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Post by Deleted on Mar 3, 2015 7:27:30 GMT 8
Hi,
A moment ago I accidentally reviewing book I found the information, that:
“Some Boys AT rifles used by the US Marine Corps in early 1942 on the Philippines against dug in Japanese infantry positions” (Bishop, Chris, The encyclopedia of weapons of World War II, p. 213).
It's probably a mistake? I know that General MacArthur took over motor transport include 57 Universal Carriers from Canadian ship, the Don Jose – but these vehicles were (I think) without weapons. I have a few good books on the 4th Marine Regiment. There is no mention anywhere that had used Boys AT rifles on the Philippines Campaign.
Text by Chris Bishop - it's probably a mistake. If anyone will have any suggestions - I'll be grateful for any comments.
Regards, jabu
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Post by westernaus on Mar 4, 2015 22:38:41 GMT 8
Yes they were destined for Hong Kong for Canadian forces , but weren't armed. Some were armed I think with browning machine guns in a hurry , just before going in to battle somewhere near Batan .
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Post by batteryboy on Mar 9, 2015 9:22:14 GMT 8
Most were armed with BAR's and a few Marlin MGs. A few were said to be with .50 MGs taken from derelict aircraft and were rigged with a special trigger to fire the guns. The 2nd Regular Division of the PA received a few Bren and incorporated into the 2nd AT Batallion. Again, my uncle who was with the 2nd Regulars mentioned that they were armed with BARs and rarely with the water cooled Browning .30 MGs as they used the brownings in the field for fire support.
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Post by westernaus on Mar 9, 2015 11:43:15 GMT 8
Well there's your answer JABU .Batteryboy is a good source of information .
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Post by batteryboy on Mar 12, 2015 20:33:19 GMT 8
From a reliable source: A transfer of 800 rounds of .55 Cal ammo from Ologapo to Mariveles was made by US Marines on Dec. 1941. I don't know if this is a typo error but the .55cal is the ammo for the Boys AT. I am confirming this so will keep you posted. On a note of the use of he Boys AT: US Marine Raiding battalions in 1942 used an odd mix of weapons from the Reising Sub-MGs, Johnson's LMG and Boys ATR. They still used the .55cal models which they acquired through Canada. In one raid they were able to disable two Japanese sea planes. Later on the US Army Rangers used the Boys ATR but this time re-chambered to accommodate the .50 BMG (Browning Machine Gun) round and used for long range experimental sniping. (Looks like a predecessor of the now famous Barret .50 cal sniper rifle).
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Post by okla on Mar 13, 2015 6:36:22 GMT 8
Hey Battery....You the man. It's obvious that you are as "up to snuff" in the field of Bullets as you are in Baseball. Keep the good i9nfo coming. Cheers.
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Post by robert2010 on Jan 29, 2019 6:11:40 GMT 8
There is an outstanding museum at Hacienda Esacdaro outside San Pablo City in Laguna Province. They have Japanese light artillery pieces, twin AA guns, and a Japanese tank. The museum has many WW2 artifacts including a German SG44 assault rifle which was surprising. The museum is like a mini Smithsonian. There is also a nice restaurant with waterfall where you can cool your feet while eating lunch. A very good place to visit.
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Post by cbuehler on Feb 26, 2019 0:53:32 GMT 8
There is an outstanding museum at Hacienda Esacdaro outside San Pablo City in Laguna Province. They have Japanese light artillery pieces, twin AA guns, and a Japanese tank. The museum has many WW2 artifacts including a German SG44 assault rifle which was surprising. The museum is like a mini Smithsonian. There is also a nice restaurant with waterfall where you can cool your feet while eating lunch. A very good place to visit. I am very familiar with Villa Escudero in Tiaong, having visited numerous times and once met with family member to discuss the museum holdings. There are many rare artifacts there and Don Artemio Escudero was an inveterate collector of practically everything! I highly recommend a visit no only for the ww2 artifacts, and the rest of the collection of historical items and artwork is fascinating. In addition, the rest of the facility is great fun to visit, especially the famous lunch in the creek below the water falls. CB
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Post by FoCo NoCo Dude on Jan 4, 2021 10:51:13 GMT 8
about 1960 my Dad acquired a Boyes .55 AT gun. He also had a .50 browning barrel, but never got it together. I dry fired it a lot [had a hydraulic recoil systen] You could buy the Boyes in the Shotgun News @ the time. Ammo was $1/rnd. You could also buy the Finnish 20mm Lahti in the Shotgun News.
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Post by EXO on Jan 4, 2021 13:17:28 GMT 8
There were a number of surplus Boys, Anti-Tank, .55in rifles available for sale in Australia in 'those days' and a number of collectors acquired them for display and collection purposes because they were cheap. Rounds (ie ammunition) was not available at the time for love or money (or since.)
Of course, being a bunch of wowsers and idiots, the media - and following them, the politicians, began to raise a "who ha" that the AT Rifle - being by definition a "rifle" might be used for bank robberies and attacks against armoured car cash transfer vehicles, and before you could say abra-cadabra, the Boys AT was declared illegal.
This at a time when any bank robber or hold-upper's weapon of choice was a sawn-off shot gun.
There has always been a unnatural relationship between the media and the politicians here in Australia. They eschew common sense. The attitude that Australian state and federal governments have always had involving gun ownership in Australia can be summarised in three words - "It's only temporary."
A similar campaign was waged by the press against guys buying the Ferret Scout car, the British armoured fighting vehicle designed and built for reconnaissance purposes. The government didn't like them on the roads. The bastards couldn't abide the sight of anything military. I ought to know, I had a WWII Jeep for 18 years.
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