Interview with a Vietnam Veteran

This is a truly fascinating interview with a Marine Corps Vietnam veteran, Bill Ehrhart. Ehrhart was with the 1st Marines, from early February 1967 to late February 1968, as a member of his battalion’s intelligence section.

He discusses what he thought the war would be like before he arrived and the slow realisation of the realities of the conflict in Vietnam. Filmed in 1990 by David Hoffman as part of a series of interviews for the PBS documentary series Making Sense of the Sixties. 

Ehrhart talks about the confusion and numbing effect of the war and his coping mechanisms for getting through it mentally: “The questions [about the conflict] themselves were too ugly to even ask let alone try to deal with the answers.” He only came to understand the historical context of the war after he returned home. 

Going into the war and believing he was protecting the people of Vietnam from communism he explains that he understands the Vietnamese people welcoming US forces: 

The interview is an fascinating insight into how Ehrhart personally experienced the war, how he came to understand the nature of war and the realities of Vietnam. He went on to become a poet, writer and educator.

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D-Day Recollections

Trooper Fred Walker, formerly of No. 3 Commando (British Army), talks about his experience of the Normandy landings.  He explains how he was wounded along with Lord Lovat by shrapnel and was invalided back to Britain in time to witness the first V-1 Rocket bombings.

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Lyudmilla Ignatenko, a resident of Pripyat describes the evacuation of the Ukrainian city in the wake of the Chernobyl disaster. Ignatenko lost her husband to radiation poisoning as he was one of the many firemen who raced to fight the reactor fire. The 26th April marked the 28th anniversary of the World's worst nuclear disaster. Voices From Chernobyl: The Oral History of a Nuclear Disaster, Svetlana Alexievich, (2006)

Weekly Recap

This week there have been a couple of posts looking at intriguing post-war submachine guns. The French PM9 and the British MCEM 2 both revolutionary in their own ways but both destined not be successes. There was also a look at the British Expeditionary Forces sent to France in 1914 and 1940 comparing their weapons and equipment, as well as some interesting Historical Trivia and a video of 93 year old Norman Mitchell talking about equipment he used during World War Two.

Thank you to all of the people who subscribed to the Inbox Service (mailing list) this week, I hope you're enjoying the content updates being sent to you inboxes.  If you'd like to find out more and sign up click here.

Thanks again for reading, liking, reblogging and following the page.  If you have any requests for firearms you like to see on the page then please feel free to let me know!

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Firearms:

Historical Trivia:

Miscellaneous History:

Video:

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If you have any requests for firearms you like to see on the page then please feel free to let me know!

1937 Pattern Web Equipment

93 year old Chelsea Pensioner Norman Mitchell, formerly of the Grenadier Guards, explains the attributes of the British Army's 1937 Pattern Equipment Webbing.  The webbing included two canvas ammunition pouches which could carry .303 rifle ammunition clips and also up to six box magazines for the Thompson submachine gun in each. Norman explains how the 1937 Pattern Web Equipment fared better distributing weight than his US allies' equipment belts.  The webbing was worn over the shoulders and around the waist with a fob to carry a bayonet. The 1937 Webbing also included a single water canteen which was to last its owner the day, an entrenching tool and a small haversack worn high on the back.

Norman also explains how when Gurkha's replaced them in the front line in North Africa they couldn't see over the top of the slit trenches they'd dug, a problem long encountered by the short, stout Gurkhas.  

The video was filmed by the National Army Museum for their Old & Bold series.  You can watch more videos from the series here.

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Recollections of the Short Magazine Lee Enfield

93 year old Norman Mitchell who spent 18 years with the Grenadier Guards and is now a Chelsea Pensioner discusses the rifle he used during World War Two. He knowledgeably explains how the SMLE (in this case a Enfield Rifle No.4) works and how accurate it was for long range sniping. He also explains the concept of rifling   He has some humorous comments about just how heavy the rifle feels and modern ideas on health & safety when it comes to ammunition manufacture.

Filmed by the National Army Museum as part of their The Old & the Bold series (source).

Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife

Alan Lee explains another side to the legendary knife's usefulness, often coveted by men from other units but only issued to the elite units of the British army the Fairbairn-Sykes knife was often traded for food, cigarettes and souvenirs.  

Luckily Alan says he never had to use his but there were plenty of men who did.  The knife was issued to the Parachute Regiment, the Commandos, SAS and to SOE operatives.  

This video was recorded by the National Army Museum for their Old & Bold series.

