 piper909  | 09 Aug 2017 1:42 p.m. PST |
The Bug nailed my first attempt to start this thread, so here goes a second time: Enjoying the complete Dad's Army series this summer and was wondering about the quasi-obsolete rifles issued to them and probably other Home Guard units as well, not just in Walmington-by-the-Sea. These are not current SMLEs -- are they actually old Lee-Metfords? Or what exactly? |
| Gunfreak | 09 Aug 2017 2:05 p.m. PST |
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| Winston Smith | 09 Aug 2017 2:50 p.m. PST |
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| goragrad | 09 Aug 2017 3:13 p.m. PST |
Rather thought they would be M1917s. Newer design than the MKIs but not standard. |
| piper909 | 09 Aug 2017 8:27 p.m. PST |
A 1917 Lee Enfield, cool! Thanks! What fun. |
| Patrick R | 09 Aug 2017 10:30 p.m. PST |
The US army couldn't produce enough Springfields in WWI so Enfield helped with a large production run of the M1917 which became one of the most common rifles in the AEF in WWI. Since weapons were in short supply in 1940 Britain, the US delivered large numbers of lend-lease weapons, including the M1917 chambered in .30-06. Most ended up in the hands of the Home Guard and units being formed in the UK. |
| CCollins | 10 Aug 2017 3:04 p.m. PST |
IIRC the .30-06 rifles had bands painted on them to readily identify them. |
| piper909 | 10 Aug 2017 4:14 p.m. PST |
"Brown Bess," haha!! Why stop there? Issue them pikes! |
| Gunfreak | 11 Aug 2017 1:17 a.m. PST |
If they had really long pikes, they could take out the Stukas! |
| piper909 | 15 Aug 2017 12:09 p.m. PST |
"Captain Mainwaring, sir, let me volunteer to attack those Stukas with my pike! They don't like it up 'em, you see." -- Cpl. Jones |
| Heedless Horseman | 24 Jul 2021 8:51 p.m. PST |
Pikes could be used to 'pin' a Zombie Nazi until a 'Sticky Bomb' attached to Steel Helmet. It works. lol. Actually, for all 'Dad's Army's 'farcically humorous' weaponry… much was really used or trialled. Until supplies… mainly US… became available, the LDV, in the early days, DID 'improvise' from whatever could be cobbled together. And 'crazy inventions' based on fact. They could still 'parade and drill'… even with a broomstick and tied on kitchen knife… or a museum piece with no ammo.
Much 'Home Guard' duty was observation… so the LDV 'Look, Duck and Vanish' joke was cruel, but apt.
And for guarding shot down Luftwaffe aircrew… any sharp, pointy thing in the hands of an 'agitated' oldster or teen would definitely provoke 'caution'! As a TV series… especially one that did not take itself seriously, being comedy… Dad's Army is Way Up on 'historical accuracy' when compared to many recent ' historical dramas'or big budget movies! lol. |
| Old Wolfman | 07 Aug 2021 9:12 a.m. PST |
"Don't tell 'em,Pike!" ;^) |
