South African Vickers usage

[Richard Fisher]

Chaps,

Can you tell me when the South African's finally gave up usage of the Vickers MMG?

Just putting a timeline together and I am pretty sure they were the last major nation to field the gun.

Thanks,

Richard

[Peter Wells]

Hi Richard

Thanks for calling us a 'Major Nation' - maybe we were then in a military sense.

This being Africa, retirements like that are not as formally done as in the UK. The last time they were used for effect was in Operation Modular in Angola in 1987 when they were deployed in sections, sandbagged on their MkIV tripods on the back of Samil 50 trucks - obviously in 7.62mm by then.

Vickers courses were still being given offered by Infantry School in 1989 but I have not come across anybody who had training that late.

They were thereafter placed into storage, a small number de-activated for units that wanted them as museum pieces and the rest ultimately destroyed a few years ago - much to our (collectors) disgust.

The actual dates of those decisions will probably never be known - the paranoia surrounding any small arms issue here is unbelievable which means any research like that is extremely difficult to impossible !

Let me know if I can help with any other aspect of their use over here. I run a Vickers 'SIG' (Special Interest Group) so all local collectors' knowledge is available to me in need.

[Richard Fisher]

Thanks for that Peter,

I do have a photo of a Vickers section on Op MODULAR that I received a few years a go (maybe from your good self?) - it is quite interesting.

I am sure more questions will develop as I work on the web pages for the South African usage and will give you a shout then.

Thanks,

Rich

[Peter Wells]

My pleasure Richard

The SA section put together by Peter Kokalis in GOL is pretty d**n good and not much can be added.

Just two comments though:

1) The issue of the plastic checkered grips mentioned therein is, I believe, incorrectly reported on. I have one of those sets of grips, which I acquired on apparently the original back-plate and the whole assembly appears to be Colt US M1915 rather than SA (refer GOL figs. 488 & 489). I also have an M1915 in my collection, presumably one of those converted to .303 Brit Spec in 1941 or 42 (mine has FTR dating in either '41 or'42 - too lazy to take it out) and there would have been no reason to discard the back-plate assemblies and grips and I think that Peter K happened upon one of those and assumed it was SA mnfr.

2) GOL doesn't show the 7.62mm marked range plates so I can help with that to.

Shout when you are ready.