gary0003 Posted March 11, 2020 Share Posted March 11, 2020 I believe ww2 dispatch riders would probably have worn either a Webley or Smith & Wesson revolver. Would these have been 6" barrels please? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No Signals Posted March 11, 2020 Share Posted March 11, 2020 Yes, 6". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferretfixer Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 Or an Enfield No:2.MK.I. Or MK.I* in .380". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Surveyor Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 1 hour ago, ferretfixer said: Or an Enfield No:2.MK.I. Or MK.I* in .380". How would he carry that, slung across his back? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferretfixer Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 (edited) 31 minutes ago, Surveyor said: How would he carry that, slung across his back? He wouldnt. He would carry it in a holster. The same as a 'Webley, or Smith & Wesson'!.....( Enfield No:2 & 2,MK.I * is a REVOLVER. NOT A Rifle!...) Carried in a webbing waist belt, with canvas holster. IF He carried a Stengun. It would be a MK.III. This had a modification done on the top rib. To enable it to be carried slung Across his CHEST..... Edited March 12, 2020 by ferretfixer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
11th Armoured Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 29 minutes ago, Surveyor said: How would he carry that, slung across his back? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enfield_No._2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferretfixer Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 (edited) 9 minutes ago, 11th Armoured said: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enfield_No._2 That Wiki content is not quite correct! It states that the No.2.MKI* was the FIRST to be produced. This is INCORRECT! The No.2.MK.I was the First. It was Double action & HAD a spur hammer. The No.2.MK.I* was a modification to the afore mentioned. & had the Hammer spur removed. Later production was manufactured Spur less then onwards. It was double action only. The later No.2.MK.I** had the internal Hammer rebound stop removed from assembly. & as they then correctly quoted. This did indeed produce safety 'concerns'!... A blow against the Hammer accidently, WOULD allow the revolver to fire itself! Imagine if you knocked the Hammer inadvertently against a hard object in an Armoured vehicle! Or came off a Motorcycle in a Tumble & hit the Hammer on a hard object / surface!..... Edited March 12, 2020 by ferretfixer 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Surveyor Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 Sorry when saw Enfield was thinking of the rifle, at least I am learning Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 Ron☺️ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Hall Posted March 13, 2020 Share Posted March 13, 2020 I don’t think that chap is getting much job satisfaction. Looks like he’s just done a 100 mile round trip for nothing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matador_Doris Posted March 13, 2020 Share Posted March 13, 2020 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdbikemad Posted March 13, 2020 Share Posted March 13, 2020 Dispatch riders were generally issued with a revolver....however, before D-day at least these had largely been withdrawn to be replaced with Sten guns........ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
79x100 Posted March 14, 2020 Share Posted March 14, 2020 As early as 1940, CMP motorcyclists were authorised to use the 'Cases, Pistol, Web, R.T.C.' instead of the standard 'Case, Pistol'...the practice seems to have continued throughout the war. This wouldn't apply to any other corps or unit though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Surveyor Posted March 14, 2020 Share Posted March 14, 2020 1 hour ago, 79x100 said: As early as 1940, CMP motorcyclists were authorised to use the 'Cases, Pistol, Web, R.T.C.' instead of the standard 'Case, Pistol'...the practice seems to have continued throughout the war. This wouldn't apply to any other corps or unit though. Do you have pictures of the difference between them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Hall Posted March 14, 2020 Share Posted March 14, 2020 This article explains http://www.karkeeweb.com/patterns/1937/1937_pistol_equipment.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Surveyor Posted March 14, 2020 Share Posted March 14, 2020 Thanks a good site to bookmark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenkinov Posted March 14, 2020 Share Posted March 14, 2020 Whilst a pistol was common ,there are plenty of pictures of despatch riders with all sorts of weaponry ..my personal favourite being the Thompson sub machine gun .whether this arose as a result of soldiers being nominated as despatch riders and simply carrying their usual weapons is unclear ..but the photos exist as historical evidence . Jenkinov Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Posted March 14, 2020 Share Posted March 14, 2020 You don't mean this one Jenk? I don't know how on Earth this would work? Ron😆 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenkinov Posted March 14, 2020 Share Posted March 14, 2020 I believe that was an early war trial to fire on the move.....doubt it hit anything though ..I was thinking of this example Jenkinov Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Hall Posted March 14, 2020 Share Posted March 14, 2020 A lot may also depend on location. There weren’t actually many Thompsons in use, so later in the war they were issued to areas where the US would also be operating. This gave a common calibre of ammunition to ease the supply chain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenkinov Posted March 14, 2020 Share Posted March 14, 2020 I believe the above photo is in Italy .The photo is dated as 4th August 1943 and indicates 2HQ lots of great features on the photo ...I believe that's the army c number on the front mudguard .The 57th division marking is also rare as this was a British deception formation .... In Africa and Italy NCOs could carry a Thompson or Sten but I am aware my that my uncle elected to carry a rifle as snipers would pick off those with these weapons first .Thompson's however were highly prized and I suspect this despatch rider did not want to trade it in for a pistol.. Jenkinov Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
79x100 Posted March 14, 2020 Share Posted March 14, 2020 The photograph above shows 'Hank' McDowell of 48th Highlanders of Canada. He was killed in action in December 1944. The arm of service serial '57' bears no relation to the actual unit name. It probably represents the junior battalion in the senior brigade of an infantry division at the time it was taken. A pistol case and standard service revolver would be correct for a motorcyclist during most of the war which is of course not to say that none ever carried something different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenkinov Posted March 14, 2020 Share Posted March 14, 2020 Thanks that's an incredible amount of detail . So sad he did not make it .we owe so much to his generation . He appears to have been an NCO .which explains his access to the Thompson Jenkinov Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenkinov Posted March 14, 2020 Share Posted March 14, 2020 Another interesting photo of Despatch riders with rifles ...but feel is that this is early war ..based on the gas masks Jenkinov Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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