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Garnie
Wallaceburg is the home of the first Lee-Enfield Rifle ever made ... the river
front echoed the very first test shot of this repeater rifle as it whistled
clear across the river and into an oak tree. A plaque now marks this 1878 event
and the museum houses this important military artifact.
This world famous forebearer of the modern repeater rifle was invented by James
Paris Lee, a native of Hawick, Rouxburgh, Scotland. He was born on August 28,
1804, the son of a skilled jeweller. When the family first immigrated to Canada,
they lived in Galt, but later moved to Chatham, where Lee's father opened a
jeweller's shop. At age 7, James got a job in this shop and first started to
experiment with firearms, and in 1850 James opened his shop. By 1862, he had
patented his first rifle -- a single shot, breech loading rifle. The U.S. War
Department ordered 1000 of these, but misunderstanding about the calibre led to
cancellation of the order. Lee claimed damages to the government, but was forced
to close his shop.
It was in 1878, when James made his greatest contribution. He invented a rifle
with a box magazine capable of firing 30 shots per minute. The rifle was
perfected in Wallaceburg on a site opposite the municipal Building. The gun was
tested successfully in Wallaceburg. Bullets were fired from the Lee Brothers
Foundry across the Sydenham river into an oak tree hundreds of yards away.
Ten thousand of these rifles were sold to the U.S. Navy and they also became
the standard issue for the British Army for over 60 years. The Patent rights
were purchased by England for 50,000 pounds plus 50 cents for each magazine. The
rifle was produced in Enfield, England in 1888, thus the "Lee Enfield" name.
The rifle on display is the original prototype and the desk on display was used
to store the tools that helped construct the Lee Rifle. A plaque commemorating
the rifle was erected on July 2, 1975 in Civic Park.
Also In the Lee-Enfield Display:
Lee-Metford Magazine Rifle Mark II, with a magazine capacity of 10 rounds, this
was the first volume produced military firearm employing the Lee bolt and
magazine, and was used extensively in the Boer War.
Lee-Enfield Rifle Mark I, adapted in 1895, further converted in 1907 to charger
loading. The charger loading conversion allowed five cartridges to be inserted
into the magazine directly from the top.
Short Magazine Lee-Enfield (S.M.L.E.) No. 1 Mark III Rifle, issued in 1902 with
several variations to follow. This was the primary rifle used by the Allied
forces from around the world in WWI.
Lee-Enfield No. 4 Mark I* Rifle developed in 1939 and was manufactured in Canada
by Small Arms Ltd., Long Branch, Ontario at a rate of 25,000 rifles per month.
This rifle served the world wide Allied forces in WWII and the Korean War.
Lee-Enfield No. 5 Mark I Jungle Carbine Rifle, produced in 1944 in responce to
the need for a lighter more compact gun in the Pacific theatre.
Lee-Enfield No. 1 Mark III* Skeleton Action, produced during both World Wars for
instructional use, often utilizing condemned or non-functional rifles.
Lee-Enfield Trivia
Used In:
Boer War 1899 -1902
Great War 1914-1918
Second World War 1939-1945
Korean War 1950-1953
Other Facts:
2 506 307 produced by USA for Britain, 1917-1918
2 120 000 produced by Royal Small Arms, 1914-1918
1 504 000 produced by Lithgow Arms Australia, 1913-1942
1 250 000 produced by British Small Arms, 1939-1942
910 368 produced by Canada Small Arms, 1939-1945