The Lee Enfield rifle was the standard issue weapon for British and Commonwealth troops fighting on the Western Front in the First World War. A century on from the start of the conflict, James Stewart-Smith MCSI, President of the CISI’s recently formed Southern branch, can testify with authority to the influential role played by this weapon.
James is a member of the Lee Enfield Rifle Association (LERA), which was formed in 1998 by a group of enthusiasts who saw the need for an organisation dedicated to the use and study of the firearm, the rifle of choice for the British Army from 1895 until 1957, taking in both world wars. James was taught to shoot from a young age by his father, who was in the British Army.
James recalls: “I shot until my early teens and then I became interested again in later life, when a friend of mine asked me to an open day at Bisley (the famous shooting range in Surrey). He introduced me to his club, LERA, and I became a member about five years ago.
“The Lee Enfield rifle has so much appeal because it was such a mainstay of this country’s military history. There is also a sentimental value, because it was the rifle I used during my days in the Army Corps at my school.”
James, who heads the Intermediary Sales Team at Charles Stanley and divides his time between the firm’s offices in Guildford and London, owns two Lee Enfield rifles. They are a No 1 which was made in 1939, and a No 4 which dates from the 1940s.
“They are very basic but accurate and powerful rifles – both give quite a kick.”
His collection also includes a Mauser 98k, which was built in 1941 and became widely used by German troops in World War II.
Owning these guns requires holding a firearms certificate, which can only be obtained through being a member of an approved shooting club and passing competence and safety tests.
With LERA, he regularly takes part in internal shooting competitions, which are mainly held at Bisley and surrounding ranges.
“These involve shooting at normal black round targets with a bull’s eye and rings, from a distance of 100, 200 and 300 yards,” says James.
As a testament to the influence of the Lee Enfield rifle, James refers back to the early days of the First World War, and the success it brought British troops. In August 2014, the relatively small British Expeditionary Force (BEF) was squaring up to the might of Germany, but despite their small numbers, the rifle gave them the upper hand.
He says: “The first shots that the British fired were at Malplaquet and the Germans were pulled up short near Mons as the withering rifle fire of the British caused them heavy casualties.
“On 25 August 1914, at Le Cateau, the story of Mons was repeated, only on a bloodier scale. Again, the Germans attacked in tightly bunched waves and once more they were met with rifle fire so intense that they thought the British were equipped with machine guns.
“By 1 September 1914, the forward elements of the German army were a mere 30 miles from Paris. The BEF had earned the title ‘Contemptible Little Army’ from the Kaiser and the reputation of the SMLE (Short-Magazine Lee Enfield) rifle – affectionately known as the ‘Smellie’ was born.”
Indeed, James’ grandfather, Dudley Stewart-Smith, would have been familiar with the Lee Enfield rifle through fighting in the First World War.
A lieutenant with the famous Black Watch, he was captured, seriously injured, in a German offensive in northern France in April 1918. James says: “He was held as a prisoner of war at a German camp until his release in December 1918 and kept a diary during his captivity
“It is a terrific account of his experiences, which includes a picture of the German Kaiser visiting Allied prisoners. With the help of my secretary, I transcribed and published the diary. Sadly, I never met my grandfather, as he died before I was born, but he had a fascinating life, appearing as a Judge Advocate at the Nuremberg trials at the end of World War II.”
A copy of the diary can be obtained from James for £10, to cover the cost of printing. To contact James, email: james.stewart-smith@charles-stanley.co.uk.
For more information about LERA, visit leeenfieldrifleassociation.org.uk.
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