Bren box Boot fair find

[gothica7]

Hi all,

found this at a boot fair last Sunday for 20 quid. Was it a good buy?
Not sure if i want to keep it or sell it but i reccon it was a good find. Its in pretty good nick, dont know how old it is but there is a 1963 date stencilled on the side of the box. It was used by the Rockhampton Cadets and contained a Drill Bren by the look if it. Inside its in pretty good condition with all its compartments with not much wear. It is missing the carrying handles on the sides but i reccon i will be able to reproduce these. Wonder if its wartime issue?
Should i keep it and restore it? If i do, would it be worth finding the tools etc it originally contained and if so can anyone give me the heads up on what it was supposed to contain, with exception to the Bren of course?
One day i would like a deac Bren so i suppose it would be worth keeping, after all, did not rush me for a lot.

Andy

 

[waffenamt]

Personally i think its a good acquisition for the money.

cheers

waff

 

[Birdseye]

Indeed. If you don't use it for display, use it for storage.

 

[303Gunner]

Now isn't that a long way from home!

The 2nd Battalion (Wide Bay and Burnett), Royal Queensland Regiment are an Army Reserve Unit (what you would call in the UK a Territorial Unit), which had a barracks in Archer St, Rockhampton.

The Chest, and the Mk1 Bren it contained, were manufactured in Lithgow, NSW. Lithgow only made the Mk1 Bren, so the variety of Chests are limited to that mark only, however the variations of Chests are as numerous as the different Marks of Bren. The Chest contained a spare Barrel, a spare Magazine, a gas cylinder cleaning rod, a barrel cleaning rod, a cleaning kit in a web pouch, a cotton mop and bristle brush for the cleaning rod, and grease pot. There was also provision to stow the Dial/Lensatic Sights and Clinometer.

 

[303Gunner]

As later marks of Bren, and indeed even different marks of Butts and Barrels, there was a requirement for altered dimensions of the Chest to suit. Sometimes, the earlier Chests were simply modified to suit.

A change from Butt, Mk 1 resulted in a notch being required to clear the shoulder strap of the simplified Mk2 Butt.

The Mk1 Bren Chest was shorter than the Mk1/1, requiring a hole to be bored in the end of the Chest to accomodate the longer Barrel of the Mk1* and Mk1m Bren. A timber box was then screwed to the exterior of the Chest to cover the protruding Muzzle!

 

[gothica7]

Hi 303,

well, thats a wonder, how the hell did an Aussie drill Bren box get to a boot fair near Tunbridge Wells, Kent? It is marked Archer street on the box which is in quite good condition. Its amazing that somehow, someone shipped it all the way from Australia sometime in the past. There are dates on the box, 63 and 66 but ime sure theres no way to date it properly. I am thinking it would be a good idea to kit it out completely and will probably do so when funds and old Citroen Bx parts allow.

Thank you very much for the information, perhaps one day it will find its way back to OZ.

Andy

 

[MG34NZ]

I would be inclined to say I found its way to the UK complete with Gun when the Australian Bren and Vickers guns were tendered off in the late 80s or early 90s, there ware plenty of them on the market around that time and gun laws were a lot more realistic, my Mk1 Lithgow bren came in a chest just the same....back in the days when you just aboutcouldnt give away a Vickers gun or bren gun...those were the days!
MG34NZ

 

[gothica7]

I would not mind a bren, so i suppose i will have to start looking for a Mk 1 Lithow made one. However if i keep it in the box, then i wont be able to look at it easily[sad git i know]. I have 3 WW1 smellies and i often pick them up, especially as i have just kitted one out with a nice period leather sling, so feel the box would not be needed. But, should i need to move it, then the box would be just what i wanted so i suppose it will be kept, after all 20 was not a lot to pay for it. Its the same with the Mills grens, look nice on the shelf but need to move or store a lot then a box or 3 is what you want, but where do you put the empty boxes?

