Collecting the "Extended " No4T Sniper CES (Complete Equipment Schedule). Going Beyond the Chest...
Updated: 6 days ago
Lens Cleaning
Binoculars
Scout Regiment Telescope MkII and Mk2
Map Case and Contents
Rifle Cleaning Kits
9mm / British 303
Action Rations - putting the tea into No4T
Denison Smock & Veils
Tabby - the worlds first active night vision set
Depending on the year of service that your sniper rifle and associated kit represents, there are a wide range of equipment and accessories that can represent that snapshot of the gears 50+ years of service in many nations around the world. Often these pieces of optional kit / accessories came and went, or made a return depending on supply, demand and the doctrines developed for the tasks in hand. Some of these pieces may seem obscure but the devout Lee Enfield Sniper Collector may want to "have them all".
Lens Cleaning:
While gasmasks were issued to all ranks and theatres (up to and including D-Day June 3rd 1944), the British Commonwealth issued a variety of gasmasks and supporting equipment. One of these issued items was cotton waste - which was designated for cleaning the eye pieces of the gasmask - dry and in a manner to remove dust / dirt. The issued sniper equipment of this time did not designate a cleaning material, so it is thought that the gasmask supply of cotton waste was carried over to clean all manner of lenses. I will check the early training manuals to see what is said for scope lens cleaning and report back. As the gasmask became obsolete - in late 1944 the need for official means to clean the No32 scope lenses was recognized and each SANO chest kit label was altered to include a "Handkerchief mk1" - yes! the humble khahki hanky! These were already a stores item and readily available - so in they went! Several good example photos and specimens show this folded square in the left hand part of the scope carry tin, trapped behind the incumbent scope. Now with war surplus and the passing of time, these handkerchiefs have become used, lost and rare. Added to the No4T "Sniper" fervor - an original hanky from stores has become the thing to acquire!
Binoculars
Scout Regiment Telescope MkII and Mk2
British military telescopes seem to march on through time. As the second world war loomed there was a recognized need for a fairly compact medium magnification telescope for most uses - signals, artillery and command. It was to be 3 draw with near infinite focus by length adjustment, 20 magnification with a sun shade and a lens filter for the optical lens, made of brass which was blued to subdue it when it was exposed, sheathed in leather and to be held in a leather carry case with strap. This was designated as the Scout Regiment Telescope mkII and pressed into service in the late 30's with contracts going to 4 major suppliers for up to 80,ooo examples over the course of the next few (war) years. As the No4T was pressed into service, this telescope was added to its basic CES for the sniper (note that snipers were trained in all roles and skills and worked in teams of 2 to 5 - there was no "spotter" designation yet). It was the application to the No4T CES that made the scope famous, bought about its regard as the 'sniper telescope" and increased its collectible popularity. There were some variations made over its prestigious life: Initially all leather clad until "midwar" - then the telescope body itself was thermos set brown plastic clad - in a very rugged textured finish. This divides scopes into early and late war production groups - a third post war production group can be discerned as they adopt the 1946 standard for arabic numbered mark revisions - so mk2 instead of mkII. Post ware there were rebuilt for cold war stores and could be updated with better blackening and repairs to the leather. In the 1980s new green plastic carry cases were procured and deployed. Using the scope itself was an acquired art form for handling, steadying and focusing - time was dedicated for this in sniper schools. At some point the Scout Reg Telescope was eliminated from the Cold war CES for the No4T - its pocket in the transport chest being simplified or redacted also.
Here we see an early production scope (in the first 2000 serial number range) finished in all leather and showing some signs of use and wear - with 20% of the blued brass finish remaining - and no signs of rebuild. Still fully serviceable with working sun shade and eye filter.
Here are other makers marks observed and captured to date The HCR made example shows the arabic numerals mk2 - and is post 1946 production. The two BC made examples demonstrate an early production low serial (in leather) and late war serial (in textured thermoplastic).
Map Case and Contents
Rifle Cleaning Kits
The first official cleaning kits in a tin, were issued for the STEN. Its parts and application though worked with many British and Commonwealth small arms. Although not specified in any of the wartime CES it is often included in period photos of kit displays and would take root in the post war training manuals and go through a few iterations to change with the times.
9mm / British 303 wartime and cold war tin. A stepped lid tin with a U bracket spotwelded into the base to make 3 flexible compartments with 2 partitions, with a windowed bracket spot welded into the lid to hold 2 wire gauze patches and form a clip for the cleaning brush.
Typical contents - 12 section length of 2 X 4 flannel patch, an oil bottle - typical war time black thermoset plastic, single pull-through (steel or brass weighted), an action brush - plastic bristles in a wood, aluminium or steel handle and two wire gauze patches.
Action Rations - putting the "tea" into No4T
Denison Smock & Veils
Tabby - the worlds first active night vision set