May 29 2023 49 mins
The county Volunteers were known to be excellent shots, winning competitions at Wimbledon and later Bisley. In this episode we take a deep dive into the history of the soldier’s main implement, the rifle – from the 1853 pattern musket, through the Snider Enfield rifle that would have been familiar to the first Herefordshire Rifle Volunteers. Assistant Curator Danny Rees, Curator Colonel Andy Taylor and Trustee, Rev Paul Roberts go on to explore the Martini Henry, Lee Metfield and Lee Enfield rifles used in the Boer War and First World War.
A number of different rifles were issued to Hereford Territorials owing to weapons shortages at the outbreak of war. Andy shares with us the unusual way the Museum obtained its 1915 Mark III Short Magazine Lee-Enfield (SMLE).
Danny tells us all sorts of things about the Bren gun that we didn't know along with other Second World War weaponry, including strange items used by the Home Guard and Home Guard Auxiliaries. We come into living memory with the arrival of the Self-Loading Rifle (SLR) used during the Cold War; an example of which the museum hopes to secure for its modern display. We finish off with the SA80 weapon system.
For more information about our open day on 18th June 2023, visit our website - Herefordshire Light Infantry Museum; follow us on Facebook Herefordshire Regimental Museum | Facebook or visit our Youtube channel Herefordshire Regimental Museum - YouTube.
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Theme Tune - The Lincolnshire Poacher, performed by the outstanding Haverhill Silver Band.
This podcast generously supported by the Army Museums Ogilby Trust.