Table of contents for September 2023 in The Armourer

As I write it is mid-summer and festival season is in full swing. If you’ve been to any recently, write in to let us know what you’ve seen and where you’ve been. As War and Peace has, rather predictably, bitten the bullet, it will be interesting to see the knock-on effect at Military Odyssey, which is situated only 20-odd miles from where W&P was held, but a month later. A new show for Kent in a similar area is already being planned for 2024. Either way, I for one am looking forward to Military Odyssey again this year, which pretty much has something for everyone, regardless of the era you like the most. Now, to this issue, and Operation Bagration, the great Soviet offensive that kicked off just two weeks…

Several current automatic rifles have been provided with a tubular bayonet, most notably the Fabrique Nationale Fusil Automatique Léger (FAL) and Carabine Automatique Léger (CAL), but also the L85A1/2/3 series in Britain. Less well known are the versions for the Swiss Schweizerische Industrie-Gesellschaft (SIG) Sturmgewehren. Manufactured at Neuhausen-am-Rheinfalls in the 1970s was the Modell 530-1 (SG 530-1), a scaled down version of the SG 510 from 1957. The SG 510 saw steady service with Swiss, Bolivian and Chilean forces but the 5.56mm calibre, gas operated, roller locked 530-1 version did not fare well due to NATO indecision about a general calibre. There were a variety of SG 530 types, some with knife bayonet fastenings and others with none. From photographs the standard variation of the SG 530-1 had a bayonet…

COVER STORY Whilst the focus amongst collectors looking at the battles of 1944 is towards the west and D-Day, in many ways the Soviet offensive, Operation Bagration, was just as important in sealing the final fate of the Third Reich. There are many interesting items to collect relating to this campaign and these are just a few of those available at the moment. Whilst the Germans had pioneered the use of sub-machineguns, the Russians recognised that if enough cheap SMGs could be manufactured and fielded in the front line, they could overwhelm the enemy with their volume of fire. The Russians developed a number of very cheap and simple but reliablele sub-machineguns and then turned these out in vast quantities. Although not the simplest of the Soviet designs, the PPSh-41…

Rose, Castle and Crown PATRICK CROWLEY If you want to be a part-time soldier these days you join the Territorial Army, but the role of the citizen and volunteer soldier actually goes back hundreds of years. This then is a guide to the role of the militias and volunteers, as seen through the lens of the Isle of Wight and Hampshire citizens. It starts with the militias and some great detail about the level of arms required by King Edward I in 1285, which, if you had land possessions worth more than £15, included having a horse on standby. The Volunteers and Yeomanry origins are next, then it’s off to South Africa for service, followed by the Great War, interwar period, WWII, the TA and Army Volunteer Reserve, Cold War…

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 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 ■ Warwick & Warwick Warwick, Tel: 01926 499031 www.warwickandwarwick.com WEST SUSSEX…

The Blitz in Colour This year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of The Blitz – one of the most infamous and widely remembered chapters of WW2. This 132-page special collectors magazine – written by Andy Saunders, the former editor of Britain at War – covers all the military and human aspects of the Blitz. It doesn’t just look at London, it looks at all the UK cities attacked. It looks at the aircraft used, the losses and the heroic stories. Illustrated with hundreds of original images colourised to bring them to life. The Battle of Britain in Colour A unique and stunning 164-high-quality collectors magazine showcasing the work of colourisation artist Richard Molloy and telling the story of the Battle of Britain through colourised images from the period.…

In 1847 it was belatedly decided to issue a medal, the Military General Service (MGS), to survivors of the land campaigns against France and Napoleon between 1793 and 1814. New fewer than 29 clasps were eventually authorised, reflecting service around the world - from Java, to Egypt, to southern Italy, the Caribbean, the Canadian frontier and the Peninsular War. In fact, of the 29 clasps, no fewer than 21 were issued for the campaigns of 1808-1814 in Portugal, Spain and southern France. It was commented on at the time that these really reflected the campaigning of the Duke of Wellington (as he became) but of course some did not. ‘Corunna’ rewarded service under Sir John Moore in 1809, ‘Barrosa’ under Sir Thomas Graham in the south of Spain in 1811…

