Question of the Hour

[1feral1]

There is two variations of these of which I have physically seen one at the Infantry museum at the School of Infantry in Singleton, yes whewre AASAM will be held in November. The name Charleton comes to mind, but there is two types. They are in Skennerton's books, and these are still boxed after the move up here, and await unpacking.

Someone do some googling....

Cheers,

Wes

 

[redleafjumper]

Wesley is certainly helping people with his answer. The Charlton is one of the firearms, but the other remains unknown, as do the where and why of these two amazing conversions of  bolt action rifles into machine guns.  (There are more clues there...)

 

[larry Strong]

Rifle .303 inch Mklll (Experimental self loading)

http://www.rememuseum.org.uk/arms/rifles/armaslr.htm

 

[geo]

Hmmm....
- would the other one be the "De Lisle carbine .45"?

have seen an example of the charlton... looks like a bit of a plumbers's nightmare.

 

[larry Strong]

That would be a better response than mine.

 

[redleafjumper]

Sadly no, the Delisle is not a machine gun, nor is the experimental self-loader.  But clearly there is some serious research taking place.  A book that would mention the Charlton and the Delisle might well mention that other elusive full-auto Lee Enfield.

My internet investigations on this topic haven't born much fruit, so some traditional research may well be in order.

 

[redleafjumper]

Surely there must be some takers out there on this question of these amazing and historical firearms?  Perhaps I'll give it another day before revealing the answer...

 

[redleafjumper]

In the interest of keeping this thread going, The Charlton and Howell automatic  rifles were expedient conversions of Lee Enfields by New Zealand and Australia to meet a demand for a serious shortage of Bren light machine guns.  As one writer correctly observed they were a bit of a plumber's nightmare, but not a particularly complicated conversion given that this was a revision going from bolt action to full automatic.

I understand that less than a thousand of these were made and most were destroyed when the need for them passed. 

Here is a new question:  Who proposed the division of post-war Germany into three occupation zones and which allied leader's rejection of the proposal was not passed on to the negotiation team in time for them to act on his/her wishes?  Also, was the proposal adopted?


(edited to put "not" in front of passed - ooops!)

 

[geo]

USSR wanted it all... and they already had Berlin... had taken the most casualties and weren't in a giving mood.....

Uncle Josef Stalin is the obvious national leader who would have balked at "sharing"

Who proposed the sharing / dividing?..... Ummm - off the cuff - would venture to say that the US was lead in the proposal and the UK reluctantly agreeing.

 

[redleafjumper]

USSR wanted it all... and they already had Berlin... had taken the most casualties and weren't in a giving mood.....

Uncle Josef Stalin is the obvious national leader who would have balked at "sharing"

Who proposed the sharing / dividing?..... Ummm - off the cuff - would venture to say that the US was lead in the proposal and the UK reluctantly agreeing.



Geo, that is an intriguing set of guesses, but unfortunately they are incorrect.  Are there any other takers?

 

[armyvern]

Here is a new question:   Who proposed the division of post-war Germany into three occupation zones and which allied leader's rejection of the proposal was not passed on to the negotiation team in time for them to act on his/her wishes?   Also, was the proposal adopted?

1)The first proposal that divided Germany into three different sections, each to be governed by a different allied power, was devised by a British Cabinet committee headed by Clement Atlee.
February, 1945 - Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin met at Yalta to make final war plans, arrange the post-war fate of Germany, and discuss the proposal for creation of the United Nations as a successor to the League of Nations. They announced a decision to divide Germany into three post-war zones of occupation.
2)Not being invited to attend the Yalta conference, Charles de Gaulle was not able to voice his objections, and thus France's, to this proposal. It was later agreed, that France would be afforded a zone within Germany.
3)The agreements of the Yalta Conference, with the addition of a 4th zone overseen by France were adopted at the Potsdam Conference, Jul-Aug 1945.

 

[geo]

new book out for those who can't or don't want to go to sleep....
"The Enigma of Barbarossa", Why stalin believed Hitler would not invade by David E Mruphy, former CIA station chief of Berlin.
...... Given how it all came down - should make for an interesting read.

 

[redleafjumper]

Good answer from Armyvern, but partially incorrect.  The Allied leader who had a delegation there (not DeGaulle) and was opposed to Clement Atlee's proposal was none other than Franklin Roosevelt.  He wanted the Russian occupation area to stop level with Berlin and for the Americans to have control over northern Germany and thus be in control of sea access.  The American delegation was unaware of Roosevelt's objection and the agreement on the three occupation zones was signed in London on 14 November 1944.  Out of Yalta, the French were given their own zone which was taken from the British and American areas.  The agreement set up the Allied Control Council which was to oversee occupied Germany.


Here's another:
In Spain during the Napoleonic wars, the Spanish had a royal guard.  How many units composed this guard and what were the national origins of these units?

 

[STA Gunner]

The Spanish Royal Guard consisted of four companies.  They were Spanish, Italian, Flemish and American.

I knew I had the answer somewhere, I just had to look it up in a book.

My question, a 2 parter:

1.  What was the battle during the War of 1812 that prompted the American General to cry "My God, they're regulars"?

2.  West Point has permanently adopted what for their uniforms to honour the Americans who fought in that battle?

 

[stukirkpatrick]

1)  that would be the battle of Chippewa, where American soldiers under the command of Winfield Scott successfully held their own against British regulars under Phineas Riall, who were forced to retreat.

2)  West Point adopted the grey uniforms used, which were the result of a blue clothing shortage.

 

[redleafjumper]

Wow, the answers are flying thick and fast.  STA Gunner, your answer on the Spanish Royal Guard is correct.

It looks as if the other questions have been answered, but alas no new question has been provided.  How about another tough one?

What is the regiment and name of the NCO who took down the Nazi flag which had flown over the citadel of Calais and what did he do with that flag?

(I should point out that there are two claims on this flag - perhaps you might get them both!)

 

[geo]

well.... part of the answer:
On 30 September 1944 3rd Canadian Division completed the capture of Calais. The German flag which had flown from the citadel at Calais was captured by 3rd Division Signals personnel. Today, this flag is displayed in the Communications and electronics Museum in Kingston

 

[Bill Smy]

1.   What was the battle during the War of 1812 that prompted the American General to cry "My God, they're regulars"?

I had always thought it was British Major General Phineas Riall who is supposedly to have made this exclamation, not an American. (Journal of the Reverend George Ferguson in the United Church Archives, Toronto). Ferguson quotes as saying, "Why, these are Regulars!", but of course as a man of the cloth he would not have used the name of God in vain. I suspect Riall was a bit more emphatic than "By God" or "Why".  :warstory:

Who fought there?

9th, 11th, 17th,19th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 25th, United States Infantry; Hindman's Bm, US Artillery; 5th Pennsylvania Volunteers.

Royal Artillery; 1st, 8th, 110th Foot; 2nd Lincoln Militia; Caldwell's Rangers; Essex Militia; British Indian Department.

 

[Bill Smy]

Sorry:-- I goofed. It was the 100th Foot, not the 110th. Mea Culpa. :-[

 

[armyvern]

The Red River Expeditionary Force consisted of soldiers from the Militia Units of Quebec and Ontario. What, specificly, were those soldier's who volunteered to participate at Red River awarded?