australian makers markings Pt 1 & 2.
Printed From: Enfield-Rifles.com
Category: Enfields
Forum Name: Info for New Enfield Owners
Forum Description: Are you new to Enfields? Check out some of the how-to's submitted by our members!
URL: http://www.enfield-rifles.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=13387
Printed Date: March 26 2026 at 2:51pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.07 - https://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: australian makers markings Pt 1 & 2.
Posted By: Shamu
Subject: australian makers markings Pt 1 & 2.
Date Posted: June 11 2024 at 1:16pm
|
OK lets se of this will fly! uploads/244/Australian_WW2_Government_symbols_1.pdf" rel="nofollow - uploads/244/Australian_WW2_Government_symbols_1.pdf uploads/244/Australian_WW2_Government_symbols_2.pdf" rel="nofollow - uploads/244/Australian_WW2_Government_symbols_2.pdf ------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Replies:
Posted By: paddyofurniture
Date Posted: June 11 2024 at 1:28pm
|
Thanks! ------------- Always looking for military manuals, Dodge M37 items,books on Berlin Germany, old atlases ( before 1946) , military maps of Scotland. English and Canadian gun parts. |
Posted By: Sapper740
Date Posted: June 12 2024 at 2:44am
| Thanks Shamu. I 've got two Lithgows, I'm going to check them over for the various stampings to learn a little more about them. |
Posted By: Marco1010
Date Posted: June 12 2024 at 2:48pm
|
Thanks for the lists, very useful ! Also a good example of how during the war the Australians ran their small arms & ammunition manufacturing in a decentralized way utilizing a large number of subcontracted factories.
|
Posted By: smerdon42
Date Posted: June 12 2024 at 3:43pm
|
Shamu , the list is awesome mate .i will say i have been to every single town on the list over the years . There is a lot of towns on the list that are part of the rail network to move stuff around . There is temporary in NSW which had a large pilot training facility now has a large museum look up warbirdsdownunderairshow.com.au They always do ANZAC day fly overs this year was a ca13 boomerang and the year before was a spitfire
|
Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: June 13 2024 at 3:40pm
|
Fair use, this isn't My list.  I'm just posting it for the O.P. ------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Posted By: Volcano2012
Date Posted: June 19 2024 at 9:22am
|
Thank you for the lists. I’ll add these to my Enfield file. ------------- Always give more than you promise. |
Posted By: Canuck
Date Posted: June 19 2024 at 5:03pm
|
Those lists would be a good 'sticky' for future reference? ------------- Castles made of sand slip into the sea.....eventually |
Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: June 20 2024 at 3:41pm
|
smerdon42 I thought I'd posted this here, but don't see it, maybe its somewhere else or I messed up somehow. Its amazing how many manufacturers there were doing sub contract work. When I was doing some heavy duty caving in South Wales we had a cottage Halt Rd, in the village of Penderyn, the local "town" was Hirwaun, just down the road. Neither were "big" & both were in a very rural area on the edge of the Brecon Beacons. Then one day, SURPRISE! I discover there was an ammunition manufacturing plant for .303 British there during the war! "Royal Ordnance Factory, Hirwaun, South Wales, UK. This factory was set
up as part of the 1939-45 war emergency expansion plan. It was involved
in the production of .303 cartridges in only a very limited way and is
known to have manufactured Tracer G Mk 2 (in cases dated 1943 and 1944)." I've never seen one, but have kept looking for a .303 round with the "HN" headstamp!
 ------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Posted By: Mayhem
Date Posted: June 20 2024 at 5:11pm
|
I have one (will go take a picture later). I also have a box of 9mm made there too. H^N marked 303 is pretty scarce. During the war, the UK had manufacturing plants all over the country. Early on, they had three factories that simply used one, two or three broad arrows (^) on their ammunition, to prevent the Germans discovering the factory locations. These were Radway Green (later change from ^ to RG), Spennymore (later changed form ^^ to SR) and Steeton (later changed from ^^^ to ST). However, the latter didn't produce .303.
Added picture:  ------------- .303 - Helping Englishmen express their feelings since 1889 |
Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: June 22 2024 at 2:02pm
Oohh! Jealous, I am! ------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Posted By: Acko73
Date Posted: September 07 2024 at 10:51pm
|
hi all, chasing any info i can on this, i have just inherited this rifle and would love to know any and all info regarding it please.        |
Posted By: A square 10
Date Posted: September 08 2024 at 8:09pm
| nice looking rifle with great markings , im saying it served in military district 4 [dont recall which that is] |
Posted By: Acko73
Date Posted: September 09 2024 at 1:24am
|
Posted By: smerdon42
Date Posted: September 09 2024 at 5:19am
| 4 md is south Australia lots of New Guinea servicemen from there |
Posted By: Acko73
Date Posted: September 09 2024 at 7:48am
| My great uncle served in africa and new guinea, enlisted in 1940 in maryborough QLD, but this rifle isnt from that side of the family, i dont believe ths rifle has any family history connected to it, but would be great to know its history none the less |
Posted By: smerdon42
Date Posted: September 09 2024 at 11:03am
| Akco from NSW originally we had the largest rats of Tobruk contingent in wagga for the longest time . Our family is a distant relative of John Edmonson VC . I met a lot of the guys on the track when i lived in Adelaide great guys and boy could they tell a yarn .if only they could talk . |
Posted By: A square 10
Date Posted: September 09 2024 at 11:03am
|
well if im seeing correctly it was made at the lithgow arsenal in 1942 [not certain on that 2] as a mkIII* , the serial number is that D 63861 , the buttstock is marked with the 4/sn thats why i suggested 4th military district , if that bipod is afixed - that was added and is not correct of course - that location would be the lug for the stacking swivel that would not have been installed n a mkIII* rifle it appears the buttstock might have been replaced as its marked 3/44 but im not sure of that ,
|
Posted By: m4r
Date Posted: September 12 2025 at 4:50pm
|
Heres 1 to decode, I think I know what it all means but Im here to confirm or learn  |
Posted By: A square 10
Date Posted: September 13 2025 at 5:35pm
| again marked to 4th military district there |
Posted By: m4r
Date Posted: September 13 2025 at 8:22pm
|
My understanding of the markings are as follows; CMF is Citizen Military Force 4MD is 4th Military District = South Australia 15085 serial number HV = High Velocity ammo tested III = type 3 A/C Shield is Lithgow Mark 11/18 date it was taken into service and the 2s39 is the date it was sold to public is this correct ?? Original date on the band is 1917 with a Lithgow shiled with the A above and in the shield it says Lithgow SHT.LE III
|
Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: September 14 2025 at 11:13am
|
I thought "HV" was a re-calibration of the sights for Mk VII ammo & the "short cone" barrel?
------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Posted By: m4r
Date Posted: September 15 2025 at 4:51pm
|
I reached out to the Lithgow small arms museum and they have provided me with a link to their page that contains 2 pdf files on markings and there meanings for both rifles and bayonets made at the factory Could help to answer alot of questions, certainly would have answered a few of mine.
|
Posted By: mrbieler
Date Posted: November 29 2025 at 10:37am
| Looking forward to giving my lithgow a good going over for markings. |