When the British column under Lord Chelmsford crossed the Natal border into Zululand at Rorke’s Drift on 11 January 1879, they did so in anticipation of a quick and easy victory. War had been declared against King Cetshwayo and his Zulu army (impi). If their previous campaigns against African tribes were anything to go by, the biggest problem would be encouraging the Zulus to face them in open battle. On 20 January, nine days after crossing the border, the column reached iSandlwana, an oddly shaped mountain formation, where they pitched their tents and set up camp. 60 miles distant lay Ulundi, King Cetshwayo’s royal kraal where days earlier, unbeknown to the British column, the Zulus had mobilised and prepared to do battle with the invaders of their homeland. At the…

Private Ben Mackereth of the North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment roused from a restless night’s sleep, much like his comrades, between 3am and 4am on 6 June 1944. The transport ship rocked in the English Channel’s rough waters, seasickness rife amongst the ranks, as he and the men readied themselves for what lay ahead. Not everyone aboard the vessel was prepared for the day’s momentous events, as Mackereth observed in one soldier who appeared all but certain of his imminent demise. “I feel it in my bones,” said the despondent serviceman. “It’s going to happen and there is nothing I can do about it.” His premonition was accurate. The frightened Canadian lost his life amid the Juno Beach landings of Operation Overlord. The Allied assault on Normandy was intended to…

While heraldry in Britain’s Royal Navy of the 20th century drew heavily on the symbolism of preceding ships and shore establishments, the fleets of the Kaiserliche Marine, established in 1871, through the Reichsmarine to the Kriegsmarine of WWII, based much of its heraldry on iconic figures from Germany’s rich past and signalled the new unity through links to the principal cities of the fledgling Imperial German state. The rigid structures of European heraldry were still very much in evidence, however, the German surface fleet, particularly her prestigious capital ships, commonly bore the names and coats of arms of royal, military and political dignitaries of the 18th and 19th centuries. Surface vessel badges The Imperial German Navy expanded from its beginnings as the Prussian Navy, a coastal defence force, to become…

The format of Photo Inspector is changing this month (see the Welcome column, page 3 to for the reason why). Here we present a photo from the 20th century of conflict and pose you a question about it. Don’t worry, the answer is upside down at the bottom of the page. So, in this photo from 28 October 1918, we have the Minister of Munitions, Winston Churchill, watching the march past of the 47th Division in the Grande Place, Lille. The question is, who is that standing in front of him in the bottom left? To give you a clue, at the time of the photograph he was Chief of Staff of the 47th Division but would go on to be much more famous in WWII. Answer: It is of…

AUCTIONS 8 August 2023 Special Auction Services T: 01635 580959 www.specialauctionservices.com adam@specialauctionservices.com 9 August 2023 Special Auction Services T: 01635 580959 www.specialauctionservices.com adam@specialauctionservices.com 16 August 2023 Warwick & Warwick T: 01926 499031 www.warwickandwarwick.com richard.beale@warwickandwarwick.com 14 September 2023 Southams T: 01234 266 366 www.southamsauction.co.uk guns@southamsauction.co.uk 20 September 2023 Bosleys T: 01628 488188 www.bosleys.co.uk sales@bosleys.co.uk FAIRS 13 August 2023 Wolverley Militaria Fair T: 07816 853878 www.facebook.com/wolverleymilitariafair/ 20 August 2023 Brecon Militaria Fair T: 01639 722479 breconmilitaria@mail.com 20 August 2023 North Essex Militaria Fair T: 07980 602015 kbeau23@aol.com 20 August 2023 Yate (Bristol) Militaria and Medal Fair T: 01753 534777 OR 07871 777062 www.milweb.net/dealers/trader/markcarter.htm markgcarter6@gmail.com 3 September 2023 The Hertfordshire Militaria & Medal Fair T: 01923 448903 OR 07425 155876 www.hertfordshiremilitariamedalfair.com sovereignfairs22@outlook.com 3 September 2023 Bromsgrove Militaria, Medal & Arms Collectors Fair T:…

ENTER ONLINE TODAY! WIN 3 copies of… Assault on the Gothic Line 1944 By 1944 the war in Europe was only going one way, and yet the so-called soft underbelly was still proving difficult to crack, even after the Italian capitulation. This was the final Allied attempt to break through from Florence to Bologna and destroy German resistance in northern Italy. With strategic maps, illustrations, action photos and specially commissioned artwork this is an attractive and concise guide to the campaign. Now, thanks to the generosity of specialist military book publisher, Osprey Publishing we have three copies to give away. Simply answer the question below and go to the website to enter. WORTH £51 WIN 3 copies of… Nambu Pistols If you’ve ever wanted to know about the Japanese military handguns from…