SAS L1A1 (but not really)

[tankhunter]

Bruce, Well! That REALLY takes the Antipodean Biscuit!.......

A VERY Happy ANZAC Day my Friend!

[Peter Laidler]

We had a church service on Anzac day as I remember and the rest of the day off. In NZ we closed the workshop and all went sea fishing. I caught a fish called a 'snapper' (beginners luck I hasten to add....) as did a few of the others and eat them at a hoolie (?) at the weekend. More drinking with Bob Moitera and his maouri drinking pals.......

Ooops...., meant to say Hungi instead of hooli. Mind you, by 10 o'clock, it could have been anything

[mrclark303]

A very happy ANZAC day from me and my NZ SMLE to our Antipodean brothers (its already the 25th in NZ)

[Gil Boyd]

Have a good one............couldn't have done without you all

[Peter Laidler]

We also had a RNZEME Corps Day and went to visit the old CAC ammo factory (someone remind me where it was.....) who were producing 7.62 for us. My boss WO2 Annandale arranged with the factory boss/management that we could reciprocate with a range day. Fired the usual Brens Stens SLR's and the Vickers followed by a barbie later on the grass at the rear of the workshop when the families could enjoy the festivities. Unfortunately my Mum and Dad couldn't make it

[Woodsy]

Peter, the CAC factory was in Mt Eden, Auckland. They lost the 7.62mm contract in 1966 due to poor quality control caused by retooling the old .303 machines rather than opting for the new Manhurin machines that the Government offered them (bloody accountants!). Jock Annadale was a good bugger!

[CINDERS]

Think you meant a Hangi Peter my outlaws are NZD'ers and over the years we have had a fair few takes a while and allot of beers to do correctly as different meats cook at different rates but once stacked and sealed the wait is well worth it and the great thing about them is you need a cactus load of people around for the feast............yummo! Mind you the next morning is not the best

[enbloc8]

The other key thing noticeable in that photoshop photo, is that we always had the front part of the sling removed from the rifle, and made into a loop and anchored around our wrists. A trend we started, which caught on fairly quickly, as soldiers were dragged away by screaming women and crowds, and their weapon ended up on the wrong side, quite OFTEN

Was it always the front end of the sling, or was the back end sometimes used as well? I ask because I have filed away on my computer an obvious publicity photo of some Para troops with a Saracen on a street in NI, and the lead fellow has the *rear* end of the sling detached and looped around his wrist. Was this a common variation, or was one quickly replaced by the other in the field?

[Gil Boyd]

Preference to the user.............but that would present lots of problems to him doing it that way round. It would allow someone intent on separating it from its user, to take it further from his body in that configuration for example, and give them more "dragability" and/or allow the barrel to be turned on him more easily IMHO
Just out of interest, was the Saracen displaying a red cross, as we didn't have any saracens only open Land Rovers no doors or Humber Pigs on lone when we needed them? Reason for asking is it may have been a medic not a PARA!

[Peter Laidler]

Gil, wasn't an RCT bloke shot with his own rifle that was tethered to his wrist. It was pulled from him to be dragged away and he (or the bloke next to him.....) was shot. MUST have been tethered to the front sling as it's impossible (?) from the rear sling point. Like all things NI, much more to it than that