Navy War Ship and there would be little point training up civilians for the part when there was the real thing already available.

[Peter Laidler]

The Navy, Army and RAF used to do these filming things as goodwill gestures. An old REME pal of mine told me years ago that Ice Cold in Alex was done on location at Tripoli using all Army kit and vehicles for free. Even the Scammell recovery tractor and crew used to winch the ambulance up the sand dune (hidden winching wires of course) were just seconded to the film crew for free. The Dam Busters - again, used all RAF kit and crew.

Civilian clubs used to use all of our rifle ranges for a small payment, usually to the range warden directly. But then accountants took over....................

[CINDERS]

We are the same Peter paying a peppercorn rent to the Commonwealth whom own the range, we have a good club house which the Army tolerate as we are basically forbidden to have a structure on the range but on cold days and nights I am sure they do enjoy the wood fire, kitchen and piping hot showers.
It looks like the range may be back on line Aug 2016 making it I think about 18 months since the Army closed it due to concerns over the mantlet having the core exposed our range is fairly important to the Army as they use it a fair bit to sight in their longer ranged infantry rifles as Swanbourne shut end of 2015.

Fielding a Squadron of Lancaster's and ground crews would not have been a cheap affair on the day either guess it is about time they had a re make but I gather it will be heavily digitized as even in the original battle of Britain movie they could only manage 3 HE 111's I think Galland flew a ME-109 in that movie as well.