Inhaltsverzeichnis für April 2023 in The Armourer

This month we’re looking at the events that resulted in the East India Company losing control of India and the country being administered directly by the British government. There were many causes for what became the Indian Mutiny, which our cover feature addresses. When it broke out it lacked a central focus, this was not a rebellion aimed at throwing out the British. Many Indian units stayed loyal to Britain while others used the unrest as opportunity to settle scores with rival states. What the Indian Mutiny became famous for were the sieges, the relief attempts, tragically the massacres and the bloodthirsty revenge. Back to the present though, and the conflict in Ukraine rumbles on. The Russians have been pushed back somewhat, the frontlines have settled down during the bitter…

The Military Historical Society has digitised the entire run of the Naval Historical Collectors & Research Association publication, The Review. The archive will be fully searchable on the MHS website. The Naval Historical Collectors & Research Association (NHC&RA) was formed in 1988 to bring together and provide a forum for avid collectors of medals, badges, photographs and ships bells and also those interested in researching naval personnel, ships, battles and maritime social history. The Association published a much-respected quarterly journal called The Review which contained a wide range of articles on naval and maritime history from the 18th century to the present day and also medal rolls, casualty lists and so on. With effect from 1 February 2023 these are now available through the Members’ section of the MHS website.…

Battle of the Nile at Noonans The Important Battle of the Nile 1798, post Captain’s Naval Gold Medal awarded to Davidge Gould, Captain of the 74-gun HMS Audacious was sold by Noonans in the sale of Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria for £128,800 (includes BP of 28.8%). Gould had also been embroiled in the controversy around Lord Nelson’s affair with Lady Emma Hamilton. Elsewhere in the sale, the historically important First and Second China Wars campaign pair awarded to Sir Harry S Parkes, sold for £38,640. Also of note was an outstanding and rare Great War Gallipoli CGM group of five awarded to Acting Leading Seaman WJ Pierce which sold for £23,184. Part of Howe Battalion, Royal Naval Division, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, the medals were awarded to Pierce for…

The nautical almanacs of the Age of Sail define the humble tampion or tompion as ‘a wooden plug inserted into the cannon to protect the contents from all external influences’. The purpose of the tampion was originally two-fold. Ships’ guns in the Age of Sail were constantly loaded at sea, even in times of peace. The problem with this state of readiness being that, at a low elevation, the common roundshot simply rolled out of the barrel. To maintain the cleanliness of the cannon’s bore, and prevent the loss of shot, quantities of olive oil were poured down the barrel to lubricate the motion of the shot inside as it rolled with the pitch of the ship. The tampion served to prevent the shot from leaving the barrel and to…

Despite being over 160 years ago, the Indian Mutiny remains of great interest to collectors due to its pivotal moment in British and Indian history which saw the final downfall of the East India Company and the rise of the Raj. Due to the long length of time since the mutiny, it might seem that there would be few collecting opportunities, but with patience and careful searching the collector can still find a selection of militaria relating to this conflict. There were many casus belli for the Indian Mutiny, but the trigger point was the introduction of the new 1853 pattern of Enfield rifled musket into Indian service which used pre-prepared greased cartridge packets that needed to be torn open using the teeth. There were rumours that the grease used…

Brotherhood of the Flying Coffin SCOTT MCGAUGH Don’t be misled by the subtitle of this guide, The Glider Pilots of World War II, because it’s only about pilots from the USA. The 75% expected casualty rate referenced on the inside flap is also immediately contradicted in the introduction stating it was 50%. Still, make no mistake, being onboard a glider was highly dangerous. Once released a glider was only going in one direction, regardless of discovering the landing area hadn’t been cleared, or there were Germans firing at them. Just surviving the landing became a matter of luck. Quotes and fanciful prose are liberally mixed together and while it conveys the danger and emotion well, it does lack some focus. • Osprey Publishing • ISBN 978-1-4728-5294-6 • 292 pages •…

WIN 3 copies of… Hitler’s Nest of Vipers Here’s the story of the Abwehr, the German military intelligence organisation run by Admiral Canaris. Known for its opposition to Hitler and generally thought to be largely ineffective, Nigel West’s book uses new declassified information to show that it had tentacles everywhere. This covers the years 1935 to 1943 and the height of the organisation’s powers. It’s a hefty book with a photo plate section in the middle, packed with interesting stories about spies and their activities. Now, thanks to the generosity of military book imprint, Frontline Books we have three copies to give away. Simply answer the question below and go to the website to enter. WORTH £75 WIN 3 copies of… Battle of Peleliu 1944 One of the least known but…