Andy

 

[MG34NZ]

heres one out of the archives...did this display around 1990....my Australian Bren is on the Tripod, other two were borrowed and from memory are both NZ marked Ingles units . Sadly all three of these guns have changed hands, I still know where two of them are.
MG34NZ

 

[gothica7]

As later marks of Bren, and indeed even different marks of Butts and Barrels, there was a requirement for altered dimensions of the Chest to suit. Sometimes, the earlier Chests were simply modified to suit.

A change from Butt, Mk 1 resulted in a notch being required to clear the shoulder strap of the simplified Mk2 Butt.

The Mk1 Bren Chest was shorter than the Mk1/1, requiring a hole to be bored in the end of the Chest to accomodate the longer Barrel of the Mk1* and Mk1m Bren. A timber box was then screwed to the exterior of the Chest to cover the protruding Muzzle!

Hi Gunner,

could you possibly let me have the measurements for the carrying blocks/handles including the rope size and length as mine are missing. I am sure my box is for an early Mk1 as there is no rebate for the butt nor a hole for the lengthened barrel. Very pleased to have it, will probably kit it out with everything it needs in due course.

Andy

 

[gothica7]

As later marks of Bren, and indeed even different marks of Butts and Barrels, there was a requirement for altered dimensions of the Chest to suit. Sometimes, the earlier Chests were simply modified to suit.

A change from Butt, Mk 1 resulted in a notch being required to clear the shoulder strap of the simplified Mk2 Butt.

The Mk1 Bren Chest was shorter than the Mk1/1, requiring a hole to be bored in the end of the Chest to accomodate the longer Barrel of the Mk1* and Mk1m Bren. A timber box was then screwed to the exterior of the Chest to cover the protruding Muzzle!

Hi Gunner,

could you let me have the measurements for the bits of wood that hold the carrying straps/ropes for a Mk1 box as they are missing from mine and it may be an idea to replace them at some stage.
Thanks,

Andy

 

[lexpev]

Steel case, also bren?

I found this thread a bit late, but I have a similar case that I found on a "canadian" battlefield.
It looks a lot like the cases here, and HAD wooden inserts, for a weapon or so.
65cm long, 18cm high, 11cm wide. Made of steel.
Who knows about this one?

http://www.bocn.co.uk/vbforum/album.php?albumid=128&pictureid=1298

http://www.bocn.co.uk/vbforum/album.php?albumid=128&pictureid=1298http://www.facebook.com/lex.peverelli#/photo.php?pid=286739&id=1624343324

Lex

 

[bill99jt]

the wooden bren boxes were still in use up to the early 90s, to carry the L4A1 LMG - 7.62 converted Mk2 Bren - there was even a modification instruction issued detailing how to convert Bren boxes to take the L4 LMG

 

[gothica7]

At last i have managed to add some cleats with rope handles to my bren gun box. They came off one of the later Mills boxes that have been in the 'news' lately. A mate didnt want his and they fit the bill perfectly.

Andy

 

[pointblank0]

Hi all,

found this at a boot fair last Sunday for 20 quid. Was it a good buy?
Not sure if i want to keep it or sell it but i reccon it was a good find. Its in pretty good nick, dont know how old it is but there is a 1963 date stencilled on the side of the box. It was used by the Rockhampton Cadets and contained a Drill Bren by the look if it. Inside its in pretty good condition with all its compartments with not much wear. It is missing the carrying handles on the sides but i reccon i will be able to reproduce these. Wonder if its wartime issue?
Should i keep it and restore it? If i do, would it be worth finding the tools etc it originally contained and if so can anyone give me the heads up on what it was supposed to contain, with exception to the Bren of course?
One day i would like a deac Bren so i suppose it would be worth keeping, after all, did not rush me for a lot.

Andy

I have a Lithgow MK1 Bren and have had it for years and years. It came with the chest and some mags, rounds, cleaning bits and canvas carry case all for about 125!
The boxes of mags, I think 12 to a box (or 15), were about 10, transit boxes about 15-20. I think that they are MUCH more now. Keep hold of it I reckon