Churchill (Sir Winston Leonard Spencer, 1874-1965). Typed letter signed, 'Winston S. Churchill', Admiralty, Whitehall, 8th April 1915, to Lord Kitchener, concerning the replacement of marines' and seamen's rifles with Japanese weapons, in full, 'Excluding ships in the Mediterranean and on foreign stations, there are at present afloat in the Grand Fleet and other Squadrons in Home Waters, and in the posession of the Royal Marines at their Headquarters, 20,000 rifles, of which 8,000 Seamen's rifles are long-charger loading, and 12,000 Marines' rifles are short-charger loading. All the Marines' rifles are in good condition. A proportion of the Seamen's rifles are rather worn. It will not be possible for us to have onboard ships of the main fleets in Home Waters two patterns of rifles requiring different kinds of ammunition. It is therefore necessary for you to replace in these ships not only the 12,000 Marines' rifles, but the 8,000 Seamen's rifles, with the Japanese weapon; and these will be handed over to you within four weeks of the delivery to us of the 20,000 Japanese rifles. With regard to ships abroad, a further statement will be made as soon as possible; and we are quite prepared as soon as it can be arranged, to replace all Admiralty rifles now afloat by Japanese weapons, if you desire it', folded letterhead bifolium with text to first and third pages, versos blank, saluation, sentiment and signature in Churchill's holograph in black ink, pinholes to upper left margin, pencil notes in an unidentified clerical hand to lower left margins of first page, some light dust-soiling and light crease marks to upper right corners, 4to. At this time, Churchill was First Lord of the Admiralty and Kitchener was the Secretary of State for War. Theirs was a frosty relationship, though Kitchener was eventually persuaded to support Winston Churchill's disastrous Gallipoli Campaign in 1915-16. Churchill lost his post at the Admiralty on 27 May 1915 over the Campaign, while Kitchener died in 1916, his ship HMS Hampshire striking a mine off the Orkney Islands. The British Authorities ordered over 150,000 Japanese guns shortly after World War One began in August 1914, a mixed batch of 30th and 38th Year type rifles. Most of these rifles were used by training battalions but T. E. Lawrence suggests that at least a few reached the Middle East and were likely 'part of a 20,000-gun consignment of Arisaka rifles issued to the Royal Navy from June 15 1915 to free Lee-Enfields for land service. Japanese rifles also served the Royal Flying Corps. and its 1918-vintage successor, the Royal Air Force. The Arisakas were soon recalled, the Navy guns being replaced by Canadian Ross-rifles in April-June 1917. About 128,000 assorted Japanese guns were subsequently sent from Britain to Russia, and the patterns were declared obsolete in British service in 1921' (John Walter, Rifles of the World, 3rd ed., 2006, p.33). (1)
Churchill (Sir Winston Leonard Spencer, 1874-1965). Typed letter signed, 'Winston S. Churchill', Admiralty, Whitehall, 8th April 1915, to Lord Kitchener, concerning the replacement of marines' and seamen's rifles with Japanese weapons, in full, 'Excluding ships in the Mediterranean and on foreign stations, there are at present afloat in the Grand Fleet and other Squadrons in Home Waters, and in the posession of the Royal Marines at their Headquarters, 20,000 rifles, of which 8,000 Seamen's rifles are long-charger loading, and 12,000 Marines' rifles are short-charger loading. All the Marines' rifles are in good condition. A proportion of the Seamen's rifles are rather worn. It will not be possible for us to have onboard ships of the main fleets in Home Waters two patterns of rifles requiring different kinds of ammunition. It is therefore necessary for you to replace in these ships not only the 12,000 Marines' rifles, but the 8,000 Seamen's rifles, with the Japanese weapon; and these will be handed over to you within four weeks of the delivery to us of the 20,000 Japanese rifles. With regard to ships abroad, a further statement will be made as soon as possible; and we are quite prepared as soon as it can be arranged, to replace all Admiralty rifles now afloat by Japanese weapons, if you desire it', folded letterhead bifolium with text to first and third pages, versos blank, saluation, sentiment and signature in Churchill's holograph in black ink, pinholes to upper left margin, pencil notes in an unidentified clerical hand to lower left margins of first page, some light dust-soiling and light crease marks to upper right corners, 4to. At this time, Churchill was First Lord of the Admiralty and Kitchener was the Secretary of State for War. Theirs was a frosty relationship, though Kitchener was eventually persuaded to support Winston Churchill's disastrous Gallipoli Campaign in 1915-16. Churchill lost his post at the Admiralty on 27 May 1915 over the Campaign, while Kitchener died in 1916, his ship HMS Hampshire striking a mine off the Orkney Islands. The British Authorities ordered over 150,000 Japanese guns shortly after World War One began in August 1914, a mixed batch of 30th and 38th Year type rifles. Most of these rifles were used by training battalions but T. E. Lawrence suggests that at least a few reached the Middle East and were likely 'part of a 20,000-gun consignment of Arisaka rifles issued to the Royal Navy from June 15 1915 to free Lee-Enfields for land service. Japanese rifles also served the Royal Flying Corps. and its 1918-vintage successor, the Royal Air Force. The Arisakas were soon recalled, the Navy guns being replaced by Canadian Ross-rifles in April-June 1917. About 128,000 assorted Japanese guns were subsequently sent from Britain to Russia, and the patterns were declared obsolete in British service in 1921' (John Walter, Rifles of the World, 3rd ed., 2006, p.33). (1)
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