I pre-ordered a digital copy of this new Osprey title in the Weapon Series and it popped onto the Kindle this morning. It's going to be a brief but really interesting read and obviously relevant to my ongoing Sandbox Skirmish post colonial project, even though only one of my Peter Pig squaddies has had a Sterling added as a personal weapon. I wish they'd sculpt some AK47 range professional figures with a Sterling as it's such an iconic Cold War piece of kit. There's a great little article here too, which give a fascinating introduction to the weapon:
I remember carrying an F1, the Australian version of the Sterling, with the magazine mounted on top. The cocking handle was on the left side and was basically a little metal bar sticking 2 inches out the left side of the weapon. The reason I remember it is that I went to ground during an exercise; I went to ground pretty hard and not entirely how I planned to do so; I slammed the cocking handle into my left wrist and promptly let go of the weapon while I rolled around on the ground swearing and shouting, while nursing my newly crippled left hand.
ReplyDeleteBlimey..that must have made your eyes water!
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