WW2 Paratroopers
 

Hey :)

My friend sent me this picture and wondered why the paratrooper had an american gun :confused:

Does anyone know ?

T x

It's Greece 1946.

British had obtained many American weapons in Italy in 1944 and there are lots of photos with British troops using US Thompson sub MGs which were superior to the issued Stens.

Presumably in a similar vein the M1 Carbine shown was more useful to the paratroops than the longer and more unwieldy 303 Lee Enfields. As a shorter weapon it was possibly used to parachute on the man rather than in a weapons bundle with all of the problems of finding a weapon on the DZ that they cause.

As a matter of fact these paras handle TWO american guns: one M1 carbine and one M 1928 Thompson! :D

I should have thought because they were issued with them.

Thank you Alan and thank you Loupie1961 for your replies two helpful gentlemen

T x

Curious as to the location of the photo. Does the graffiti on the wall look Greek?

It was Athens

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/557179785143288412/

The B&W picture shows the Greek words much better.

Looks like the Paras have a darker diamond shape backing behind the cap badge ???

Gerard

Thank you Alan.

They are probably 5th (Scottish) Battalion with the tartan backing to the badges.

Indeed I’d overlooked that, makes sense 👍👍

Gerard

It was certainly shorter and lighter than the Lee Enfield, and (semi)automatic too which I reckon is a huge advantage in battle. It fired a .30 caliber cartridge that was not used on Bren, Sten, Lee Enfield or Enfield/Webley revolver so that must have put a strain on RASC to supply another type of ammo.

I think it's an M1A1 Carbine, not an M1 Carbine.
Just behind the receiver, you can see a drop where I think the metal frame starts. With the wood stock, it continued in a flowing line from the back of the receiver and didn't have a drop. I also seem to see uniform where if it had a wood stock you wouldn't see this.
The handguard and the front of the stock is a different colour to the rear stock in the top photo when it should all be the same colour of wood if it was an M1.

The M1A1 was used by US paras because of the folding stock and it could fold down to 25.51 inches instead of the normal length of 35.63 inches.

Attachment 213026Attachment 213027

There is a famous picture of an M1 carbine in the Hartenstein Hotel during the battle of Arnhem.

I suppose he may have been a Jedburgh?

Rob

http://www.battledetective.com/image...M1_Carbine.jpg

"British Army Uniforms and Insignia of World War Two"
by Brian Leigh Davis contains a photograph of a Cpl Evans of No. 3 Coy, 1 WG in NW Europe 1944/45, armed with a M1 Garand.
My father served with Cpl Evans, unfortunately I never thought to ask him why Evans had the Garand, presumably they weren't issued and it was a merely a useful souvenir.