In the years after World War I, it became increasingly apparent that operations in remote and difficult areas of the Empire could actually be carried out by RAF forces, independent of any ground forces. On this basis, air operations were undertaken in Somaliland, Iraq, Kurdistan and India’s North West Frontier. This perennial troublespot had seen military operations at some location in just about every year since Britain took its Indian frontier to the Indus in 1849. Very often, it was the same tribes or clans who clashed with the British over and over again, like the Mohmands, the Zakka Khel and, especially, the tribes of Waziristan. Air power came to the Indian frontier surprisingly early. In 1910, a Royal Flying Corps base was established in the northern sector of the…

After the return of the shattered British Expeditionary Force from the beaches of Dunkirk, in June 1940 until October of the same year, when The Few of the Royal Air Force, had kept the German Operation Sealion at bay, Britain, except for its Empire, stood virtually alone. During those anxious days the British Government lacked all kinds of infantry weapons so had to consider the purchase of rifles from North America and the rapid development of domestic small arms. There was an urgent requirement for a machine carbine to match the noted application of such weapons by the German Army. In August 1940, after models that existed were examined, manufacture of the Lanchester, a copy of the German MP28, together with its 9mm ammunition, was established. The first, of an…

Collecting objects and weapons related to the Patriot War of 1837-1838 is not very easy, especially because the military equipment captured by the British from the defeated insurgents was mostly destroyed in order to prevent the outbreak of new rebellions. The Canadian Patriots were usually armed with their personal hunting rifles. Some of the latter are sometimes sold during auctions, but it is not easy to find rifles dating back exactly to the years of the Patriot War (the Francophone hunters of Canada, in fact, continued to use flintlock rifles until the 1860s and thus it is much easier to find more recent weapons dating back to the 1850s). By searching on the Internet, instead, it is quite easy to find some elements of the Canadian voyageurs’ traditional dress on…

Facebook: www.facebook.com/armourermagazine Twitter: @The_Armourer Post: Letters Page, The Armourer, Warners Group Publications, West Street, Bourne, Lincs. PE10 9PH Email: armourer@warnersgroup.co.uk PRESERVATION Regarding the Display and storing militaria article on your website. It’s good advice but, if I may say, use a microcrystaline wax sparingly. Instead, try rennassance wax, not furniture wax as it may give off gas or give a build-up and all case materials should be ideally inert (again those that don’t give off gas). Also, inert perspex stands are much better than head forms which can stretch and deform headgear. Jason Caswel, via Facebook Ed says: Many thanks for those tips. HAKIM RIFLE I have had a booklet on the Hakim military rifle (as mentioned in an article on the Suez Crisis – October 2021 issue) for some…

AUCTIONS 5 March 2023 C&T Auctioneers T: 01233 510050 www.candtauctions.co.uk enquiries@candtauctions.co.uk 8 March 2023 Marlows T: 01785 214100 OR 07789 628030 www.marlowsauctions.co.uk info@marlowsauctions.co.uk 9 March 2023 Southams T: 01234 269082 www.southamsauction.co.uk guns@southamsauction.co.uk 11-19 March 2023 ratisbon’s T: 0049 8541 905 3699 www.ratisbons.com info@ratisbons.com 22 March 2023 Tennants T: 01969 623780 www.tennants.co.uk enquiry@tennants-ltd.co.uk 5 April 2023 C&T Auctioneers T: 01233 510050 www.candtauctions.co.uk enquiries@candtauctions.co.uk FAIRS 12 March 2023 Wolverley Militaria Fair T: 07816 853878 www.facebook.com/wolverleymilitariafair/ 12 March 2023 Hertfordshire Militaria and Medal Fair T: 01923 448903 OR 07425 155876 www.hertfordshiremilitariamedalfair.com sovereignfairs2022@outlook.com 19 March 2023 Stratford Upon Avon Militaria and Medal Fair T: 01753 534777 OR 07871 777062 http://www.milweb.net/dealers/trader/markcarter.htm markgcarter6@gmail.com 19 March 2023 Royal Berkshire Militaria Fair T: 07540 373839 www.rb-militariafair.co.uk rb-militariafair@outlook.com 19 March 2023 North Essex Militaria Fair T: 07980 602015 kbeau23@aol.com…

