War Work for the MG Car Company

[Mk VII]

MG had some difficulties in obtaining war work, rather surprisingly for a small/medium-sized engineering concern, but one of their jobs appears to have been degreasing P17s received from the US. This photo appeared in last August's number of the MG Owner's Club's magazine.

Information

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[Peter Laidler]

While the factory was still open, I bet that there were people in Abingdon who worked at the factory could tell you exactly what part of the factory that was taken - and probably some of their names too.

My dad was issued with a brand new No1 rifle when he was called up on 3rd Sept 1940. Him and his mates degreased them by holding them over a roaring fire! Not too close I hasten to add but it did the job! Took it to France but lost it when the evacuation ship, the 'Gracie Fields' went down. I believe that some divers have recently been down to the wreckage. It's not too deep either

[Flying10uk]

I found this:

MG at War (1939 ? 1945)!

It's surprising that war work was a bit slow to start at the MG factory, by the sound of it, when one considers the major contribution made to the war effort by other car manufacturers such as Standard, Austin and Rover for example. Before someone points out that MG was a smaller manufacturer so too was the Morgan Car Company which made a valuable contribution to the war effort with aircraft related work.

[Simon P]

I wonder if they also painted the red band & stenciled the 30-06 marking around the fore-end and front hand guard

[Peter Laidler]

I have a funny feeling in my bones that the red bands were done at WEEDON, prior to issue

[Mk VII]

The greatly varied placing of the red paint suggests it was done locally. The History of the 7th Hertfordshire Home Guard (1945) says "Instructions were issued that all arms which did not fit British Service ammunition should be marked with a two inch band of red paint. Ross Rifles, which did fire .303 ammunition but had no parts interchangeable with service weapons of the same time [sic] were to be given a green band. Those arms which fired .303 and had certain assemblies interchangeable with service weapons were to bear a yellow band."