The Orkney Image Library
No: 8666 Contributor: Rosalind Green Year: 1943
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No place name or date on this 226 Battery Photo
L/Bdr Herbert Green is in the middle of the front row of three.
Note the rifles in this one.
It is documented in the newspaper article 12 Mile Snipers (elsewhere on this site), the regiment was deployed in the latter days of the engagement as infantry. Perhaps this was at this time.
Picture added on 15 February 2008
The rifles are the old first world war Mk.8 Le Enfield, max range about 1 mile and not very accurate. The 12 mile sniper article, photo 7937 refers to their 3.7 AA artillery. I met a number of the Orkney TA in Dacca, East Bengal in 1944 but the ones I spent a few hours with were all Orcadians.
Added by Tom Scott on 16 February 2008
What a great picture, full of characters. The Rifles are all SMLE Lee Enfields. The guy at the back with the fag appears to have a Sten Sub machine gun.
Added by Graham Macdonald on 16 February 2008
Yes Graham, it does look a bit like a Sten although I never saw one in my time in the East. We had the later Enfield rifles which I think were a bit lighter than the old Mk.8's, otherwise fairly similar except the bayonet attachment which took the "six inch nail" instead of the 16" sword bayonet of the older weapon. I only used a Sten in training in the UK. It was a crude weapon and had a danger of chopping off the end of your little finger until a guard was fitted. Nasty habit of keeping firing after the trigger was released!! No point in trying to get a four inch group with it.
Added by Tom Scott on 19 February 2008
I was told, rightly or wrongly, by a Royal Army Ordnance Corps ammunition inspector that the Sten (Stephen + Enfield) was manufactured to use a vast stock of captured 9mm ammo. I was also told that it cost seven and sixpence to manufacture. More like five shillings. It was no threat to the enemy, but a great danger to the user.
Added by Sandy on 19 February 2008
Having been researching my Grandfather`s WWII service with the 101st HAA, it`s been nice to find this site during the past few weeks and see some of the wonderful photographs.
Although I know quite a bit about what the unit did in Burma I`d really like to correspond with anyone who might be able to share information on the Regiment`s time in South Africa and India. I`d like to find out more about where the unit went and what it did.
I hope someone responds, it`s getting so difficult to find out things nowadays because so many men have passed on.
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Although I know quite a bit about what the unit did in Burma I`d really like to correspond with anyone who might be able to share information on the Regiment`s time in South Africa and India. I`d like to find out more about where the unit went and what it did.
I hope someone responds, it`s getting so difficult to find out things nowadays because so many men have passed on.
Added by John Heard on 18 November 2011
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