We have three copies of Hitler’s Nest of Vipers, Battle of Peleliu 1944 and Stopping Hitler with three winners getting one copy of all three titles. The prizes have been supplied thanks to the generosity of military book imprint, Frontline Books. You can see the wide range of book titles at www.frontline-books.com. The three competition winners will be drawn at random from those with the correct answer. All you have to do is answer the following question and go online to www.armourer.co.uk to enter. QUESTION What year did the Indian Mutiny start? ANSWER (A) 1757 (B) 1857 (C) 1957…

Hitler liked to reward those he considered faithful to the H cause, which is why we were looking at the coveted Blood Order last month. This time though it’s the trio of Dienstauzeichnungen der NSDAP, or Long Service Decorations of the NSDAP, awards. The three awards were handed out for serving in the SA, SS and German Labour Front; the raft of National Socialist organisations such as the Motor Corps, Flyers Corps, Factory Cell Organization, War Victim’s Care; and the youth organisations (as an adult) of the Hitler Youth, German Youth, League of German Girl and Young Girls’ League. There were three grades, comprising bronze for 10 years’ service, silver and blue enamel for 15 years’ service and a gold and white enamel cross for 25 years’ service. As the…

A deactivated Carbine Machine, Sten, 9mm, Mark II can be acquired in UK from Arundel Militaria for £495, Real-Gun.com for around £500 or Sally Antiques for £1,325. The Mark I bayonet was thought to be scarce some years ago as many were scrapped however, in the last decade, a consignment was unearthed in Pakistan by Apex Gun Parts, Inc of Colorado Springs USA. These are only sold within the USA now and Henry’s Military Collectables listed one for $690 in 2021. Many reproductions of the bayonet were sold in Britain and elsewhere by World Wide Arms Ltd, International Military Antiques and Soldier of Fortune. They can be bought for £49.99 from the latter. Originals do survive but some unscrupulous vendors sell repros at high prices so beware.…

Despite the clouds of war gathering in the late 1930s, the Netherlands’ government had desperately hoped to stay out of the conflict by declaring neutrality, just like in WWI. Consequently the Dutch armed forces were hopelessly outdated, with just 39 armoured cars, a handful of antiquated Carden-Loyd Mark VI tankettes for the army, and an air force that was still flying biplanes. When Germany invaded Poland, the Dutch government began to scramble around trying to find military equipment. Unfortunately, having already turned down the British and French invitation to join forces, the French were reluctant to supply any, the Germans put a halt to their arms supplies and attempts to get Soviet weapons via Finland failed. On 10 May 1940 the Dutch looked to the skies in horror as German…

BEDFORDSHIRE ■ Southams Auctioneers Bedford, Tel: 01234 266366 guns@southamsauction.co.uk www.southamsauction.co.uk BERKSHIRE ■ Special Auction Services Newbury, Tel: 01635 580595 mail@specialauctionservices.com adam@specialauctionservices.com www.specialauctionservices.com BUCKINGHAMSHIRE ■ Bosleys Marlow, Tel: 01628 488188 sales@bosleys.co.uk www.bosleys.co.uk DEVON ■ Greenslade Taylor Hunt Tiverton, Tel: 01823 332525 www.gth.net antiques.saleroom@gth.net ESSEX ■ Reeman Dansie Auctions Colchester, Tel : 01206 754754 auctions@reemandansie.com www.reemandansie.com KENT ■ C&T Auctioneers and Valuers Kenardington, Tel: 01233 510050 enquiries@candtauctions.co.uk www.candtauctions.co.uk LONDON ■ Morton & Eden London, Tel: 020 7493 5344 info@mortonandeden.com www.mortonandeden.com ■ Noonans London, Tel: 020 70161 700 auctions@noonans.co.uk www.noonans.co.uk SOMERSET ■ Greenslade Taylor Hunt Taunton, Tel: 01823 332525 www.gth.net antiques.saleroom@gth.net STAFFORDSHIRE ■ Marlows Stafford, Tel: 01785 214100 or 07789 628030 mail@marlowsauctions.co.uk www.marlowsauctions.co.uk SUFFOLK ■ Durrants Beccles, Tel: 01502 713490 AuctionRooms@durrants.com ■ Bishop & Miller Stowmarket, Tel: 01449 673088 www.bishopandmillerauctions.co.uk enquiries@bm-auctions.co.uk WARWICKSHIRE ■…