Bren tool kit & spares

**MG42UK** · 08-04-2022, 04:00 PM

Hi Guys

Just thought I would share a nice WW2 Bren tools and spares pack/wallet I recently picked-up, I haven't seen one of these before so it is a nice companion to the Bren items I have.

Hope these pics are of interest.

Cheers

**Rescue190** · 08-04-2022, 04:40 PM

Nice item. I had never seen one before.
John

**MG42UK** · 08-05-2022, 09:17 AM

Thanks - having Googled it, they are less rare than I thought, but not something I had come across before.

**HARRY THE MOLE** · 08-05-2022, 10:27 AM

by MG42UK

Thanks - having Googled it, they are less rare than I thought, but not something I had come across before.

What is the date on your Bren? Is it one of the Czech trials guns - or perhaps from the (southern) Irish order of 1937?

Cheers,
Steve

**MG42UK** · 08-05-2022, 04:23 PM

by HARRY THE MOLE

What is the date on your Bren? Is it one of the Czech trials guns - or perhaps from the (southern) Irish order of 1937?

Cheers,
Steve

Bang on Steve (and top marks for spotting it LOL!), yes, this is allegedly one of the last of the consignment/trial guns sent to the UK army by the original Czech manufacturer just before Enfield started producing them under licence for the British Army. The story is that after Dunkirk, even though the Brits had lost most of their Brens by abandoning them in France, a number still in stock (including these Czech guns) were given to the Irish Republic to help keep them on side, and these were sold off by the Irish Army in the 2000s. There are some variations on this story, but it is a great provenance to have one of the original pre-Enfield Brens. Whether the story is completely true some may question, but there is a general consensus that this is what actually happened.

**HARRY THE MOLE** · 08-05-2022, 05:07 PM

A bit more info for you. The Irish Republic placed an order with the Czech manufacturers in 1937... they were at this time producing them in 303 for export sales. After the outbreak of WW2 the order fell through, and Churchill stepped in (1940) and offered to complete the order. I have one of the 1940 dated double dovetail Enfield made guns - not Kings Crown marked though, but still with the stamp on the right side of the receiver. This is one of the guns supplied to the Republic by the British government to fulfill the Czech placed contract.

As an aside, all these guns were converted to DP in the 1950's when the Irish army purchased the Bren Mk111.

Cheers,
Steve