WW2 re-enacting site Bren chest

[Kev]

Snooping about on the WW2 re-enacting site that a few people here also post on ,there is a reference to a short 'Bren' chest.
www.wwiireenacting.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=21129&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

If someone could ask the poster if the insides of his look like this -

and if it is the same I will be able to give him some info.

On a side note there is also a question on the WW2 re-enacting forum about the painting of Brens which Tom has kindly covered on this forum -
weaponsonline.proboards76.com/index.cgi?board=bren&action=display&thread=1144398411


Cheers Kevin

[ramc181]

I've posted the photo in the thread for you.

All the best,

[Kev]

Cheers

[mattgibbs]

SO, whats so special about a chest like that? At first I thought he meant the spare barrel chest.
ttfn
Matt

[ramc181]

No response form the original postee over there so far, but now you've got me intrigued.....

So... what's it for?

All the best,
Paul

[Kev]

If it's the same type of chest posted here -



It's an Indian pattern Vickers Berthier LMG transit chest.


A few of these have turned up in the UK and Canada with Indian modified MKI Brens reworked to MK1/3 Indian pattern guns in them.
The Indians in their wisdom didn't see the nessesity to fix a barrel into the body of the gun in transit so the chests are allot shorter in length.
The boxes went on to accomodate the Bren and 7.62mm LMG as the packing instruction label bears out.


Note bad service from an old box ! ;D

[ramc181]

Good service indeed!

I notice that one of your photos shows Westley Richard's address, complete with a post-1959 postcode.... were they still servicing/overhauling guns after that date?
(It may well be some time after 1959. I don't know whan Birmingham got a postcode, only that it took until 1974 to be a national standard system.)

All the best,
Paul

[tom]

Nice box, I'll have to look for one of those...

ATB

Tom

[Kev]

Paul as you said postcode intruduction (Nowich 1959) and the rest of the country between 1966-74 so its sometime since 66.Anyone in the Birmingham area remember when postcodes were introduced there ?

Unfortunatly apart from the poster on the WW2 site giving a brief history of Westley Richards post WW2 that can be found on W/R's website -
www.westleyrichards.com/firm/history.html
Westley's themselves have only kept records of their 'Finest sporting guns' that have been sold, and nothing else.

Guns of the latter type that could have been in the box L4B1's MK1/3 conversions date from early to late 60's in manufacture.

Looks like the only way of finding more may be to track down an old employee ?