Skegness Magazine

Filmed in December 2005

Copyright Notice

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Allied Forces Movement Control

The AFMC is a resource for trained and equipped personnel for events commemorating the second world war.
Members of the organization re-enacted Christmas as it would have been in 1944, at Church Farm Museum in Skegness Lincolnshire, recently.

Lee Enfield Rifle

Colonel Ivon Baker gives an in-depth demonstration of the Lee Enfield 303 Short Magazine Rifle.

He explains that in World War 1, the Germans thought that this rifle was a machine gun as it could be cocked and fired so rapidly, and was capable of hitting a target a mile away.

The Enfield was used extensively in the First World War and for most of the Second World War until it was replaced by the Mk4 and other ‘exotic breeds’.
This particular gun was made under licence in India in 1942.

The ‘Colonel’ then goes on to demonstrate a hand held revolver typically used in World War 2

World War Heritage Relics Trail Skegness Area

The article and video on the Christmas in World War 2 re-enactment has sparked a little controversy.
w ww.sluttstykket.com is an interesting Norwegian discussion forum about guns and rifles. (The page contains a couple of words that may offend some people). The postings on the forum are in Norwegian so I attempted to translate using an online translator.

As I understand, the members of the forum have raised the possibility that the rifle that the ‘Colonel’ demonstrates in the video is in fact a replica and not, as I have stated, the original firearm made in India in 1942.

I clarified the situation by contacting the Allied Forces Movement Control.
I received a prompt reply from Colonel Baker at Allied Forces Movement Control :-

Dear Angela Gooch
I was pleased to receive your e-mail and to learn of the interest in our visit to Skegness. Please reassure your viewers that my comments on video are absolutely accurate. The Lee-Enfield rifle was made in India (under license) in 1942. English law regarding firearms is indeed strict and the rifle is, in fact, de-activated - that is to say it is a genuine weapon rendered unfirable by various means (in this instance, blocking the barrel and cutting away part of the bolt face). This enables us to use the weapon for demonstrations, arms-drill &c.

All members of my Unit - ALLIED FORCES MOVEMENT CONTROL - are trained in 1940s foot-drill and our male members are trained in 1940s rifle-drill. All our weapons are either de-activated or replica. The Unit does not stage mock battles and therefore does not require any explosive materials or blank ammunition. We demonstrate what went on “behind the scenes” in various branches of Allied forces.

Feel free to pass on my e-mail address to anyone who would like more information. We do not advertise for recruits but I’m always pleased to hear from anyone who is interested in our work. We have been called “Living Memorials” and this is reflected in the motto we adopted some time ago: VIVAMVS AD MEMORIAM - “We live as a memorial”.

We spend much of our time in 1943, from whence I have the honour to remain,
Your Obedient Servant

Ivon R Baker, Colonel AFMC.
Still struggling with the Norwegian language, I gather that my description of the video on Google raise the question of ‘how could a weapon made in 1942 have been used in World War 1?’
My unfortunate wording in the description - ‘Enfield 303 Rifle, made in India in 1942, would have been used in World Wars 1 and 2′ were unclear and therefore misleading, so the description has now been amended to ‘……demonstrating how the Lee Enfield 303 Rifle, like this one made in India in 1942, would have been used in World Wars 1 and 2.’
I trust this will clarify this point.

Help with Translation

A kind Norwegien webmaster has stepped in to translate the forum comments. Translation by wwiionline.com

Translation from Norwegien to English

1st post by Studenten:
Not sure if you find this is funny. Least I thought it was interesting to listen to.

(My opinion on his comment, he probably should have used interesting instead of funny)

2nd post by norwegianwiking:
Very interesting.

people are talking about a new law in England, about tightening the gunlaws EVEN MORE, meaning that “disabled” weapons and replicas, wich are not even weapons, can be forbidden, even for living history\reenactment groups.

So it’s very much a possibility that these kind of gatherings will become extinct. Atleast we will never see a demonstration like this of the soldiers “tool” again if that law is passed.

3rd post by 308 IDIOT:
Nittpickey, but something made in 1942 would hardly be used in WW 1
4th post by norwegianwiking:

The model
(He’s telling 308 idiot that it was the model, not that exact rifle that was used in ww1 and ww2 :))

Thanks to Kim