English advertisement asking for guns, 1940

[Rick the Librarian]

Having a "discussion" with an anti-gun English friend of mine and I recall that the British placed advertisements in U.S. gun publications in 1940, asking Americans to send over their guns to help defend England against German attack. Does anyone know where one can see a picture of one of those ads? I thought there was one in Brophy's M1903 book, but can't seem to find it.

TIA.

[BEAR]

Hey Rick,
I don't have their advert from after Dunkirk but I do have a copy of a newspaper article from 1946.

BEAR43116

[BEAR]

Is this what you are looking for:
43117

BEAR

[blackhawknj]

Needless to say those guns were never returned, and the Brits weren't allowed to keep them.
I read an account in a book If Britain Had Fallen, told of a repair company of the British Army, had to hand over their rifles for use elsewhere, the lieutenant had to hand over his revolver. They were told, if the Germans attack use your wrenches (spanners in King's English).

[Rick the Librarian]

Is this what you are looking for:
43117

BEAR

Yes, that's it ... thanks much!! :)

[Clark Howard]

Britain's dilemma in 1940 perfectly illuminates the old saying, "When you need a gun, nothing else will do." Regards, Clark

[togor]

I wonder as to the size of the total haul in binoculars.

[leftyo]

I wonder as to the size of the total haul in binoculars.

i saw somewhere once that the amount of binoculars from ladies opera glasses to actual field binoculars was a huge number. unlike the guns, many of the binoculars were actually returned after the war.

[dave]

Needless to say those guns were never returned, and the Brits weren't allowed to keep them.
I read an account in a book If Britain Had Fallen, told of a repair company of the British Army, had to hand over their rifles for use elsewhere, the lieutenant had to hand over his revolver. They were told, if the Germans attack use your wrenches (spanners in King's English).

While it is true they 'were never returned', they were released/sold to the general public. This was way before strict gun laws came into being in England. The Brit. military is not subject to English proof laws, so the guns were not proofed until they were released for sale. Some, no doubt, never were sold to the public but went straight to export. Many .22 trainers were sold to the Brit. public and perhaps other types also. I am speaking of Lend Lease guns, the agreement was 'return or destroy'. They did neither, they sold them. As for the guns in the ads, they were given by individuals, probably in the hundred thousands. How would they ever keep track of every one and who it belonged to? I know of one that was returned to the owner, a 1903 which had a brass plaque on the butt which listed the matches won with the rifle. I think it belonged to a US Army officer.

[noslack327]

As I once read the British Government asked for help from the NRA in getting sporting weapons to be used by the home guard.

[dave]

As I once read the British Government asked for help from the NRA in getting sporting weapons to be used by the home guard.

Don't know if 'they asked for help' but the ads did run in the NRA Rifleman magazine of Nov. 1940. Copy is on inside front cover of a 1992 NRA printed publication called " The American Rifleman Goes To War" (Soft cover, 204 pages)

[blackhawknj]

Major John Hession was the shooter who sent his rifle over. IIRC it was clearly marked and returned to him after the war.

[dave]

Yes , the brass plate also had his name on it. I think a picture of it is in a book or was in the Rifleman mag. I remember seeing it some where!

[Johnny P]

https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2015/5/28/throwback-thursday-send-a-gun-to-defend-a-british-home/

[blackhawknj]

I recall seeing a small bit in issue of the Rifleman, quoted one NRA member saying, after a Labour Government announcement that all those small arms must turned with the implication that they would be destroyed, that the next time they needed help....