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The STEN

Alan Lee, a Chelsea Pensioner, formerly a member of the Parachute Regiment talks about the STEN Gun, while looking over a MKII.  He talks about when it was best used and over what distances it was effective.  He also explains who was issued with one and the difficulty in retaining the STEN's empty magazines when in action.

The video was made as part of the British National Army Museum's 'The Old & the Bold'.

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Race To Pegasus Bridge

Trooper Stan Scott recounts his arrival on Sword Beach during D-Day and his race inland to Pegasus Bridge to relieve 7 Para and men of the 2nd airborne battalion of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.   Scott recalls how he rode a 'para fold up bike', better known as the Welbike, inland towards the bridge.  The Welbike (see below) was a small folding motorbike which was dropped with paratroopers to enable them to move to objectives quickly.  

Trooper Scott explains how he was part of the advanced party of No.3 Commando which reached Pegasus Bridge ahead of the main body. The airborne units which had been at the bridge since the early hours of the morning were awaiting relief as they were still under German sniper and mortar fire.   Scott and his squad crossed the bridge under fire and linked up with 7 Para.

This video was produced by the British National Army Museum. (Source)

Weekly Recap

This week's recap will cover the last couple of weeks, so it's going to be a bumper issue! This week the Contents Page has been updated with hyperlinks leading directly to all of the major wars covered on Historical Firearms, this will lead you straight to each of the major conflicts of the 20th Century. The beginning of September saw the 74th anniversary of the beginning of WWII, this saw a post on the first air raid of the war on a small Polish town - the first act of aggression of the war.  To commemorate this I posted a series of videos of interviews with British Commando Veterans, created by the National Army Museum, speaking about their war experience.

There were also posts on the first helicopter to see action, the Sniper Rifles of World War Two and also the 'Jungle Style' technique of taping magazines together.  There was a look at one of the last Gatling guns as well as a lot of great quotes which are definitely worth delving into and having a look at.

I'd also like to take the opportunity to thank everyone who follows, likes and reblogs posts on the site, it is very much appreciated.

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Firearms:

Historical Trivia:

Video Interviews With World War Two Veterans:

Miscellaneous History:

Quote of the Day:

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If you have any requests for firearms you like to see on the page then please feel free to let me know!

The Proper Way to Use the Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife

Retired Trooper Stan W. Scott of 3 Commando discusses Close Quarters Combat with the Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife. He explains the proper techniques for using the knife, which was specially designed for the Commandos by William Ewart Fairbairn and Eric Anthony Sykes in 1941.

Dieppe Recollections

Trooper Fred Walker of No. 3 Commando, now a Chelsea Pensioner, recalls his experiences of the British/Canadian Dieppe Raid, August 1942.

The Raid was the first large scale assault on Axis held France since the B.E.F had been evacuated two years earlier. It saw the 2nd Canadian Division supported by British 3 & 4 Commando land at the French seaport of Dieppe.  

The British Commandos preceded the main Canadian Landing attacking coastal batteries, No.3 Commando was unable to destroy their target but No.4 Commando was able to destroy six 150mm guns, they then fell back and returned to Britain.   The Germans were aware of the Allies intentions to land near Dieppe as they had been informed by French double agents and the Canadian landing force was met by strong resistance from the 302nd Static Infantry Division.  Canadian infantry landed first but were quickly pinned down on the beach, unable to scale the seawall.  The tank support which had been planned arrived too late and was unable to cross the shingle beach, some managed to penetrate the seawall but were forced to retire when confronted with tank traps.  None of the tank crews that landed managed to return to Britain.  

Of the 5,000 Canadians that landed only roughly 2,000 managed to return to Britain.  The Royal Navy lost a destroyer and the RAF suffered heavy losses to the Luftwaffe losing 100 aircraft.   While the raid was a failure it was an opportunity to learn from the mistakes made. It was realised that a greater ratio of attackers-to-defenders was needed, specialist amphibious tanks were developed and the need for a sustained preliminary naval and air bombardment was needed.  Most importantly it was realised that it was best to avoid attacking ports and coastal towns directly and that open beaches were a better prospect, something that strongly influenced the location of the D-Day Landings two years later.  

Sniper Spotting

Ex- British Commando Roy Cadman (on his shoulder you can just make out his Commando patch) describes how an experienced soldier can gauge the distance of a sniper from the time between the crack of the passing bullet and report of the rifle.  And then looking for a likely sniper position at that distance. Now a Pensioner at the Royal Hospital at Chelsea Mr Cadman made the video as part of the National Army Museum’s Old & Bold community project.