6

BRITISH INSPECTION MARKS

INFORMATION SUPPLIED BY

PETER LAIDLER

The Small Arms Training School was recently examining a Thompson

Submachine Gun in their inventory and notice the cartouche as seen to the

right. Well Peter Laidler, Arms Expert, Author, and even though he might

not admit to it, but a good friend of mine, sent to me the following notes on

their research that they discovered.

" Glad to see you have a good mark here to show. This has been reported

in the past as ex Dutch post war (Queen Wilhemina) and the Army Ordnance

Depot at Weedon. But it is in fact ROF Woolwich.

Royal Ordnance Factory Woolwich wasn't a small arms factory, but an ordnance/gun factory

specializing in Field Guns in WWII. But, there was a large small arms workshop there that

undertook most of the specialized work such as refurbishment of foreign small arms.

It was these inspectors that were also inspecting the incoming Lend Lease kit (equipment for

Americans) where necessary. This is usually in the cases where the equipment wasn't "service

standard" such as Lend Lease Enfields."

IMAGE OF AN ROF WOOLWICH CARTOUCHE. (FROM AMERICAN THUNDER II

BY FRANK IANNAMICO.)