Flanders mud flap

[John Sukey]

One on Ebay now but the auction is about to close. current bid at 90 quid.
Too rich for me

[drweiler]

John, there's quite an interesting thread over on Milsurps.com about that Flanders Flap. Happy Memorial Day to you and our fellow Vets on our forum. S/F, Don

[JB White]

Lord forbid it might be talked of here if it's already on another site

[Barryeye]

What is a Flanders mud flap?

[John Sukey]

A spring loaded sheet metal device attached to the nosecap of a SMLE. It had a flap that covered the muzzle of the rifle to keep out the mud in the trenches. You could either move it out of the way manualy or, on firing the gas ahead of the bullet would move it out of the way. After the war, most all of them were scrapped, making surviving examples a rare collectors item.

[BruceHMX]

[John Sukey]

By the way, another rare item is associated with the grenade discharger cup. Not the cup, but rather the grenade launching sight used with it. Once bought a smle just to have that item
Then there is the mirror that attached to the bayonet of the smle so you could look over the top of the trench without exposing your head.
Also the trench periscope that was roughly an inch in diameter
Then there is the spigot grenade launcher for the SMLE (not the No4)
Have all of the above

[John Sukey]

BruceHMX, I am jealous!

[BruceHMX]

No John that's a Google image not mine. I had the same question Barry had. So I googled it.

[Barryeye]

Thanks John and Bruce. I now realise that I have seen them but did not recognise the name used. No doubt the M.O.D. gave them another title.

[BruceHMX]

John would be the authority on that one. What did the MOD call them? Also who made them? Were they used a great deal or something the troops tossed in a ditch?

[JB White]

Most of them were shot off. The door blocked the sight picture and didn't fly open as theory intended. Should have been opened manually as designed but didn't always happen that way. Especially when encrusted with mud and whatever. There are still some showing up with a bullet hole through the trap door. Canvas covers proved to be more reliable, easier to affix, and less costly.

They were an evolutionary thing like many gadgets during wartime. A lot of different rifle mounted wirebreakers and cutters were tried too among other things. I don't think you could mount the flap, wirebreaker, and grenade launcher all at the same time.

In the past I've wondered if the flap ever hung up on the bayonet muzzle ring, hence the doors being blown off?

[John Sukey]

Wire breaker lined up the bore of the rifle with the wire. Theoreticaly when you fired the rifle it cut the wire and as an added bonus, sent a bit of hate toward the germans
There were two kinds of wire cutters.
1, you hooked the wire and pulled back the rifle to cut the wire
2. You shoved the rifle forward and the cutter pivoted to cut the wire.
The wire breaker and the cutter were hekl to the rifle by fixing the bayonet
You are correct, that only one ot these gadgets could be mounted on the rifle at a time

[oldyella]

Its fake but cant post lnks to show it.

Sorry been away 5 months sick in hospital fightin big C like gimp

Know lot of folks here dont much care for porch sitters like me and have big operation to deal with but hope to make it back. Sad bout all the kids. Id trade places in a minute if I could. Over and out.