|
|
Post by peregrinvs on Dec 6, 2009 23:49:04 GMT 1
Hi,
Quick question: Am I right in thinking that my 1939 BSA MkI tripod would have originally been painted 'Khaki Green No.3'? (AKA 'G3' or 'Service Colour') I'm thinking about restoring it to a more original appearance.
Thanks,
Mark
|
|
|
|
Post by ford369 on Dec 7, 2009 9:19:49 GMT 1
should an early one like this not be service brown rather than green?
Nigel
|
|
|
|
Post by peregrinvs on Dec 7, 2009 10:21:40 GMT 1
My understanding is that Khaki Green predates the Service Brown colour, which was introduced circa 1941. I was looking for further confirmation.
Cheers,
Mark
|
|
|
|
Post by britplumber on Dec 7, 2009 19:45:14 GMT 1
My understanding is that Khaki Green predates the Service Brown colour, which was introduced circa 1941. I was looking for further confirmation. Cheers, Mark Heres a good link to some paint data, it includes dates etc. I visit the site as I have a BSA WM20 |
|
|
|
Post by Kev on Dec 7, 2009 21:53:49 GMT 1
Link ?
|
|
|
|
Post by britplumber on Dec 7, 2009 23:08:34 GMT 1
|
|
|
|
Post by Kev on Dec 8, 2009 0:27:10 GMT 1
;D
|
|
|
|
Post by peregrinvs on Dec 8, 2009 10:25:32 GMT 1
I've found some pictures of original Khaki Green No.3 half way down this page: www.mapleleafup.org/forums/showthread.php?t=13477It looks like a slightly darker shade of Olive Drab to my untutored eye. I originally obtained my 1939 tripod from Ryton Arms in 1999 along with a 1945 Lithgow Bren. (and a transit chest, box of mags and cleaning kit - all for £200 - those were the days ;D) Does anyone know if all their Bren stuff at that time was ex-Australian? The present paint scheme on the tripod is Olive Drab(?) with a dark green underneath. Thanks, Mark PS. Kev - would be grateful if you could get back to me about the butt-strap and tripod clips as I've very keen to get my paws on them. |
|
|
|
Post by britplumber on Dec 8, 2009 19:52:59 GMT 1
According to Fredie the Ryton Armourer, they bought 5000 Bren guns and associated items in the first batch. He reckons most Lithgow Brens in the UK are from them. Most now are Ex Greek government guns.
I've got 3 Aussie tripods. One is mint in what looks like NATO green. The second is tatty in a very pale Khaki green and the 3rd is a mix of green and brown.
|
|
|
|
Post by peregrinvs on Dec 9, 2009 10:27:55 GMT 1
Thanks. I'm always interested to hear where these things are sourced from.
5,000 eh? I remember reading somewhere that the quantity of deact WWII Australian Vickers MGs that were on the market circa 15 years ago had come from Papua New Guinea. Does anyone know if this is correct and whether the Australian Brens came from the same source?
"Freddie the Ryton Armourer" - lucky Freddie - there's a job I'd love. ;D
Mark
|
|
|
|
Post by britplumber on Dec 9, 2009 19:57:30 GMT 1
I believe the Lithgow Vickers, Brens and Enfield rifles came out of Australian war reserves. Most were FTR'd in the 1950's and then placed in storage (Which is why there so tidy and have many 1950's parts. I've also heard that the Ausies found a long forotten hanger full of these War reseve items when they thought they had got rid of them. In addition, the Ausie government chaged their policy on surplus weapons and I beleive many Weapons were chopped and dumped in the sea (I dont know how true this is). Perhaps Mr Woods has some more info.
|
|
|
|
Post by woodsy on Dec 9, 2009 20:05:15 GMT 1
The Vickers came from Aussie Ordnance Stores in Liverpool, NSW, and were purchased by Interarms of Manchester. They were all FTR'd and in War Reserve storage. PNG had Aussie troops until independence (about 1983). The PNG Defence Force is currently only just over 2000 strong (all ranks and services) and at its peak was only a bit over 3000. They are chronically short of all small arms, and even though the Bren is now out of service, they would never have had more than a couple of hundred of them. I would think that the Brens came from the same stores as the Vickers but were kept a bit longer because of the potential to convert them to L4 variants. Certainly not bad insurance!  |
|
|
|
Post by peregrinvs on Dec 9, 2009 20:35:20 GMT 1
Thanks. All interesting. Have done a little digging: Take everything you read on the web with a pinch of salt of course, but there's an interesting / sad / enraging post about the destruction of WWI and WWII Australian weapons about mid way down this forum page: www.mapleleafup.org/forums/archive/index.php/t-1420.htmlPerhaps the majority of the world's population of Lithgow Brens now survive in neutered form in the UK? Mark |
|
|
|
Post by ford369 on Dec 11, 2009 9:53:10 GMT 1
My understanding is that Khaki Green predates the Service Brown colour, which was introduced circa 1941. I was looking for further confirmation. Cheers, Mark Heres a good link to some paint data, it includes dates etc. I visit the site as I have a BSA WM20 good to see another m20 rider on here Nigel |
|
