Mark Finneran Posted 21 October , 2011 Share Posted 21 October , 2011 Putting aside 'dummy' wpns for deception purposes, do any of the members have wooden trg pieces. I would like to start the thread with an example of a German Trg MG08/15. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 23 October , 2011 Share Posted 23 October , 2011 That's rather a nice piece! I have seen the odd dummy rifle on e***y, but don't know of any specialist collectors. Trajan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thGordons Posted 23 October , 2011 Share Posted 23 October , 2011 Apologies for the picture, it was what I could find on my hard-drive. I have a SMLE training dummy. It has the correct dimensions and weight (a large lump of lead being set into the one piece stock) with tinplate and cast fixings to resemble the magazine, sight and trigger. The nosepice is fairly roughly cast but a P1907 fits just fine. This leads me to suspect it is a bayonet training weapon. The style leads me to think it is Great War vintage but I have never been able to confirm that, the squared ears on the the nosepice resemble later Indian variants but I don't think this originated in India.. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 24 October , 2011 Share Posted 24 October , 2011 Thanks for yet another fascinating piece of militaria! There must be more out there??!! Trajan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 24 October , 2011 Share Posted 24 October , 2011 Not WW1 but my father used to have a wooden WW2 Thomson Sub Machine Gun complete with Drum magazine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smleenfield Posted 25 October , 2011 Share Posted 25 October , 2011 Here are two different variations in my collection. I don't know if they are from WWI or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thGordons Posted 25 October , 2011 Share Posted 25 October , 2011 Here are two different variations in my collection. I don't know if they are from WWI or not. Top one looks identical to mine. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Finneran Posted 25 December , 2011 Author Share Posted 25 December , 2011 Great pieces. With the absence of any working parts I guess these SMLEs can only be for bayonet drills. Great items and very pleasing to the eye. If members have any period images of these items in use that would be interesting - this is a subject rarely touched upon let alone exhausted! I have actually picked up another wooden WWI MG08/15 so will publish images shortly. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radlad Posted 25 December , 2011 Share Posted 25 December , 2011 Great pieces. With the absence of any working parts I guess these SMLEs can only be for bayonet drills. Mark Not necessarily. As a young air cadet in the early 1960's, we used wood Martini-Henrys for all rifle drill and PT until the instructors could trust us not to drop a No.4 rifle. I can't see the situation being any different then. Availability probably determined the use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
healdav Posted 25 December , 2011 Share Posted 25 December , 2011 I remember the author Dennis Wheatley, writing that in WW1 he was in the army for several months before they got any real equipment. In the meantime they learnt to saddle, etc horses, rifle drills, and so on, and how to use artillery with dummies. Thus, when the real stuff arrived they very quickly were able to be fit for the field. He was urging the government to do the same thing in WW2 and not to call up men only as kit was available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Finneran Posted 19 May , 2012 Author Share Posted 19 May , 2012 Come on members there must be many more wooden trg wpns out there. Here are the 2 'friends' together in the park. Both cycle but the trommel attachment is very strong so must have accepted 'proper' metal drums for drills. If anyone has seen a wooden original trommel drum that would be very interesting but if it were to accept an ammo belt it would have to be a very intricate piece of work - and probably therefore too complicated and time consuming to make. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Upton Posted 25 May , 2012 Share Posted 25 May , 2012 Dummy Vickers gun in-situ at Nothe Fort, Weymouth: http://postimage.org/image/7oot2rrbf/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trenchtrotter Posted 26 May , 2012 Share Posted 26 May , 2012 Would they be WW1 training guns or from the Weimar period when Germany was banned from having x amount of machine guns? TT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Finneran Posted 25 August , 2012 Author Share Posted 25 August , 2012 TT I am sure you are right and that the inter-war German forces absolutely used wooden trg guns. Fortunately my 2 have museum provenance including 'when' collected/relieved from owner!!! I am still trying to get period photos/images of this type of kit in use. There is also the theory that as 'decoys' they may have been placed in trench posns etc but so far I have seen no evidence. Maybe members can assist there too? Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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